JUNE 1st-2nd, 2017: Gravel Mine to Green Space: A Workshop on Community-Directed Approaches to Mining Reclamation and River Restoration in Paonia, Colorado. At this workshop, attendees will tour the river park, learn about the technical aspects of restoration, social impacts of the park, discuss WSCC’s successes and lessons learned, explore creative funding techniques, network with fellow practitioners and community leaders from mining regions, and leave with an overall sense of what it means to undergo a community-directed reclamation project. Stay for their 17th annual Float Fest on June 3rd and tour the improvements along the North Fork of the Gunnison River. For more details, click HERE.
JUNE 2nd-4th, 2017: The annual Yampa River Festival, held each spring, is the premier opportunity to show your respect while enjoying spring flows. The Yampa river flows through 270 miles of northwest Colorado before joining the Green River in Dinosaur National Park. With only a few small reservoirs in it’s upper stretches, the Yampa River flows mostly unimpeded, with torrents of cold snowmelt each spring. The free-flowing nature of the Yampa River is unique among the Colorado River system that is otherwise controlled, managed and tapped to it’s limit.
JUNE 3rd-4th, 2017: 2017 Colorado Native Plant Society (CoNPS) Western Slope Festival. Join fellow plant enthusiasts in Gunnison on the first weekend of June to learn about Western Slope native plant conservation issues and see them in person during several guided hikes. Their keynote presenter is Tyler Johnson, Regional Botanist for the US Forest Service. Visit the CoNPS Bookstore at breaks. Hikes will begin at 2:30 pm and will focus on the plant communities in the Gunnison area. That evening an optional BBQ gathering will be held at a nearby park pavilion. On Sunday morning another round of hikes - some repeated from Saturday and some new - will be available to choose from. Registration is at: western-slope-festival.
JUNE 8th-9th, 2017: 38th Annual Martz Summer Conference - Fighting Back on the Colorado River: Carving Out Progress on Multiple Fronts. This conference will be held at the University of Colorado School of Law Wolf Law Building, Wittemyer Courtroom. In this public event, they review recent and emerging innovations and evaluate their likely impact on the river system. Information, event agenda, and registration available here, Martz Summer Conference.
JUNE 10th, 2017: 10th Annual National Get Outdoors Day. Join outdoor agencies at the north shore of Sloan’s Lake, Denver, Colorado from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. This event is free for kids and their families. Their goal is to foster and facilitate an educational experience and to encourage participants of all skill levels to interact with the outdoors. They'll be hosting fishing classes for youth, paddling activities, live music, climbing, bike riding, and much more. Each year, the event draws roughly 5,000 families excited to learn more about the outdoors and healthy living. In 2008, the United States Forest Service and American Recreation Coalition partnered together to launch a day to celebrate the outdoors and health. As a result, National Get Outdoors Day was born and continues to be held in more than 120 cities throughout the country. The Denver event is recognized as the flagship event. For more information, visit: www.getoutdoorscolorado.org
JUNE 13th- 14th, 2017: Join the Colorado Foundation for Water Education for the Southwest Basin Tour, hosted in Colorado's beautiful San Juan mountains. Tour attendees will visit sites up and down the San Miguel River, from Telluride to the confluence with the Dolores River, and along a stretch of the Dolores hearing from local water managers, city officials, conservation groups and business leaders about water management, economic development and collaborative restoration projects. Share a unique educational experience with other tour participants, which will include members of the Colorado legislative interim Water Resources Review Committee, and get an in-depth look at how the Southwest Basin Implementation Plan is being put into action. Registration includes lunch both days and dinner on the first day. Take a look at the draft agenda here. To register click HERE.
Mountain Park Environmental Center (MPEC) Summer Camps provide children with days filled with Nature fun and life-long memories. They have several new camps planned for this summer. Transportation from Pueblo is included in MPEC camps, and they have a scholarship program that can help those who need financial assistance. Camp descriptions, prices, and other details can be found BY CLICKING HERE, including applying for a scholarship and registering. Please do not wait to register, as many camps fill up.
JUNE 12th - 16th, 2017: Cubs Camp (Entering K-1st Grade)
JUNE 19th - 23rd, 2017: Nature Explorers (Entering 2nd-3rd Grade)
JUNE 20th - 22nd, 2017: Mission Wolf (Entering 6th-8th Grade)
June 26th - 30th, 2017: Intrepid Adventurers (Entering 4th-5th Grade)
JUNE 27th - 29th, 2017: NEW Water and Rock Camp (Entering 6th-8th Grade)
Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom presents Food, Fiber & More. This is a five day course designed for teachers who have little or no agriculture background. You can receive 3 continuing credits from CSU. Institute cost: $250 (scholarships available to pre-registered educators). Sign up today to reserve space and to apply for a scholarship for 2017 Food, Fiber & More, AITC Summer Institute. Register at www.growingyourfuture.com. You can choose to attend:
- JUNE 12th-16th - RIFLE, CO
- JUNE 19th-23rd - FORT COLLINS, CO
- JUNE 26th-30th - DENVER, CO
JUNE 13th - 15th, 2017: Changing Lands, Changing Hands Conference at the DoubleTree Stapleton North, Denver, CO. Land access, agricultural land tenure and farm succession are priority challenges for US agriculture. USDA and groups across the country are addressing these issues with research, policies, programming and professional development. In cooperation with USDA, Land For Good will host this national conference. More information and registration can be found at landforgood.org.
JUNE 14th, 2017: Colorado Water Trust's 9th Annual River Bank Fundraiser from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Join them for a beautiful evening in support of Colorado's rivers. Activities will include a silent auction with river trips, stay-cation packages, outdoor gear, and many other exciting items to bid on along with a presentation of The David Getches Flowing Waters Award. Click HERE for more details.
JUNE 18th, 2017: On June 17, 2017, Runoff Runoff committee is partnering with the Willow Creek Reclamation Committee, a project of the Headwaters Alliance, to host the Runoff Runoff: Run along the Rio Grande! This event boasts a marathon, half-marathon and 6K! The purpose of the Runoff Runoff is to educate and engage the public in local watershed issues. This annual event is their main fundraiser and helps organize river restoration, diversion replacement and community river projects. For more information or to register, go to their website.
JUNE 19th, 2017: Join the Colorado Ag Water Alliance on a full day tour and see a variety of speakers from local producers to the Commissioner of Agriculture. Explore working farms and ditches. See how water is used in irrigation and what farmers are doing about conservation. This event will be at Colorado Corn Office 127 22nd St. Greeley, CO 80631 from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. For more information click HERE.
JUNE 24th, 2017: 10th Annual Celebration of the Uncompahgre River. This year has been planned for another great festival with some special additions to commemorate its 10th year. Join for a full day of fun, and consider competing individually or with a team of friends in the hardshell kayak, inflatables, standup paddle board or Junk of the Unc races. You can sign up to volunteer for three hours Contact Tanya at 303-819-7784 or ridgwayriverfest@gmail.com.
JUNE 27th, 2017: Join the Colorado Ag Water Alliance on this full day tour and see a variety of speakers from local producers to the Commissioner of Agriculture. Explore working farms and ditches. See how water is used in irrigation and what farmers are doing about conservation. The bus tour takes you through Longmont, Fort Lupton and Brighton to see a variety of local working farms, irrigation systems and diversion ditches. the location will at Boulder County Fairgrounds 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO 80501 from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Go to their website to register.
AUGUST 20th, 2017: Colorado Headwaters Land Trust Annual Event. Join them at the B Lazy 2 Ranch in Fraser, Colorado from 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm for a fun family-friendly celebration and fundraiser. Yard games will be available for kids and adults! Dinner will be a Buffet by Stone Creek Catering (vegetarian and gluten free options, includes 2 drinks) followed by a cash bar. Paddle Raiser. Live Auction. Silent Auction. Dinner. Games. And More! Register HERE.
AUGUST 26th, 2017: Join Tamarisk Coalition and local river experts for Raft the River, a fun, educational float trip and dinner along the Colorado River in Fruita, Colorado from 1pm~6:30pm. This year will have a new floating stretch of river compared to previous years from Rimrock Adventures to the Loma Boat Ramp. This one-day float trip, guided by Rimrock Adventures, will provide you with a “behind the scenes” look at the work being done to rejuvenate the treasured riparian (riverside) area in the Grand Valley. Register HERE.
SEPTEMBER 26th-27th: Setting Watershed-Scale Priorities in Riparian Restoration, September 26-27, CMU University Center, Grand Junction, CO. This workshop is being organized by the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University and hosted by the Hutchins Water Center. The goal of this workshop is to describe tools and strategies that agencies and organizations can use in deciding where to work, what to do, and how to establish appropriate and achievable goals in riparian rehabilitation and restoration. For more information or to register click HERE.
OCTOBER 3rd-4th, 2017: The EPA Region 8 is hosting a Wetlands Conference to convene federal, state, tribal, and local representatives and NGOs to share information and best practices related to wetlands management. The 2017 conference in Boulder, Colorado will include sessions on stream and wetland restoration; mitigation; monitoring and assessment/mapping; and federal, state, and local level aquatic resource protection. The conference will allow stakeholders to discuss opportunities, hurdles, strategies, and potential solutions associated with protecting aquatic resources in Region 8. The event will facilitate networking, peer-to-peer learning, and collective problem-solving on specific issues, and allow regulators to share updates and learn from stakeholders View the conference webpage here and register here.
OCTOBER 10th - 12th, 2017: Save the Date - 2017 Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference at the Westin Riverfront Resort, Avon, CO. This highly popular event expands cooperation and collaboration throughout our state for natural resource conservation, protection, and enhancement by informing citizen groups, agencies, consultants, and legislators about current issues and through networking opportunities. In 2017, the conference will focus on “Coming Together – the Confluence of Science and Society.”