Conferences & Events Late July

JULY 11th-AUGUST 9th, 2020: Sixth Annual Smallmouth Bass Fishing Tournament | Colorado Parks and Wildlife | Ridgway State Park. Find the best ways to catch smallmouth bass, tournament rules, and an in-depth explanation of issues related to smallmouth bass at Ridgway Reservoir HERE.

JULY 27th, 2020: Apiary Tours with The Peoples Bees | Living Systems Institute | Golden, CO | 10:00-10:30 a.m. Whether you're interested in beekeeping, looking to broaden your gardening skills, or just curious about LSI services, please join a free tour of the apiary on the last Friday of every month! You’ll see 5 hives from a comfortable distance, learn about LSI mission and services, and, if time allows, crack open a hive and observe a frame! Registration is free but donations are welcome. To register and look at more dates, click HERE.

JULY 28th, 2020: Rio Grande State of the Basin Symposium | Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center at Adams State University & the Rio Grande Water Conservation District | Virtual | 5:30-7:00 p.m. This virtual event will provide up-to-date information about the current water situation and water planning efforts in the San Luis Valley. The keynote speaker is Colorado’s top water official, Kevin Rein, along with local water experts and leaders. For more information, contact the Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center at riodelavista@adams.edu. Register for free HERE.

AUGUST 1st-28th, 2020: Fishing Fundraiser & Poker Run | Friends of the Yampa | Yampa Basin Headwaters. This fundraiser is designed as a self-guided tour. It is set up to encourage people to get outside and enjoy fishing high up in the Yampa’s “out of the way places”, to the headwaters where rivers are born. It’s not always about the biggest fish, the most fish, or the deepest waters. Participants can get out and enjoy the tributaries, be somewhere you may have never been, and enjoy the beauty of the places where the Yampa River begins. Proceeds raised from this fundraiser will go toward scholarships for youth in the Yampa Valley to learn how to fly fish, and to help further FOTY’s projects, program, mission, and goals. Registration closes August 16th. For more information and to register, click HERE.

AUGUST 2nd, 2020: Virtual Garden Tour - Designing Backyard Wetlands for Wildlife, Diversity, and Tranquility | Colorado Native Plant Society | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. John Giordanengo will host the Virtual Garden Tour, showing off the backyard wetland that he created. This is a peaceful space to hang out and enjoy the trickling of water and birdsong. He will talk about the mechanics of how he created his pond and wetland with Colorado native plants bordering its banks. John is the principal ecologist and owner of the firm, AloTerra Restoration Services in Fort Collins. He has wide and deep experience with restoration of not only wetlands, but forests, prairies, stream banks, and open spaces. For more information and to register, click HERE.

AUGUST 3rd-4th, 2020: Forests to Faucets | Mountain Studies Institute | Pagosa Springs, CO. Mountain Studies Institute partners with San Juan Mountains Association, the Water Information Program, and Fort Lewis College to host a two-day workshop to introduce regional educators to the My Water Comes from the San Juan Mountains teaching guide. This place-based approach to watershed education rotates each summer to a different geographic area. The 2020 workshop will explore the Upper San Juan River watershed and will be based out of Pagosa Springs. Check it out HERE.

AUGUST 20th, 2020: Water Educator Network Symposium: Equipping Learners for Action in a Climate of Uncertainty | Water Education Colorado | 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Register today and join water educators, water professionals, and decision-makers from around the state in an informative and dynamic discussion. This engaging virtual event will emphasize participant interaction with live chat, participant polling, and small group break-out sessions along with an exciting panel of speakers. Participants will be encouraged to reference resources ahead of the Symposium to ensure a dynamic discussion in the moment. Project Wet Workshop: The Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) workshop provides a hands-on immersion in a water education curriculum recommended by the National Science Teachers Association. In the workshop, facilitators will model four activities and participants plan and teach a lesson to peers and receive feedback from workshop facilitators. Participants who successfully complete the training receive a Project WET Educator certification and Project WET Curriculum Guide 2.0. For more information and to register, click HERE.

AUGUST 20th-21st, 2020: Summit for Action Online. Summit for Action is a 2-day event for thought-provoking discussions and solutions-based recommendations for Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion. The Summit for Action model brings together a variety of community leaders and key stakeholders to develop shared understanding around the steps needed to inspire and drive social change around Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion issues. Register by July 10th for early bird pricing HERE.

TODAY-AUGUST 30th, 2020: Denver Urban Water Cycle Bike Tour | Virtual & Self-Guided. This year’s Urban Water Cycle Tour is virtual! Start by watching a video of the tour route and speakers. Then, spend the day riding from Barnum Park along Weir Gulch to Globeville Landing on the South Platte River. You'll have access to a map and prizes! Find out more on Water Education Colorado’s website HERE.

SEPTEMBER 2020: Colorado's 2020 Advancing Environmental Education Conference | Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) | Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, CO. Registration will be closed until further details are available. Colorado’s Advancing Environmental Education Conference is annually hosted by the CAEE, a statewide leader in environmental education since 1989. CAEE facilitates communication, coordination, resource sharing and professional development to advance environmental education among over 900 members across the state among various sectors. CAEE also advocates for increased access to environmental learning opportunities for all Colorado residents in order to increase environmental literacy in Colorado. Click HERE to read all about it.

SEPTEMBER 11th, 2020: Rocky Mountain Philanthropy Institute (RMPI) Conference | Virtual. The Association of Fundraising Professionals Colorado Chapter’s annual conference is dedicated to bringing Colorado fundraising professionals and nonprofit staff together to learn, network, and rejuvenate their passion for service. This year’s conference, “We are Change Makers,” comes at a time when professional learning and collaboration is especially critical. Communities across Colorado are counting on our industry not to adapt to the next normal, but to lead the charge. By harnessing the momentum of this moment, nonprofits are poised to make systems-level change – both in the world and within our organizations. Application deadline to apply for a scholarship is July 31st. Join this immersive day of collaboration and inspiration HERE.

SEPTEMBER 15th, 2020: RiverBank | Colorado Water Trust | Denver Botanic Gardens. This annual fundraiser seeks to restore flows to Colorado’s rivers in need. It’s a fun-filled evening of food, drinks, a silent auction, and the presentation of the David Getches Flowing Waters Award. Visit the event page HERE.

SEPTEMBER 18th, 2020: President’s Reception | Water Education Colorado | 6:00-10:00 p.m. | Virtual. Join a night of celebration, networking, and awards to honor water leadership and raise money for Water Education Colorado at one of the best events of the year. Enjoy a cocktail hour, seated dinner, awards presentation, and lively auction at a beautiful indoor/outdoor venue. This year's award recipients have been announced! Purchase tickets by September 10th. Click HERE to get tickets.

SEPTEMBER 23rd-25th, 2020: ESRI Water GIS Conference 2020 | Online. Discover all-new GIS solutions for the water industry, learn from Esri experts, build your professional network, and bring home new GIS skills that will make you a valuable asset at your organization. For more information click HERE.

OCTOBER 6th-8th, 2020: 15th Annual Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference: Business as (Un)Usual | Virtual and In-Person throughout CO. For 2020 we’ll be focusing on work that challenges the status quo, represents different perspectives around any given issue, or highlights new partnerships and/or business models that are helping to sustain and advance projects, programs, or even entire organizations. Sponsorship opportunities are available HERE, and visit the conference homepage HERE.

OCTOBER 28th, 2020: Water Conservation Symposium | Colorado WaterWise | Mile High Station. Colorado WaterWise invites you to save the date for the 12th annual conservation symposium. They are continuing to monitor the latest information related to the COVID-19 pandemic and will adhere to all regulations related to public gatherings in effect at that time. For more information on the event, click HERE.

DECEMBER 2nd-3rd, 2020: South Platte Forum. SPF may offer a condensed, online event that would still include timely speakers and topics from within the South Platte Basin. Browse the agenda topics HERE, and register early HERE before October 1st.

OCTOBER 11th-13th, 2021: Colorado Open Space Alliance Conference | Grand Hyatt in Vail.