Applications for the Young Farmers Fellowship are now open. Become part of a grassroots effort to replace the corporate climate agenda and promote a more equitable system that positions farmers--especially young, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC farmers--as the source of innovation for justice and climate resilience! During this five-month, majority-BIPOC fellowship, 10 young farmer leaders will attend five two-hour virtual webinars, develop a creative action project, receive a $4,500 honorarium, get one-on-one coaching and ongoing support, and attend a Washington, D.C. fly-in in March 2023. Applications are due Monday, August 22, 2022.
August 27th, 2022 | Birder’s Eye View: Bird Identification | Mountain Area Land Trust. Join Evergreen Audubon and the Mountain Area Land Trust for an opportunity to discover the birds that call South Park home. All are welcome whether you’re brand-new to the world of birding, or you already bird on the regular! These workshops will provide opportunities to engage with other birders of all levels and to become familiar with the interactive ‘eBird’ app. Together, we’ll collect meaningful data for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and make Park County a birding hotspot!
August 23rd-24th, 2022 | Drought Mitigation for Water Utilities. This summit will bring together water utility leaders, government agencies, scientists, and thought leaders to discuss best practices for drought response and mitigation. Register now to gain insights and practical strategies for drought mitigation & contingency planning.
This Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL) Training is sponsored by the City of Aspen and registration is only $25 for local landscape professionals, resort and grounds staff, water utility staff, and other municipal staff involved in water or irrigation management working in the Roaring Fork Valley. Registration closes September 6th, 2022.
Sept 13, Oct 7, Oct 19, Nov 10, 2022 | Colorado Fluvial Hazard Mapping Program Trainings – 2 Modules, 2 Options. The Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Association of Stormwater and Floodplain Managers, and Colorado Watershed Assembly are co-hosting a series of training opportunities. The first module is aimed at familiarizing participants with stream corridor processes and fluvial hazard maps and the second more technical module will be focused on training participants interested in delineating FHZ maps using the CWCB FHZ Mapping Protocol.
September 19th-November 23rd, 2022 | Community Wildfire Mitigation Best Practices Virtual Training | COCO. This national level training from Coalitions & Collaboratives, Inc. and the USDA Forest Service is designed for current or future mitigation specialists, wildfire program leads, and others who work with residents and their communities to reduce wildfire risk. The Mitigation Best Practices training concentrates on science, methods and tools that will help you engage communities/residents while also helping you to eliminate ineffective practices. Participants should come with a basic understanding of wildfire, how homes burn, and vegetation management practices. The course assumes you know how to mitigate, but that you could use support engaging your community. In this workshop, you will work through some of the greatest challenges facing our wildland urban interface communities. The course will help you break down ineffective practices to make space for the more effective ones with a focus on the on-the-ground mitigation activities. Selection to participate in the training will be based on your answers provided and on submission date.
September 20th, 2022 | Building Resilience in Your Water/Wastewater System. You and your water and wastewater system personnel are invited to receive FREE training on Building Resilience in your Water/Wastewater System. Operators who participate can get up to 0.4 training units. Training available on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Steamboat Springs, and Thursday, Dec. 8 in Colorado Springs.
September 20th, 2022 | Free Training - Building Resilience in Your Water/Wastewater System | CDPHE. You and your water and wastewater system personnel are invited to receive FREE training on Building Resilience in your Water/Wastewater System. Operators who participate can get up to 0.4 training units.
September 20th-21st, 2022 | Fundamentals of Water Recycling for Municipal Recycled and Reclaimed Water: Distribution/Use. The course will focus on municipal recycled water programs, rather than individual industrial on-site reuse or single-family home “graywater” systems. Attendees will be exposed to water quality and availability considerations, distribution system development, reuse site requirements and best management practices, and customer relations, finishing up with a discussion of potential problems with developing a recycled water program and previously successful strategies and solutions.
September 21st, 2022 | Strategic Planning | Community Resource Center. This course will provide Executive Directors and Board Members the tools and resources necessary to craft a compelling and relevant strategic plan that is practical, measurable, and can be implemented without the cost of hiring an outside consultant. Join CRC for a comprehensive, 2-part strategic planning workshop and learn the various processes that will engage board and staff in identifying the priorities of your organization and providing a roadmap for successfully meeting missions. Participants will learn about a streamlined strategic thinking and planning process and walk away with greater clarity on mission, goals, opportunities, and specific actions and next steps to move forward.
October 6th-7th, 2022 | Introduction to Public Water Systems. This course will introduce and overview how water is used, protected, conveyed, and metered in our public water systems. The instructors will review the basics of water supply and demand, water distribution, drinking water treatment, regulatory and environmental compliance and more.
October 20th, 2022, 9am-12pm | Becoming a High Performing Nonprofit Board | Community Resource Center. Participants will learn the importance of serving on a nonprofit board and the expectations of each and every board member. Discussions will include meeting agendas, financial responsibilities, strategic planning, asking for money, recruiting new board members, and when it’s time to cycle off the board. In addition to board members, this training is also valuable for executive directors and any staff interested in increasing their knowledge of nonprofit governance.
Colorado Water and the American West teaches students about the rich history of water in the Western United States, how native communities used it, and the American approach to water management. The western United States is a region with a long history of water challenges. In the American West, over 40 million people depend on the Colorado River, now listed as one of the most endangered rivers in America. MSU Denver developed the non credit Professional Water Studies courses for people interested in safeguarding this precious resource. Taught by MSU Denver faculty, courses are one month long, fully online, and self-paced to accommodate the schedules of busy professional students.
The Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership presents 14 videos to help community members learn about how water is managed, restored and monitored in the upper Uncompahgre River watershed. Take advantage of this new education resource to learn about your watershed including mine reclamation, water monitoring, recreational use, water conservation, drinking water and waste water treatment and distribution, aquatic life, water scarcity, agricultural use, management, infrastructure, and more. Watch the video series here.
Master Irrigator Program- San Luis Valley. Over four sessions, this 32-hour program reviews water law and administration, history of water development, and gives participants the tools and strategies to improve water and energy use efficiency and conservation, soil health, and profitability on their operations. Those who complete the course will also receive a $2,000 stipend. To be eligible for this course you must farm in either Rio Grande, Alamosa, Costilla, Conejos, Saguache or Mineral County. Details will be available soon here.
The American Stormwater Institute, LLC now offers courses in a live setting and online that deal with developing the knowledge and skills required to conduct stormwater inspections. Our courses are based on a “Real World” attitude of finding implementable solutions to the challenges that stormwater inspectors face every day. The state and federal regulations require that “QUALIFIED PERSONS” conduct inspections related to stormwater permits. The overarching goal of the ASI classes is to ensure that our students are well qualified to conduct these inspections. For a list of all classes offered click HERE.
Non-standard MS4 Permit PDD Template and Program Strategy Templates. SPLASH members and SEMSWA worked with CP Compliance to create resources to educate permittees. It may also assist permittees with implementation of the new Non-standard MS4 Permit. Please click HERE to access the material.
San Juan Expedition Avy Course based at Thelma Hut. The AIARE Avy 1 Hut Course is designed to give you a full introduction to backcountry travel. Based out of the Thelma hut on Red Mountain Pass, you will spend day and night with your peers and instructors learning the foundation of avalanche education. In a hut format, you spend more time skiing, more time learning from and observing your instructors, and more time in the mountains—all with lodging and food included. When you take your level one with San Juan Expeditions you will get hands-on experience analyzing the avalanche hazard and using your observations to make decisions in the field. Click HERE for more information.
MSU Denver developed the noncredit Water Studies courses for people interested in safeguarding this precious resource. Students will learn history, law, management, and water trends in Colorado and the American West. The courses have recently been improved, offering the same high quality, but shortened to meet your busy schedules. The course structure has been redesigned for each class to be one month long to improve the learning experience and accommodate the schedules of busy professional students. Click HERE for more information.
Colorado Master Irrigator offers farmers and farm managers advanced training on conservation- and efficiency-oriented irrigation management practices and tools. This program is the product of efforts led by several local producers, district management representatives, and others. Colorado Master Irrigator is modeled on the award-winning Master Irrigator program created and run since 2016 by the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District in the Texas panhandle. Topic experts from Colorado and adjacent Ogallala states, serve as instructors over the 32 hours of the program. Colorado Master Irrigator's interactive class format is designed to encourage peer-to-peer exchange among participants and instructors, helping forge useful contacts that graduates can reach out to after their participation in the program. Click HERE for more information.
Silt Removal - Positive Impact on Crop Yields, Water Use Efficiency, & Irrigation Systems. Presentation from the 2021 World Ag Expo on sources of silt, its impacts, and current and new methods of removal. Watch the presentation here!