lincolnhillscares

Lincoln Hills Cares Dives Deep into Colorado’s Watershed

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 20:43:59 GMT

Cottonwood Institute teamed up with folks from Lincoln Hills Cares on a program all about the Colorado watershed. Written by Field Instructor M Tormasi. See photos here!

As July came to a close, Cottonwood Institute teamed up with folks from Lincoln Hills Cares on a program all about the Colorado watershed . With fishing, rafting, bug catching, and an educational relay race on our itinerary, we were in for a boat load of fun! Leadville’s mountains served as our perfect backdrop at camp at the Colorado Outward Bound School campus. Stunning views of Mt. Elbert’s crater, a small creek nearby, and distant sounds of coyotes in the night will live in our memories of this campsite.

On our first day, we successfully set up camp before the darker clouds arrived. Our luck was evident as those same dark clouds merely drizzled on us, later dispersing to display a rainbow! We joyfully celebrated the good weather while eating dinner and staring at the horizon. Our new team flag had been hung up, we’d discussed our comfort zones and desired group norms, and finished our evening with a campfire.

Day two kept us on our toes as we bounced from activity to activity. We began the day learning about the meaning of watersheds, and that the nearby Arkansas river’s water eventually made its way to the Atlantic Ocean. Our educational relay race helped iterate all of the folks who depend on that water, and the many ways it is used. We soon left our campsite for a tour of the National Fish Hatchery , where we learned about local history and the greenback cutthroat trout. After an excellent tour, we were given the opportunity to feed the hatchery’s fish.

Continuing our day of discovery, we hiked to a small lake and stream. Funny enough, that same stream was feeding the creek that flowed through our campsite! Our team split into small groups to learn about fly fishing and macro-invertebrates. We also took some time to test the quality of the water and were excited to learn just how clean it was! The diversity of species we noticed coupled with our water quality tests allowed us to hypothesize that this wetland habitat is quite healthy. It was exciting to learn that this water is very clean despite Leadville’s prominent history of mining. Our group was able to clearly observe the ecological importance of conservation and reclamation work in the area.

The following day allowed everyone the chance to cool off as we travelled south to Buena Vista with the goal of rafting through Browns Canyon National Monument . For many folks in the group, this would be their first experience whitewater rafting. The anticipation for this activity was high, and our time on the water lived up to the hype! Highlights of our trip included staring down at the river bed through clear water, floating by cottonwood trees and fascinating rock formations, and gracefully gliding through swells of whitewater. Taking on this challenge of whitewater rafting as a team enabled us to grow even closer. We were very proud of our abilities to communicate and support each other as we tackled something new.

Our culminating activity was a service project near Turquoise Lake. We met up with a pair of local ranch owners who are consistently facilitating conservation projects for Leadville. This was our chance to give back to them! We were able to install more than 10 new signs to help inform nearby campers of the importance of the irrigation ditch for local ranchers and livestock. These informative signs will have long lasting positive affects by discouraging campers from littering and damming the ditch. Our team also collected litter, contributing to cleaner campsites and a healthier ecosystem for wildlife.

After a week full of recreation, service, and connecting with nature, our team had one last campfire to reflect on how far we had come. We discussed the new information we’d learned, our favorite moments, and reasons we were proud of ourselves. Many folks were excited about utilizing their recently-practiced outdoor skills on future trips. By conversing with locals, trying new ways to recreate, and spending time bonding at nightly campfires, our group successfully grew our connections to nature while learning about the importance of the Colorado watershed.

Huge thanks to the Walton Family Foundation for funding the creation of the Watershed Project curriculum!

If your student enjoyed our trip, you can help support us by making a donation or becoming a monthly Seedling member.

Secretary Haaland Designates 18 New Sites of Natural, Historical Significance

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 18:10:30 GMT

For Immediate Release: December 13, 2023

Contact: NewsMedia@nps.gov

Read on NPS.gov

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today designated 16 new National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) and two new National Natural Landmarks (NNLs). The designations reflect the importance of the sites in sharing America’s rich history and extraordinary natural features.

“The new National Historic and Natural Landmarks designated today further the Interior Department’s vision for inclusive and collaborative conservation,” said Secretary Deb Haaland . “Supporting voluntary and locally led stewardship is key to nationwide efforts to conserve and connect the lands upon which we all depend.”

“It’s important that the places we deem nationally significant represent the historical and natural diversity of the American experience,” said Chuck Sams, Director of the National Park Service, which administers the NHL and NNL programs. “These 18 new landmarks further illustrate and expand our country’s collective heritage and splendor.”

New National Historic Landmarks

NHLs are some of the nation’s most historically important buildings, sites, structures, objects and districts, which communicate themes in history, archeology, architecture, engineering and cultural significance. NHL designation is the highest federal recognition of a property’s historical, architectural, or archeological significance, and a testament to the dedicated stewardship of many private and public property owners who seek this designation.

The newly designated NHLs in locations across the country join a select group of more than 2,600 noteworthy places that possess exceptional value in illustrating the history of the United States.

The new NHLs across 14 states include:

California:

· Pond Farm Pottery

· Wayfarers Chapel

Colorado:

· Wink’s Panorama

· Temple Aaron

Connecticut:

· Barnum Institute of Science and History

Idaho

· Strategic Air Command Ground Alert Facility, Mount Home Air Force Base

Illinois

· Sam and Ruth Van Sickle Ford House

Indiana

· Montgomery County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence

Iowa

· Pottawattamie County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence

Massachusetts

· Sampson-White Joiner Shop

Tennessee

· Fort Armistead

Texas

· Rio Vista Bracero Reception Center

Washington, D.C.

· National Archives Building

West Virginia

· Jefferson County Courthouse

Wisconsin

· Rock Island Site II

Wyoming

· Quebec 01 Launch Control Facility

The Secretary also approved updated documentation for six current NHLs and withdrawal of designation from three NHLs because of loss of historic integrity due to fire or other damage.

Updated National Historic Landmark Documentation:

Withdrawal of National Historic Landmark Designation:

The regulations governing the NHL program can be found here. Visit the National Historic Landmarks website for more information on these landmarks.

New National Natural Landmarks

The newly designated NNLs include Glenwood Caverns and Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Colorado, and John Boyd Thacher State Park in New York. These additions join 602 other locations that recognize and encourage the conservation of sites that contain outstanding biological and geological resources, bringing illustrative character, rarity, diversity and value to science and education.

Glenwood Caverns and Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Colorado, a privately owned site, features unique cave processes and ecosystems. In addition to beautiful cave formations that line the floors and ceilings of the caves, these unique ecosystems are habitat for a variety of species including eight native and fully cave-adapted animals.

John Boyd Thacher State Park – which is managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation – features the most complete and minimally disturbed record of Middle Paleozoic rock layering in the Appalachian Plateaus region, and perhaps across North America. The uniquely accessible fossil-rich deposits provide a visible geologic cross section spanning 63 million years that is foundational in the early study and understanding of North American geology and of widespread ancient mountain creation.

More information about NNLs is available here.

About the National Park Service

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 428 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov , and on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , and YouTube .

Eight Denver-Based Nonprofits Working in the Outdoors

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 21:20:35 GMT

In a world with a lot of need and not enough resources, there are a lot of nonprofits. Like, A LOT of nonprofits. Most of them started with the goal of taking the lead on important initiatives with like-minded communities. While they all run impactful and important programming, nonprofits are constantly hustling to receive funding and to get noticed. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to recognize every nonprofit that ever existed – we’ll need an encyclopedia for that – but it is possible to highlight some that are doing extra awesome work, specifically in the outdoors. To set some boundaries for ourselves, we decided to focus on outdoor-themed nonprofits based in Denver.

Nonprofits Increasing Access to the Outdoors

Sure, Denver has the front range, access to several ski mountains less than an hour and a half away (sans traffic), and a plethora of open space parks. However, recreating outside is still very inaccessible to people from low socioeconomic backgrounds and underprivileged groups. Transportation, time, and money—among other factors—make it difficult for many people to enjoy the outdoors. Fortunately, there are several nonprofits within Denver trying to eliminate those barriers. Read More