- CHLT June Spotlight
- Community News
- CHLT Awards Carolyn Hackman Scholarships and GES Science Fair
- Upcoming Events
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Meet CHLT Board Member:
Kelli M. Archie, PhD
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Kelli currently lives on the side of a ski run in Grand County, Colorado, with her husband Tim, their four young daughters, and their puppy.
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When not on the road learning as much as they can about our beautiful planet, the Archies can typically be found on or near a trail: skiing, biking, hiking, or rock climbing. |
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1. How did you find out about CHLT, and why did you choose to work with CHLT as a board member?
In 2018 My family and I moved back to Colorado from New Zealand where I had been working as a Professor of Climate Change. We were looking for a more relaxed lifestyle that included more time with our children and more time doing the things we love. I was also in search of work that had a more immediate impact on our planet. I wanted to stop writing journal articles about our environmental problems and wanted to start getting my hands dirty solving them. My current work allows me to have more tangible impacts on the world, but because I work remotely I wasn't directly involved in making a difference in Grand County. So, in 2019, when I saw an ad in the paper looking for CHLT board members, I jumped at a chance to join a local organization that was doing work I believed in.
2. What experience do you have that is related to CHLT's mission?
I am an Environmental Scientist that specializes in the relationships between human and environmental systems and have spent the past 14 years studying climate change adaptation around the world in the United States, the Indian Himalayas, Vanuatu and New Zealand. As a native of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, I am particularly interested in alpine and mountainous regions and my PhD work specifically addressed adaptation and conservation in Colorado mountain communities and on federal public land in the western US. CHLT is also interested in educating our local and wider communities about conservation related topics, and my training and research experience gives me a deep understanding of the importance of land conservation. I relish the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with our donors, land owners and community as whole.
3. What would you tell others is the single greatest benefit that CHLT provides?
Land conservation is one of the most important steps we can take to protect natural systems and the human systems that rely on them. Conservation easements are one of the most effective tools available for the permanent conservation of private lands, and Grand County is home to a vast swath of private land that is undeveloped and worthy of protection. CHLT gives landowners in the region an opportunity to work with a local organization to protect their land in perpetuity, benefitting not only current owners and residents, but future generations of Grand County residents as well. CHLT is led by a director and board that all have stakes in the community; which allows for a level of trust and understanding between us and the land owners that can't be matched by larger and more geographically distant organizations. The location of our easements near the headwaters of one of the world's great rivers, the Colorado, only serves to increase the conservation value of these lands.
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Seeking Field Staff and Undergraduate Student Participants for the 2021 Mountain Resilience Semester at Western Colorado University. An experiential undergraduate gap semester integrating climate change resiliency, sustainability, alpine ecosystems, wilderness expeditions, and mountain communities in partnership with the Center for Mountain Transitions at Western Colorado University. Apply here.
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Colorado River District: State of the River - This year’s Colorado State of the River webinar was presented on May 27. View the recording to learn how last year’s intense wildfire season has impacted our water supplies and how to prepare for the impacts of post-fire floods. Tune in to get information about water availability amid impending summer drought, and find out more about funding available for local water projects. Watch recordings of previous State of the River webinars here.
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Volunteers are needed for Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Bighorn Sheep Survey in the Zirkel, Rawahs and Never Summer mountain ranges. Camp out, explore, and count sheep in an assigned area from daylight until mid afternoon. Zirkels: Thursday August 5th (pack in on 4th) or Sunday August 8th (pack in on 7th). Rawahs: Friday August 13th (pack in on 12th). Never Summer Range (along RMNP border): Thursday August 19th (pack in on 18th). Contact Eric.
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CHLT Awards Carolyn Hackman Scholarships |
Congratulations Krista Conrad (environmental science & education) and Bethanne Droll (environmental science with the option of snow science). These Grand County high school graduating seniors were awarded the 2021 Carolyn Hackman Education Fund Scholarships.
Carolyn Hackman wished to provide financial assistance to Grand County students who are looking to increase their knowledge of land conservation and management, and who wish to carry such knowledge and appreciation into their adult years.
We are so proud of our local kids who are striving to pursue their passions, earn a strong conservation education, and return to Grand County to #ProtectTheLandWeLove.
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CHLT Awards the Environmental Science Project Award at GES |
Colorado Headwaters Land Trust was proud to award Chase Fosha the Environmental Science Project Award at the Granby Elementary School Science Fair. His project was themed: Hold On! To the Soil! Chase used three different types of ground cover plants to determine which did the best job of holding back erosion. His purpose was to address erosion issues after last fall's wildfire. |
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CHLT Helps with May's GCWIN Kids' Science Learning Lab |
In collaboration with Headwaters Center and Grand County Water Information Network (GCWIN), CHLT's Jeremy Krones helped lead a series of hands-on lessons at the May Kids' Science Learning Lab. |
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Instructors shared what makes a wetland so important and how water makes its way from the Colorado River to sinks in the Front Range, through various lakes and reservoirs. Learn more about GCWIN here.
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Let's Get Social!
Here are a few of our posts from the last month. Find more on our pages.
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May 26: "Look closely. The beautiful may be small."
- Immanuel Kant
For this #WildlifeWednesday, we are fortunate to feature the Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans). We stumbled upon this reptile at a lower elevation in Grand County's Rocky Mountains. It has a light stripe down the middle of its body and two lateral stripes. It is the only garter snake species that constricts its prey. Rather than laying eggs, females give live-birth.
Let us know what amazing creatures you find on your spring outings!
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The local American pika (Ochotona princeps) is one such imperiled creature, not yet listed on the Endangered Species Act. The pika has adapted to live in environments that are harshly cold - like the #RockyMountains. Rising temperatures and a reduced snowpack have changed the environmental conditions that these small, rabbit-like animals need in order to survive.
To read more about conservation efforts to protect the pika, visit:
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May 14: "Where flowers bloom so does hope."
- Lady Bird Johnson
we're delighted to see these White Marsh Marigolds (Caltha leptosepala) blooming along the edges of our subalpine wetlands. Especially amongst burn-scarred meadows, these spring flowers are truly a bright sight to behold!
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CHLT Third Thursdays
June 17 at 3:00pm
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Join us for the Colorado Headwaters Land Trust Third Thursday Series. For June, we will couple with the Headwaters Center River Journey Speaker Series: The Effects of Stream Temperature on River Health. Join via Zoom.
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July iNaturalist Bioblitz |
Get ready for the 2nd annual Colorado Headwaters Nature Project 2021 taking place during the month of July on iNaturalist.org. With your help, we’ll explore and record all types of wild flora and fauna in Grand County. How many species will you find? |
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Wildflower Walk
July 17 at 11:00am
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Join Colorado Headwaters Land Trust as Western Herbalist and Natural Resources Supervisor for the Town of Winter Park Jill Jacobsen leads us on a discovery walk. Learn to identify wild plants and learn about their therapeutic and nutritional uses. Location details coming soon. |
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Stargazing on an Easement
August 13
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Plein Air at Altitude: Painting Planet Earth
September 7 - 12
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Plein Air returns to the Fraser Valley and Grand County! Artists from across the region will be visiting and painting the scenic landscapes of Grand County, with emphasis on the private easements of the Colorado Land Trust as well as showcasing Grand County natural and historical attractions. The works will be available for purchase with the proceeds benefiting the individual artists, the Colorado Headwaters Land Trust, and Fraser Valley Arts. Artists 18 or over are invited to apply. (Application deadline is June 30 or when full.) Call for Entries
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Grand County National Public Lands Day
September 25
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Recognized as one of the longest-running NPLDs in the country, Grand County's National Public Lands Day is a day full of enjoyment and dedication of our public lands. Grand County has a bounty of public lands, including a national park, national forests, wilderness areas, national recreation areas, and more. After a day of volunteering with Headwaters Trails Alliance come gather in Granby for a Picnic In the Park at Polhamous Park! Enjoy music, special guests, and a broad community as we celebrate our public lands. |
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Hats Off for Headwaters
September 26 - October 3
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We hope to be able to merge last year's Virtual Event Series & Silent Auction with an in-person Celebration of CHLT. Support the conservation work we do! Share in educational panels, engaging activities, and delicious local catering. This year's Hats Off for Headwaters will be one for the books! Stay tuned for more details. |
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Shop Amazon Smile
this Father's Day!
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Make a difference this Father's Day!
When you shop for gifts at AmazonSmile, a portion of your eligible purchases will be donated to Colorado Headwaters Land Trust at no cost to you!
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Shop Our Conservation Partners! |
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Support local land conservation by shopping at CHLT's Conservation Partners. These partners believe in the mission of the Land Trust and know that open space enriches our quality of life, protects landscapes, and brings visitors and residents to Grand County.
Protecting open space is an investment in our environment, our culture and our economy.
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Are you interested in becoming a Conservation Partner with no cost to your business? Click here for more information!
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Thank you for supporting Colorado Headwaters Land Trust.
YOUR help today allows us to protect the lands we love for generations to come!
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P.O. Box 1938, Granby, CO 80446 • (970) 887-1177
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