2024 SCW Workshops & Field Trips

WORKSHOP AND FIELD TRIP DESCRIPTIONS ARE BELOW

Sign-up to attend virtually or in-Person (Non-conference attendee) using the form below.

CWA is partnering with the Colorado Nonprofit Association, and others, to organize this 3-hour workshop designed to help build organizational capacity to be “grant-ready”. This session is essential for building strong organizational foundations focusing on financial management, grant documentation, and Board engagement. Partnering with Mighty Arrow Family Foundation and Colorado Nonprofit Association, Colorado Watershed Assembly will provide the opportunity to identify and discuss the needs of community-led watershed and conservation groups.

Meet Our Speakers:

• Jordana Barrack, Executive Director at Mighty Arrow Family Foundation

• Greg Peterson, Executive Director at Colorado Ag Water Alliance

• Hillary Morgridge, Morgridge Accounting Solutions

• Irene Hoiby, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 

• Diane Kielty, Program Manager at Colorado Watershed Assembly

• Casey Davenhill, Executive Director at Colorado Watershed Assembly

What to Expect:

• Expert Insights: Benefit from the expertise of financial and nonprofit management professionals.

• Practical Tips: Learn actionable strategies for managing finances, handling grants, and engaging your Board effectively.

• Collaborative Discussions: Connect with fellow organizations to share challenges and solutions.

Hosted by CWA

Making the Most of Your Restoration Project – Riverscapes Restoration Principles and Project Management for Project Owners, Managers, and Implementers

Hosted by CRA

Are you selecting restoration priorities or funding projects? Are you responsible for restoration goals or implementation? Are you hiring restoration contractors? Riverscape restoration isn’t rocket science, but some practical considerations and principles can make or break a project or lead to greater certainty in outcomes. As with any industry and practice, the science, practice and management of riverscape restoration are specialized and nuanced - choices made or not made through the process from vision to implementation will impact project outcomes. This half-day workshop will provide anyone responsible for directing, managing or funding a riverscape restoration project insight into the state of the science and practice to guide decision-making, contracting, and implementation and to ensure the best possible project outcomes. The workshop will provide guiding principles for project selection and design and a framework for project management that links vision and goals to project design and implementation. Whether you know a little of the science and practice or know a lot, the workshop will serve as a forum to learn and share.

The workshop will be presented by Peter Skidmore and co-presenter TBD. Through Peter’s 30+ years in the restoration industry and collaborations with restoration thought leaders, he has focused on improving restoration practice and outcomes through his publications, practical guidance resources, short courses and trainings.

Building Knowledge and Confidence in Community Water Stewardship – Exploring Shared Strategies in Colorado’s Statewide Water Education Action Plan

Hosted by WEco

Join Water Education Colorado at our annual pre-conference workshop focused this year on educational strategies from Colorado’s Statewide Water Education Action Plan (SWEAP). SWEAP is a common platform for water education’s role in achieving sustainable water for Colorado by 2050. During this workshop we will dive into one of the eight measurable outcomes and associated strategies identified in SWEAP, Outcome 3: “The proportion of Coloradans in each river basin who report confidence in having the knowledge a necessary to take an active role in water stewardship in their community increases.” Through presentations and small-group workshopping, participants will explore:

• Options to curate and promote an accessible source for current, factual information on a broad array of important water topics;

• Opportunities to support hands-on project-based learning and service opportunities for water-related issues; and

• Ways to incentivize and reduce barriers to participation in training for underrepresented groups and geographic areas.

This workshop is not just for education and outreach professionals! Join us to gain ideas and insights for ways you can support and promote water education and outreach efforts within your organization and community even when it’s not your defined role.

This workshop will be led by Water Education Colorado Staff Jayla Poppleton and Sabrina Scherma, in collaboration with Natalie Brower-Kirton from Aurora Water, Jessica Thrasher from Colorado Water Center at the Colorado State University, and Elizabeth Schoder from the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

POST CONFERENCE FIELD TRIP

Continue your exploration of "flowing through change" with a field trip that examines the adaptation of the electric utility to reduce wildfire ignition risk and prevent its spread.  Tri State Generation and Transmission, Mountain Parks Electric and Holy Cross Energy unite to demonstrate the power of collaboration in an electrifying presentation that will surely get your attention!!   

Through an interactive display of a simulated electrical grid, attendees will learn the principles of electrical engineering and how vegetation and other items can induce arc flash that may lead to wildfire.  This hands on demonstration will highlight the means with which this risk is reduced through continuous situational awareness, operational controls and other methods.  Intumescent coated utility pole protective wraps will be ignited to highlight the system hardening techniques of these valuable assets.  

MountainParks Electric, who endured the 2020 East Troublesome fire in Grand County, will share their experience in preparation, response, and long term infrastructure and community recovery.