SEPTEMBER 18th- 20th, 2017: The COSA 2017 conference will be held at Beaver Run Resorts in Breckenridge. Find more information on the COSA website.
SEPTEMBER 21st, 2017: Create Your Own Model Native Plant Garden. Learn how to create your own model native plant garden in this one hour lunchtime webinar from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. Join the class from the comfort of your desk or tablet where you will discover some of the top native plants for your garden along with effective plant combinations and secrets for success. The instructor for this class, Deryn Davidson, is the author of the recently published “Low-Water Native Plants for Colorado Gardens: Front Range & Foothills”. Register or learn more about this or other Jeffco Native Plant Master classes at www.npm.eventbrite.com. For information on the program, see www.M2Mnativeplantmaster.org.
SEPTEMBER 23rd & 24th, 2017: Fourth Annual Student Water Field Conference at Keystone, CO. The Hutchins Water Center and the One World, One Water Center at Metropolitan State University of Denver take turns hosting this field conference that is open to all Colorado college students. This year, OWOW is hosting in Keystone. The One World One Water Center is a collaboration between Metropolitan State University of Denver and Denver Botanic Gardens. The partnership presents a compelling opportunity to build on and expand joint initiatives on water issues. For more information click HERE.
SEPTEMBER 23rd, 2017: Headwaters Hoedown! Come celebrate the community's conservation accomplishments at their Headwaters Hoedown from 1:00 to 5:00 pm at the lovely La Garita Creek Ranch in Saguache County. The Headwaters Hoedown is a chance to listen (and dance!) to the music of local favorites, Don Richmond and the Rifters, feast on great food by Pepita Catering, partake of the wine and beer, and explore the beauty and archaeological features on the ranch. The whole family is welcome! For more information go to Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust.
SEPTEMBER 23rd, 2017: Denver Carp Slam After Party. Come support the South Platte River at Denver Trout Unlimited's annual party and fundraiser from 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm. The Evening on the South Platte After Party will be held on the top floor of the DaVita building down town with amazing views overlooking the river and a venue to remember. The event features live music with catered food, wine and beer, highlighted by a silent auction with amazing gifts and the Carp Slam awards ceremony. This is certainly a party not to be missed! Get your Tickets Now.
SEPTEMBER 23rd, 2017: Grape Stomp at Mountain Harvest Festival supporting WSCC! It's the can't miss event of the festival - the annual Grape Stomp! Form your teams, design your costumes, and sign up today! Prizes are awarded for "Most Juice Collected" and "Best Costume," so dress as your favorite TV Cartoon characters, or give them your Best I Love Lucy Look-Alike! Best of all, the proceeds will benefit Western Slope Conservation Center (WSCC), SEI, and the Paonia Public Library Foundation. Swing by WSCC's office to sign up, or check out THIS LINK for more details!
SEPTEMBER 23rd, 2017: High School GLC Fall RiverSweep. Help remove trash from the South Platte River with an in-stream clean up! The Greenway Leadership Corps will be at Fall RiverSweep again this year, and will be joined by fellow environmental youth groups, ELK and cityWILD. You'll walk in the South Platte, piling up trash in a raft as you walk downstream. When you get back to the Confluence, you'll have a chance to try kayaking in the Confluence Rapids with cityWILD! Coffee and breakfast will be provided, and you'll earn service hours for your time. Sign up NOW.
SEPTEMBER 27th, 2017: Ag Water Tour in Avondale and Rocky Ford with the Colorado Foundation for Water Education, National Young Farmers Coalition, Colorado Ag Water Alliance and the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union are partnering to offer this one-day tour focused on innovative solutions for agricultural viability. Hear from expert speakers and visit operations focused on irrigation efficiency, soil health, adaptation for climate change, alternative transfer methods, water quality, farmland succession planning and more. Participants will enjoy a local meal and walk away with a stronger understanding of the nexus between water and the agriculture industry. Learn more and register HERE.
SEPTEMBER 27th, 2017: Farm to Table Dinner with Groundwork Denver at Sister Gardens at Aria, featuring: A dinner in the garden, prepared by the well-known, flavor fluent chefs of Edible Beats, fresh ingredients picked from the Groundwork Denver urban farms, beer and wine pairings and wonderful company at a beautiful garden in the Chaffee Park neighborhood in northwest Denver. All while supporting the mission of Groundwork Denver. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Cindy@GroundworkColorado.org for more details. Buy your tickets HERE.
SEPTEMBER 30th, 2017: Western Slope Conservation Center's 40TH Birthday & Reunion! Come celebrate their 40th birthday at Zephyros Farm and Garden. Food, beverages, garden potluck, live music and dancing, CAKE, and stories will be shared! Festivities start at 3pm. Bring your favorite WSCC memories and your vision for the next 40 years! For more information visit the WSCC WEBSITE.
OCTOBER 3rd-5th, 2017: EPA Region 8 is hosting a Wetlands Conference to convene federal, state, tribal, and local representatives and NGOs to share information and best practices related to wetlands management. The 2017 conference in Boulder, Colorado will include sessions on stream and wetland restoration; mitigation; monitoring and assessment/mapping; and federal, state, and local level aquatic resource protection. The conference will allow stakeholders to discuss opportunities, hurdles, strategies, and potential solutions associated with protecting aquatic resources in Region 8. The event will facilitate networking, peer-to-peer learning, and collective problem-solving on specific issues, and allow regulators to share updates and learn from stakeholders View the conference webpage here and register here.
OCTOBER 4th, 2017: Join TAP-IN for their Colorado Play and Protect event, and pitch a specific problems to the entrepreneurial, innovation, and business community. Then, the community will engage in dialogue to gather information that could power solutions and build connections to innovate together. Some examples of proposals include: outdoor brands; outdoor industry (raft, kayak, fish, boat, camp, ski, snowboard, bike, paddle board, etc.); tourism; watershed coalitions; land management; natural hazard/disaster management; recovery programs, such as endangered species; stream and watershed management planning; forest health; and more! Proposals due September 20th, 2017; submit your proposal HERE. More information about Tap-In can be found HERE.
OCTOBER 7th, 2017: BEULAH CHALLENGE. The Subaru of Pueblo Beulah Challenge is the best running event in southern Colorado! With free camping, amazing race courses, and great energy, this is an event for everyone. Events: 5k walk/run, 10k run, half marathon run. The Beulah Challenge directly supports scholarships to the Mountain Park Environmental Center's environmental education programs. With your race entry, you'll get an awesome Next Level hoodie shirt this year. They're amazing. Trust us! Full event pricing and registration HERE!
OCTOBER 7th, 2017: 4th Annual Alpine Bank Middle Colorado River CleanUp. The Colorado River needs our help, so lets come together as a community and clean-up this essential resource. They will meet at Centennial Park and head out to the river from there. Please register early to be assigned a section. You are encouraged to form your own River Team. Contact Middle Colorado Watershed Council for more details!
OCTOBER 7th, 2017: Join Colorado Mesa University for The Economics of our Water: A Colorado River Business Tour to learn about how the Grand Valley’s economy depends on our rivers for its growth and vitality. Tour Includes: Talbott Farms; Orchard Mesa Pump & Power Plant site; Lunch at a farm; Las Colonias Park/Watson Island; Happy Hour at Edgewater! Click HERE to register.
OCTOBER 8, 2017: TOUR DE POUDRE BIKE RIDE from 7:00 am – 1:00 pm. Fee includes commemorative event t-shirt for the first 50 participants, as well as snacks, lunch and drinks. You’ll finish the afternoon by visiting Odell Brewing Company, start/finish at 1805 E Lincoln Ave., Fort Collins, CO. REGISTER ONLINE AT: COLORADOTREES.ORG.
OCTOBER 10th-12th, 2017: 2017 Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference at the Westin Riverfront Resort, Avon, CO. This highly popular event expands cooperation and collaboration throughout our state for natural resource conservation, protection, and enhancement by informing citizen groups, agencies, consultants, and legislators about current issues and through networking opportunities. REGISTER for 2017, the conference which will focus on “Coming Together – the Confluence of Science and Society.”
OCTOBER 12th, 2017: Bites & Brews for Biodiversity. This October, Rocky Mountain Wild will be hosting Bites & Brews for Biodiversity this event will be held between 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm at the Silver Vines Winery, 7509 Grandview Ave, Arvada, CO 80002. Admission tickets are $50 in advance, $40 in advance for members at the Supporting Level and above, and $60 at the door. And new this year, they are offering $30 advance tickets for students or young professionals (under age 35)! Tickets are now available.
OCTOBER 13th, 2017: 8th Annual ELK 'n Eggs! Join Environmental Learning for Kids from 7:30 am - 9:00 am at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. This event sells out every year - get your FREE tickets early! Keynote Speaker is Juan Martinez, Director, Leadership Development and Natural Leaders Network at Children & Nature Network. Register Here.
OCTOBER 14th, 2017: Friends of Barr Lake Annual Harvest Festival from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, 13401 Picadilly Rd, Brighton, CO. This event raises funding for educational programming at Barr Lake State Park. Learn more HERE.
OCTOBER 24th, 2017: Registration is now open for Colorado WaterWise 9th Annual Water Conservation Symposium at 8:15 am-4:00 pm at the Lowry Conference Center, 1061 Akron Way, Building 697, Denver, CO 80230. Keynote Speaker: Zachary Johnson of Colorado State University's College of Horticultural Sciences - Horticulture & Landscape Architecture will talk about Connecting the Relationship Between Landscapes and Health. Click HERE to register.
OCTOBER 25th - 26th, 2017: South Platte Forum. The South Platte Forum was initiated in 1989 to provide an avenue for a timely, multi-disciplinary exchange of information and ideas important to resource management in the South Platte River Basin. For conference information go to www.southplatteforum.org.
OCTOBER 26th-28th, 2017: Join the Land Trust Alliance Rally this year in Denver, Colorado, for a gathering packed with diverse topics to explore and great colleagues and friends to learn and share with. Rally has all of the resources you want to take your conservation skills further. Rally is the Land Trust Alliance's annual gathering of nearly 2,000 inspired and passionate land conservation practitioners from the US, Canada, South America and beyond, who are dedicated to conserving cherished places in local communities. Registration now open. Learn more.
SPREE Holiday Camps 2017-2018
SPREE will be hosting several day camps during the 2017- 2018 academic calendar on days that Denver Public Schools are closed.These unique and educational programs are for children who are in kindergarten (must be at least 6 years old) through 5th grade. All holiday camps will be held at Johnson Habitat Park, 610 S. Jason St. Denver CO, 80223; from 8:00 am - 6:00 pm. Cost for this program is $50/child/day.
Oct. 26-27, 2017: Fur, Feathers, and Scales
Find out why animals have different body coverings and help Chompers the Beaver solve a mystery along the way.
November 3, 2017: Geology Rocks!
What is the rock cycle? What types of rocks are found in Colorado? Become a geologist with SPREE and find out!
November 20-21, 2017: Time Travelers
Hop into your time machine and join SPREE to learn all about the Native Americans and Pioneers who lived along the South Platte River.
January 15, 2018: Something Fishy!
oin SPREE as we learn about the fish in the South Platte River and the many amazing adaptations they have.
February 2, 2018: Raptors of the River
Investigate the birds of prey that live along the South Platte River.
To view specific dates/themes and to register, please visit the SPREE website!
NOVEMBER 1st, 2017: Save the Date - Cherry Creek Watershed Annual Conference presented by the Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners, the Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority (CCBWQA), & the Southeast Metro Stormwater Authority (SEMSWA). Join them as they celebrate active stewardship in the Cherry Creek watershed! The focus for the conference is providing an update on ‘what’s happening’ in the basin. This year they are going to highlight watershed monitoring to illustrate how dynamic technical advances, successful regional planning, and stewardship engagement can benefit from raising awareness through data collection & analysis. Monitoring takes various forms and can be instrumental in supporting the positive environmental actions we see in our watershed today. For more information visit http://www.cherry-creek.org/events/.
NOVEMBER 1st, 2017: Join the Big Thompson Watershed Forum for its 15th Biennial Watershed Conference. They will welcome 14 speakers who will present on topics ranging from abandoned mines in the Big Thompson Watershed, to status updates on Highway 34 construction. The deadline to register is October 17th. This year's conference will feature the following five sessions: From Source to Treatment: Public Perception of Water Quality, Abandoned Mines: A Watershed at Risk?, Highway 34: Protecting a River Ecosystem, Ripple Effects of the 2016 Fish Kill Event and Wildfires and Watersheds: Lessons Learned. Go to their website to register for this conference.
NOVEMBER 6th-9th, 2017: Join North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) for NALMS 2017: Finding Balance in Colorado to hear fascinating lake talks, see the mountains, and network. Enjoy workshops, exhibits, and first hand experience of our Colorado water resources. Finding Balance is the key to managing our lakes, watersheds, and even day-to-day relationships with people. For information go to their WEBSITE. To register click HERE.
NOVEMBER 6th, 2017: The Colorado Foundation for Water Education is having a workshop about 2017 Considerations in Implementing Regional Water Solutions. Regional water planning and management is becoming a popular topic in Colorado as a means to help secure water for our future. This informative, day-long workshop will provide a forum for information and discussion around the tradeoffs in regional water planning for achieving economies of scale as well as a close examination of the opportunities, the hurdles, and the best approaches for success. Register HERE to reserve your place and join them in Colorado Springs.
NOVEMBER 6th-9th, 2017: After 26 years, Colorado welcomes North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) back to the headwaters state. Colorado is home to thousands of both natural alpine lakes and reservoirs. We are proud of our mountains and appreciate the importance of our lakes and reservoirs. In Colorado, water is used for fishing, drinking, farming, rafting, camping, mining, ranching, boating, brewing, and much more. These uses are supported with a statewide annual average rainfall of just 17 inches. The lakes and reservoirs throughout the West and the Rockies provide the resources to meet these diverse needs. Finding balance in how we manage them is important. Finding Balance is the key to managing our lakes, watersheds, and even day-to-day relationships with people. Come to NALMS 2017 in Colorado to hear fascinating lake talks, see the mountains, and network. Click HERE to register.
NOVEMBER 26th - DECEMBER 8th, 2017: Join Pueblo County Extension Director Michael Fisher and Horticulture Coordinator Sherie Caffey as they explore both the agriculture and the history of Spain’s Andalusian region. They have planned a diverse tour with stops ranging from seed and grafting propagation to green-house vegetable production. You’ll learn about olive oil production and marketing, avocado exports, and fruit production in Spain. Their group will have the opportunity to look at how a cotton cooperative has spread their risk by diversifying into tomato concentrate production and the cut flower business, marketing over 70 million carnations annually. Some of Spain’s famous equine and cattle operations are going to open their gates & barns for their group to learn about livestock production in the region. To apply and learn more about this event, click HERE.
November 29th- 30th, 2017: Attend the Southern Rockies Seed Network 2017 Conference, Ecotypes: Science, Practice, & Policy at The Fort Collins Innosphere, 320 East Vine Drive, Fort Collins CO. More information to come. More information is found HERE.
MARCH 2nd - 3rd, 2017: 2018 Advancing Environmental Education Conference, "emPowered by Nature", Auraria Campus,Denver, CO. Colorado’s Advancing Environmental Education Conference is annually hosted by the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE), a statewide leader in environmental education since 1989. CAEE facilitates communication, coordination, resource sharing and professional development to advance environmental education among over 850 members across the state among various sectors. Information about the Conference Event.