Conferences and Events Early February

A cow moose stands in water near Slumgullion Pass in southern Colorado. Division of Wildlife. Dyann Walt. Photo taken: 7/1/2009.

A cow moose stands in water near Slumgullion Pass in southern Colorado. Division of Wildlife. Dyann Walt. Photo taken: 7/1/2009.

FEBRUARY 2nd, 2018: Raptors of the River day camp hosted by SPREE.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. 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!

FEBRUARY 2nd, 2018: Poudre River Forum: The Poudre Runs Through It. Registration includes the full day's program, as well as breakfast, lunch, and a social hour with opportunities to win Poudre prizes. THIS YEAR'S TOPICS INCLUDE but are not limited to: As the Poudre Flows—a set of provocative, dialogue-stimulating “lightning talks” from a range of speakers with contrasting views about what can improve and what can damage Poudre flows; Can we Grow Water Smart?—late breaking alternative scenarios from the evolving Colorado Water Plan, and regional insights on integration of land use planning with water supply planning; How are Poudre Farmers Improving Water Quality through Air Quality Monitoring? Click HERE to learn more and register.

FEBRUARY 6th-8th, 2018: Riparian Restoration Conference at the CMU University Center, Grand Junction, CO. This conference is organized by the Tamarisk Coalition and hosted by the Hutchins Water Center. Along with taking in the breathtaking red rock scenery and outdoor adventure that Grand Junction has to offer, you'll network with your peers and learn about the latest advancements in riparian restoration, ranging from local to regional initiatives as highlighted in case studies and success stories addressing the challenges of restoration, funding, planning, monitoring, and implementation. Novel tools, techniques, and research will be also be discussed. More information and registration can be found HERE.

FEBRUARY 13th, 20th, and 27th, 2018: Annual Water Course held at CMU University Center, Grand Junction, CO. This course is open to the public and provides an overview of water law and hydrology in Colorado and the Colorado River Basin as well as current issues and ways to get involved. Refreshments are provided. Cost: $20/ session or $45 for the whole series. More details to come. To see original posting of this event, click HERE.

Deadlines starting FEBRUARY 9th, 2018: The Trout Tank H20: Pitch Accelerator kicks off with Initial Pitches where participants present their best five-minute pitch to their peers and a committee for feedback. Once participants have completed the initial pitch, the training begins. During the Trout Tank H20: Pitch Accelerator, the Denver Metro SBDC and its partners will provide a Funding Options Panel, a special Trout Tank version of the Rockies Venture Club Pitch Academy, and a Funding Request Preview. Additional sessions related to water are under development. This training is meant to hone and strengthen participants pitches and prepare them for the Final Auditions as well as provide opportunities to strengthen your business. At the Final Auditions, each participant will get to show what they have learned and pitch one last time for a panel of judges. The top pitches will be chosen to present at the Trout Tank H2O: Pitch Event and compete for the $5,000 award!

  • Registration deadline – February 9, 2018
  • Initial Pitches – February 15, 2018
  • Funding Options Panel – March 1, 2018
  • Trout Tank H2O edition of Rockies Venture Club Pitch Academy – March 15, 2018
  • Pitch at Final Auditions – March 29, 2018 
  • Pitch or attend the Trout Tank H2O: Final Pitch Event – April 19, 2018 

Click HERE for more information and to register.

FEBRUARY 16th, 2018: Water Education Colorado invites you to the 2018 Water Festival Coordinator Gathering. This annual gathering brings together water festival coordinators across the state to discover strategies to improve their events. It's also an opportunity to share best practices, challenges, and lessons learned. Spend the day collaborating with experienced water festival coordinators and learning from one another. Topics will include best planning practices, innovative tools to improve your water festival, volunteer management, and more. This year, the gathering will also feature a special session dedicated to evaluating the long-term effectiveness of water festivals. Hear from an evaluation expert who will help you develop indicators to measure the success of your event as well as the impact of your water festival over time. More information can be 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.

MARCH 9th, 2018: Snow to Stream: A Workshop and SNOTEL Field Trip in Carbondale, Colorado.In Colorado, snow is more than a type of weather; it's a way of life. What might be less apparent is what snowpack means in terms water, soil moisture, and forest health, and how climate variability is impacting it all. Join Water Education Colorado and Roaring Fork Conservancy for this day-long workshop and field trip exploring the nexus between climate, snow, and water!  This workshop and field trip will be geared toward educators, but is open to the public and will be interesting for anyone wishing to learn more about these topics. The afternoon will feature a unique opportunity to visit a SNOTEL site at the top of McClure Pass! Participants will learn how to conduct a snow course survey and will then have the opportunity to collect samples themselves. They'll finish the day by snowshoeing to the actual SNOTEL site. Participants will walk away with the knowledge and resources to educate others about snow science, climate, forest health and more. Learn more and register HERE.

The Center for Watershed Protection presents Watershed and Stormwater Webcast Series:

  • Stream and BMP Monitoring- March 21, 2018, 1-2:30 PM EST
  • Bioretention Design Modifications- May 16, 2018, 1-2:30 PM EST
  • Retrofitting the Urban Environment: What’s New?- June 20, 2018, 1-2:30 PM EST
  • Stormwater and Green Infrastructure for Combined Sewer Systems- September 12, 2018, 1-2:30 PM EST
  • Innovations in Stream Restoration Design and Construction- October 10, 2018, 1-2:30 PM ES
  • It Ain’t Easy Getting Green: Incentivizing Watershed Programs- November 14, 2018, 1-2:30 PM EST

Find pricing information and registration HERE.

APRIL 10th, 2018: Join the Center for Watershed Protection's 2018 National Conference to learn fresh ideas about watershed and stormwater funding and management. Today’s water quality experts not only have to overcome pollution, but also a world of uncertain federal funding and regulatory oversight. To restore our waterways, identifying innovative financing strategies and management solutions is more important than ever before. This conference will help practitioners, regulators, water and sewer authorities and stormwater managers overcome common hurdles — from staff shortages and a lack of financial support to addressing multiple pollutant sources in mixed land use watersheds. Register online or attend at one of their in-person hub locations. Spots are limited. Find more information and register HERE.

APRIL 18th, 2018: The Center for Watershed Protection is hosting the 2018 National Watershed and Stormwater Conference, which is designed for water management from all sectors, practitioners, regulators, and water and sewer authorities, and will present case studies and best practices as well as address cross cutting issues and emerging trends. This will take place online and at remote hub locations. Registration begins soon. Questions can be answered by emailing: center@cwp.org, or calling 410-461-8323. For more on the Center for Watershed Protection, click HERE.

APRIL 29th-May 1st, 2018: The 2nd annual Next Generation Water Summit. The Summit focuses on water conservation and water reuse in the arid Southwest.  It brings together builders, designers, architects and water professionals to share best practices and brainstorm new ones through charrettes. In 2018, their featured keynote speaker will be Jonathan Overpeck. Overpeck’s visionary work has been at the forefront of the heated climate change public debates and identifying the risks to managing water resources, providing valuable insights into past climate variability and change in the Southwest. He will present on the Climate Change forecasted impact to the Colorado River flows. There are over 40 unique sessions planned with speakers from AZ, CA, CO, NM, TX. On the morning of May 1, they will hold two charrettes, where they will have multiple stakeholders dive into a challenging topic. These charrettes will have very limited seating, so sign up today! Learn more and register HERE.

MAY 2nd-4th, 2018: San Juan Mining and Reclamation Conference - Planning for Resiliency will be held in Creede, Colorado. The format of this conference encourages discussions of how the mining and reclamation community can plan for potential disasters and invites bold and frank conversations about topics that have challenged you, may be considered taboo, or can be uncomfortable to share. Topic examples include, but are not limited to: Longevity of mines; Lifetime of watershed groups; Risk assessment, tolerance, and mitigation; Effectively communicating risk; Fiduciary responsibility and abandoned mines (Good Samaritan Law); Scenario planning; Adaptive management; Environmental justice; New regulations and their impact; Planning for natural disasters and severe weather events; Changes in relationships, partners and stakeholders. Contact UWPcommunications@gmail.com or call 970-325-3010 for more information.

MAY 9th-11th, 2018: Advancing Colorado by Investing in the Outdoors Workshop. The Partners in the Outdoors Conference brings together organizations, agencies, schools, businesses and communities engaged in the future of Colorado's conservation and outdoor recreational opportunities. Together, we can improve the quality of life for all Coloradans by promoting awareness and respect for natural resources, sustainable growth of businesses, and responsible hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation. Learn more HERE.

MAY 29th-June 1st, 2018: The Society of Wetland Scientists’ 2018 Annual Meeting will be held at the Hilton Denver City Center in Denver, Colorado. This unique meeting is themed “Wetland Science: Integrating Research, Practice, and Policy – An Exchange of Expertise.” Reserve your spot to network and build professional connections with the highest level of wetland professionals at the 2018 Annual Meeting. Simply complete and return the Exhibitor Agreement to reserve your booth today! Agreements must be received by April 30, 2018. Click HERE for more information.

NOVEMBER 7th-8th, 2018: 8th Annual Upper Colorado River Basin Water Forum will be held at CMU University Center in Grand Junction, CO. For more, click HERE.