La Plata Open Space Conservancy has relocated! PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
776 E. 2ND AVENUE.
Remembering Corey Sue Hutchinson
Corey Sue Hutchinson passed away peacefully on April 29, 2023. This quote from Corey’s obituary sums up her love for land and the reciprocal nature of her relationship with loved ones and cherished places:
“Corey’s gift to Durango and beyond is both her vivacious personality and lasting friendships plus her priceless contribution to wetlands and diverse ecosystems. From unicellular organisms to Homo sapiens, Life itself celebrates Corey’s life.”
Corey’s love for nature and the Durango community will be memorialized with a gift she left to LPOSC as part of her estate plans. LPOSC Board and Staff are incredibly humbled and grateful for Corey’s inclusion of LPOSC in her estate plans and will use the donation she left to broaden our impact preserving the cherished landscapes that make Southwest Colorado so special.
Leah Coe, our GIS & Programs Coordinator, will be leaving LPOSC this month to begin a GIS position with SWCA Environmental Consulting. Leah began working with the organization almost two years ago as a GIS intern, and she has moved through the organization in a few different capacities. She has enjoyed and embraced the land and community work she has been involved in with LPOSC, and plans to continue living a land-driven life moving forward. We wish Leah all the best in her new full-time position!
Outdoor Enrichment Programming
on Conserved Lands
La Plata Open Space Conservancy is partnering with Compañeros to host La Escuelita students on conserved properties for outdoor enrichment programming. We will dig our hands into the working soils of productive veggie farms, learn from southwestern cultural heritage sites, and play along the banks of the rivers that feed our county’s ecosystems. This collaboration, Conservation Connections, began back in 2021 and we are excited to be hosting youth on to the land for the third year running.
Conservation Connections will continue on through the summer as part of the Wellness in Nature collaborative – La Plata Open Space Conservancy is partnering with San Juan Mountains Association, Mountain Studies Institute, and Southwest Conservation Corps to provide outdoor enrichment programming for students in the our region, and much of this programming is happening on conserved lands. Thanks to the many landowners who have offered to host programming on their properties!
Cheers to open spaces!
Join us for the 2023 Southwest Stewardship Series
Noxious Weed Workshop
Struggling with invasive weeds on your land? Wanting to learn more about noxious weed mitigation? Join La Plata County’s Weed Manager and La Plata Open Space Conservancy on a conserved property 1 mile north of Elmore’s Corner on June 8th. Experts will discuss identification and management best practices for common non-native species in the Durango area.
Ska Brewing will be celebrating their 28th Anniversary Party on September 9, 2023, and you are invited! The event itself will take place at Ska’s World Headquarters in Durango. There will be breweries, friends, family, and live music! This event has become one of the premier fall events in Durango and this year is shaping up to be the BEST yet! Stay tuned for more event details to come, and check out sponsorship opportunities below…
All proceeds from this event will benefit La Plata Open Space Conservancy’s work to protect land and water here in the Southwest.
We really hope you will consider this wonderful sponsorship opportunity!
Read on for sponsorship levels and their perks. Please email sponsorship inquires to Adrienne at adrienne@lposc.org.
$3,500.00 Sponsor– Entry in all marketing including logo on poster, full page ad in digital event program, social media posts, advertising banner placed at the event, 10 Anniversary Party tickets and 10 commemorative glasses. Recognized in follow up e-mail to all attendees.
$2,000.00 Sponsor– Entry in select marketing, advertising banner placed at the event, 2 social media posts, digital ad in event program, 6 Anniversary Party tickets and 6 commemorative glasses.
$1,200.00 Sponsor– Entry in select marketing, advertising banner placed at the event, ½ page ad in digital event program, 4 Anniversary Party tickets and 4 commemorative glasses.
$750.00 Sponsor– ½ page ad in digital event program, advertising banner placed at the event, 2 Anniversary tickets and 2 commemorative glasses.
$500.00 Sponsor– Advertising banner placed at the event, logo in program, 2 Anniversary Party tickets and 2 commemorative glasses.
Accreditation
The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. La Plata Open Space Conservancy is pleased to announce it is applying for accreditation. A public comment period is now open.
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs. La Plata Open Space Conservancy considers it a priority to fulfill the highest national standards for excellence and conservation permanence. Accredited land trusts have demonstrated fiscal accountability, strong organizational leadership, sound transactions and lasting stewardship of the lands they conserve.
The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how La Plata Open Space Conservancy complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards see http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/help-and-resources/indicator-practices.
To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org, or email your comment to info@landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments, 36 Phila Street, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
Comments on La Plata Open Space Conservancy’s application will be most useful by July 21, 2023.
La Plata Open Space Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your gift may be tax deductible. Our EIN number is: 84-1204273.
To contribute, go to: lposc.org/donate-today/
or mail a check to the address below. Thank you!
