Rio Grande Watershed Conservation & Education Initiative

TO PROVIDE DYNAMIC CONSERVATION EDUCATION TO THE SAN LUIS VALLEY COMMUNITY AND TO PROMOTE STEWARDSHIP OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN WHICH THE CURRICULUM PROVIDES STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN GRADES K-12 AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE CONSERVATION IN THE CLASSROOM THAT IS TIED TO COLORADO CONTENT STANDARDS. THIS PROVIDES PRE AND POST LEARNING, IN CLASS HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND A FIELD COMPONENT. CURRICULUM INCLUDES POSTER AND ESSAY CONTESTS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, SNOW SURVEY, RIVER TRAILER AND GROUND WATER MODELS, WETLAND TRIPS, HARVEST TOURS AND WATER FESTIVAL. SERVED 10,986 STUDENTS K-12; 671 POST-SECONDARY; 2930 COMMUNITY OUTREACH ANNUALLY. THE PROGRAM HAS RECEIVED THREE EDUCATIONAL AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING CONSERVATION EDUCATION, FROM THE COLORADO ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS AND THE COLORADO ASSOCIATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. THE ORGANIZATION RECEIVES DONATED SERVICES AND USE OF FACILITIES WITH A FAIR VALUE OF $32,975 FOR THIS PROGRAM.

THE ORGANIZATION IS PARTICIPATING IN A THREE YEAR SOIL HEALTH PROJECT. THE PROJECT IS TO DOCUMENT SOIL HEALTH IMPROVEMENT LEVELS IN AREAS ACROSS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY. THE PROJECT WILL DETAIL THE AGRONOMIC FEASABLITLITY OF SOIL HEALTH BY DEFINING METHODS, TIME FRAME, AND ECONOMICS OF ADPOTING CERTAIN PRACTICES WHILE GROWING A VARIETY OF CROPS IN A VARIETY OF SOIL TYPES. 2015 MARKED THE SECOND YEAR OF THE GRANT AND WE SAW THE INITIAL RESULTS OF THE SOIL TESTING. THESE INITIAL TESTS ESTABLISHED THE BASELINE DATA FOR THE STUDY. THE ORGANIZATION RECEIVED DONATED SERVICES AND USE OF FARM LAND WITH FAIR VALUE OF $1,395,861 FOR THIS PROGRAM.

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION YOUTH CAMP 3 DAY LONG CAMP TO TEACH CHILDREN AGES 8-13 ABOUT NATURAL RESOURCES AND HOW TO CONSERVE THEM FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THE CAMP CAN ACCOMMODATE 70 STUDENTS ANNUALLY. WE HAD 38 STUDENTS ATTEND IN 2015. THE ORGNIZATION RECEIVES DONATED SERVICES AND USE OF FACILITIES WITH A FAIR VALUE OF $10,600 FOR THIS PROGRAM.