JULY INSIGHTS FROM CHLT
  • CHLT July Spotlight: Paul Hansen
  • CHLT's July Nature BioBlitz
  • Upcoming Events
  • Community News
CHLT July Spotlight
Meet Ecopixel Founder and the New CHLT Website Creator: Paul Hansen

1. For the uninitiated, what is Ecopixel?
Ecopixel is a small company that creates, sustains, and supports websites for conservation, collaboration, and community. We primarily serve conservation organizations and municipalities, and we provide everything they need for a successful website. We've been in business since 2002.
2. How/why did you get involved with nonprofits and towns?
My degree is in natural resources planning, but I happened to be in college when the web was invented, so I jumped into that! When I founded Ecopixel, I wanted to make use of my environmental background by helping conservation organizations. As Ecopixel grew, we learned that towns were also a great fit for the way we work and our web platform. Conservation and community go hand in hand.

3. What is your relationship with your local land trust(s)?
We're based in Vermont and we serve the website needs of several local land trusts. We've worked with Stowe Land Trust since 2004 and we just collaborated with them on a major website redesign. As long-term partners, we help land trusts improve their fundraising and outreach. My experience as a founding board member of a climbing area conservation group also informs this work.

4. What is something you'd like to accomplish while working at Ecopixel?
We're actively growing so we can put our experience and platform to work for more organizations across the country. Over the last two years, we've focused on integrating the website tools that nonprofits need, like fundraising forms, ArcGIS mapping, and Little Green Light.

5. What is your single best argument why folks should support their local land trust?
Your local land trust has a long-term vision for a healthy environment and community. Land trusts are stewards and collaborators who have a positive impact on water quality, wildlife habitat, working lands, scenic views, and local food systems. If you value these things, get involved!
CHLT's July BioBlitz is Live!

Join Colorado Headwaters Land Trust's annual Nature BioBlitz on iNaturalist. From July 1 - 31, observe and record all of the plant and animal species you discover across Grand County for a chance to win prizes and learn more about the biodiversity in your own backyard.

We'll highlight "Observations of the Day" and share them on our social media channels. Each Friday, all participants who made observations during the week will be entered into a raffle to win prizes. On August 1, the person with the most project contributions over the course of the month and will be announced as the final winner!

View CHLT's BioBlitz on iNaturalist by clicking here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
CHLT Summer Kickoff Party
with Caitlyn Taussig
July 10 (Sunday) at 4pm
Granby Garage
Join Colorado Headwaters Land Trust to celebrate summer at the Granby Garage. Enjoy food, beverages, and a live performance by local singer/songwriter Caitlyn Taussig.
Learn more here.
CHLT Wildflower Walk
with Jill Jacobsen
July 17 (Sunday) at 10am
Hot Sulphur Springs
Stop and smell the flowers with Colorado Headwaters Land Trust at the Himebaugh Gulch/Jones Creek Ranch Conservation Easement near Hot Sulphur Springs. We're hosting a family friendly outing to discover local wildflowers. Western Herbalist and Natural Resources Supervisor for Town of Winter Park, Jill Jacobsen, will be our guide as we identify local wild plants and learn about their therapeutic and nutritional uses. Register here.
CHLT Songs and Stargazing on the Land on the Land
August 13 (Saturday) at 5pm
Get outside with CHLT for a dark sky stargazing evening on the Daisy Meadows conservation easement near Fraser. Enjoy a potluck dinner and musical performance by singer songwriter Forest Sun, as well as a stargazing experience at the height of the Perseid Meteor Shower. After dinner and music, we'll have a dark sky discussion, stargazing, and astronomy lessons led by NASA astronomer David Schlichting. Register here.
Fraser Valley Arts: Plein Air at Altitude
September 2 - 10
The second Annual Plein Air @ Altitude 2022 will feature all that Grand County has to offer. Painting begins on Friday, September 2nd. Plein Air @ Altitude 2022 will highlight a selection of private lands and noteworthy CHLT easements, an Artists’ Day at Grand County Historical Society’s Pioneer Village Museum, and more. Learn more here.
CHLT's Hats Off for Headwaters
Virtual Auction & In-Person Gathering
September 12 - 18
Join CHLT for our annual event including a week-long online auction and educational virtual panel discussions. We will culminate the celebration with an in-person gathering on Sunday, September 18 from 1pm - 4pm at Casa Vista near Fraser. Learn more here.
CHLT would like to thank the Fraser River Valley Lions Club for their 2021 grant to promote our events and education materials. Learn more here.
Community News
  • Team Rubicon is looking for community members to assist with fire hazard mitigation by reducing fuels within home ignition zones. They are hoping to meet their goal of mitigating at least 75 properties and surveying 150 - 200 properties. If you are interested in volunteering, sign up here.

  • Interested in learning about how climate change and development are impacting the migration of animals? Read the recent Vail Daily article here.

  • Our friends at Eagle Valley Land Trust are seeking an Annual Giving and Events Manager who will be responsible for the strategic management and direct oversight of the organization’s fundraising activities. Learn more here.

  • Beavers are having a renaissance moment among scientists, conservationists, land managers and some ranchers for their ability to restore watery habitat, enhance riparian ecosystem health and improve the reliability of water supply. A first-of-its kind project aims to use machine learning and remote sensing to track beaver wetland changes in the Colorado River Basin. Learn more here.

  • The folks at the I-70 Coalition encourage summer travelers heading to the mountains to avoid the long drive through planning and choosing alternate modes of transportation. Read more about ways to enjoy the mountains without the stress of traffic here.
Plein Air @ Altitude Seeking Artist Hosts
Fraser Valley Arts is excited to hold the 2nd Annual Plein Air @ Altitude Festival this September. Twenty-nine artists have been selected by jury to participate, and a number of them are traveling a great distance to paint in Grand County! FVA would like to to offer housing to artists. Painting will begin on Friday, September 2 and will continue daily until the sale and public festival on Saturday, September 10. If you have a spare room and might enjoy hosting an artist, please contact Lisa Baird at [email protected] or call 720-810-3859 to learn more.
Let's Get Social!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Here are a few of our posts from the last month. Find more on our pages.
June 21 : "How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains."
- John Muir
Happy Summer Solstice! Enjoy this longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
June 9: "Just like a bee needs a flower, a child needs nature."
- Brandi Rondinelli
Protecting Colorado's rivers and waterways is investing in our future.
June 1: "Cows are among the gentlest of breathing creatures; none show more passionate tenderness to their young when deprived of them. I am not ashamed to profess a deep love for these quiet creatures."
- Thomas de Quince
Support CHLT
You shop. Amazon gives.
Consider an alternative way of protecting the land we love - at no cost to you. Support CHLT through AmazonSmile! Sign up for AmazonSmile and select "Colorado Headwaters Land Trust" as your favorite charity. You shop. Amazon gives. Learn more about AmazonSmile.
CARS
Is your vehicle costing more than it's worth? Then hit the brakes on expensive repairs and consider donating your car, truck, motorcycle, RV, or boat to Colorado Headwaters Land Trust.
We accept all types of vehicles, running or not! We'll use the proceeds from your donation to continue to conserve and steward the open lands and natural character of the headwaters of the Colorado River in partnership with the local community. The process is easy, the pick-up is free, and your donation is tax-deductible. To learn more, click here.
Shop Our Conservation Partners!
Support local land conservation by shopping at CHLT's Conservation Partners. These partners believe in the mission of the Land Trust and know that open space enriches our quality of life, protects landscapes, and brings visitors and residents to Grand County. 
Protecting open space is an investment in our environment, our culture and our economy.
Are you interested in becoming a Conservation Partner with no cost to your business? Click here for more information!
Thank you for supporting Colorado Headwaters Land Trust.
YOUR help today allows us to protect the lands we love for generations to come!
P.O. Box 1938 Granby, CO 80446 (970) 887-1177