Stewardship: A Reflection on My First Summer of Monitoring

By Ricki Garden, Stewardship Coordinator

As the sun warmed this year’s meager mountain peak snowpack initiating the annual spring runoff, so too began the annual monitoring season at Central Colorado Conservancy. Each year, the Conservancy monitors our conserved properties to ensure protection of their conservation values, but more importantly, these visits provide an opportunity to meet with the landowners for a real conversation, discuss their land health concerns, and work together to best steward their land.

Just as the snowmelt began meandering its way down the slopes, I stepped into the newly created Stewardship Coordinator position with the Conservancy. My new role and the summer’s annual monitoring embarked simultaneously, and, eager to embrace what the summer held in store, we were off! 

In an ideal monitoring season, I would visit each conserved property before the arid summer heat saps the verdant snowmelt-primed landscape. This year, with our meager snowpack and minimal precipitation, ephemeral streams usually flowing until September were dry by July, and the vegetation followed suit. Concerns of drought and potential wildfire echoed in my conversations with landowners.

Yet even amidst this dire water year, a different topic of conversation eclipsed these concerns, and a deep connection with the land shone through. Well-nigh every occasion found me steeped in local history, lore, and lessons of the land while vicariously witnessing a changing landscape as experienced firsthand. Each landowner holds a vision for their land and its stewardship, so, of course, a variety of potential land and water health projects arose during our discussions. These potential projects range from low-tech, process-based stream restoration with an aim to slow and spread the flow of water for better soil infiltration to forest health treatments mitigating budworm and increasing wildfire resiliency. Big plans were born to enhance our landscape in central Colorado, so keep your eyes and ears open to learn more as these projects come to fruition.

During these conversations, I traversed many miles across vast open spaces and witnessed herds of pronghorn traversing these same open spaces. On two different occasions, a great-horned owl swooped close enough to feel the downdraft from their wings. I explored historic irrigation infrastructure and homestead cabins, likely constructed before Colorado was a state, and walked historic railroad grades hidden by time to all but a few. Photographs of bear, moose, and badger were shared, taken during their stopovers on these conserved lands. If someone, somewhere, did not decide to conserve these spaces, how many of these wonders would remain? While I cannot say for certain, I can say I am deeply grateful they do, and I am equally grateful for the landowners who steward these lands in their stead.

While this year’s monitoring approaches a wrap, I already find myself anticipating what next year’s monitoring holds and the rich conversations bound to ensue.