Learning that I was selected to receive a scholarship from VOC was the best news of my summer. I have long admired the work that VOC does to protect Colorado’s greatest asset, its public lands. Over the last 10 years or so, I have had the honor of partnering with VOC on multiple projects ranging from post-fire restoration trainings to building the Dixon Trail on Cheyenne Mountain. Receiving this scholarship felt like a recognition of what I’ve accomplished in my career in environmental stewardship so far, but also an encouragement to push farther and develop new skills and knowledge of environmental management. I am committed to working in the environmental stewardship field because it is so immensely gratifying to bring people together to do tangible work to protect the treasured landscapes we so enjoy. The benefits are immense. Just today, I made new friends on a trail build project outside of Crested Butte. Something really significant occurs when a slice of the community joins forces to build new trail or restore an old one. And right now, we need to bond together in a way we haven’t before in order to maintain the social bonds and high standards for environmental conservation that will ensure places like the 401 Trail or Pikes Peak or Mount Elbert stay protected.

I am following a track of Sustainable and Resilient Communities in my education at Western. Community engagement is a huge passion of mine, and that is reflected in the organizations where I’ve worked and volunteered. I spent the previous 15 years doing stewardship work in Colorado Springs and in March of this year, I was hired on as the Gunnison County Stewardship Coordinator. The position is housed within the National Forest Foundation and it is hosted by Gunnison County. I have the honor of developing stewardship programming in the Gunnison Valley on behalf of these organizations. We are off to a strong start. Earlier this summer, we launched the STOR Corps program that offered employment opportunities for ten local residents to complete stewardship and outreach activities across the landscape all season long. And next summer, after I graduate, we’ll initiate a community volunteer stewardship program to engage with the Gunnison Valley public in restoration projects. 

It’s thanks to organizations like VOC for establishing a foundation of community conservation in Colorado. I am fortunate to play a part in fostering the ethos in this corner of the state.

Many thanks to VOC and the Grossman’s for this recognition!