Historic Gateway documentary and exhibit to  debut in May

Colorado Canyons Association and the Museum of Western Colorado are pleased to announce the premier of a new historical documentary and exhibit on the Gateway area. Award-winning videographer Mara Ferris, of Gen9 Productions, has created a documentary chronicling the rich history and natural wonders of this region just south of Grand Junction. This film is accompanied by a new exhibit on the cultural, paleontological, and natural history of the area created by museum curator Zebulon Miracle. 


Join us on Thursday, May 17th from 7:00-9:00pm at the Museum of Western Colorado for a special premier of the documentary and exhibit. The evening will start with light refreshments at Museum of the West, 462 Ute Avenue in downtown Grand Junction. Guests can enjoy the new exhibit with curator Zebulon Miracle on hand to answer questions, and also have the opportunity to explore the entire museum. At 8:00 we will move to the east wing to screen the premier of the new documentary, Stories from the Land: The Northern Dolores River Valley.

Stories from the Land is a thirty-minute documentary that includes numerous interviews and photographs from the Gateway area south of Grand Junction. The documentary was commissioned by the Colorado Canyons Association in 2011 to highlight the rich cultural and natural history in this stunning Colorado canyon country. The Museum of Western Colorado partnered with the filmmaker to conduct oral histories and locate never-before-published historic photographs of the area. Twenty-five individuals who represent a wide range of uses and historical connections to the area were interviewed for the film, creating hours of new perspectives and stories that will be housed at the Museum.

Public Lands/Water Forum


Panelists to discuss the value of public lands to western Colorado economies
Hosted by Mesa County Conservation Forum, Redifer Research Institute, Colorado Mesa University

Tuesday May 8th, 6-8pm at the University Center Ballroom, CMU, Grand Junction

Opening Comments: John Redifer, Director, Redifer Research Institute, Colorado Mesa University

Panelists:

Tom Kenyon, Grand Junction City Mayor
Steve Gunderson, Regional President, US Bank Wade Haerle, EIS Solutions, Consultant to energy industry
Joe Kerby, Colorado Canyons Association, Delta City Manager 
Jacque Bevan, Rancher, President of Gateway Property Owners Association

Moderator: Tim Casey, Professor of Political Science, Colorado Mesa University

Please join us for candid dialogue about how our public lands contribute to local economies and how our community makes decisions about uses of our public lands. Public question and answer to follow panelist discussion.

UPCOMING
Panelists to discuss the value of the Colorado River to western Colorado economies
Hosted by the Mesa County Conservation Forum, Colorado Mesa University Water Center, Protect the Flows Project
Tuesday May 22nd, 6-8pm at the University Center Ballroom, CMU, Grand Junction
More information to be announced

For more information call or email: 970-623-1900, libby@mccforum.org, www.mccforum.org

 Become a trail monitor!

(photo: Bobby Evans)

Do you find yourself in McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area more than twice each month? Do you have a favorite trail in the NCA that you visit on a regular basis? Do you need an excuse to get out on the trails more often? Consider becoming a CCA trail monitor and help keep our trails in good condition!

Trail monitors will help CCA and our local BLM office take an inventory of the condition of the trails throughout the NCA so we can keep them in good condition and provide the most up-to-date information to the public. If you are interested in participating in this important program or to learn more about it, please contact Rosa Brey at 970-263-7902 or rosa@canyonsassociation.org.

Friends Group of the Year!

In October Colorado Canyons Association was named the Friends Group of the Year by the Conservation Lands Foundation. We received this award at the annual Friends Rendezvous, a gathering of Friends Groups throughout the west that work on our National Conservation Lands. 


This award highlights the important work we've done in 2011 to expand our organization to new user groups, new geographies and new projects in McInnis Canyons, Dominguez-Escalante and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Areas. At the conference, Joe had a chance to speak up for the important work friends groups do throughout  Conservation Lands on behalf of our organization. Please take a minute to watch the video!

CCA, Museum and DARG collaborate on a great lecture!

Rock art in Dominguez-Escalante NCA (photo: Rich Ott)

Thanks to all who came to our first lecture last night. "The Archaeology of Colorado's National Conservation Areas" was a huge success! Thanks to our partners, The Museum of Western Colorado and Dominguez Anthropological Research Group for their wonderful contributions to this series.


If you are interested in supplementary material, please click here for the reading list provided by Rich Ott and Curtis Martin of DARG.


Please check back for additional lectures in the Colorado Canyons Association lecture series! Contact rosa@canyonsassociation.org for additional information or for lecture suggestions.

Stories from the Land earns documentary award!

The Colorado Canyons Association and the Museum of Western Colorado are excited to announce that the documentary project Stories from the Land:  McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area created by local filmmaker Mara Ferris is the recipient of an Award of Merit for Leadership in History from the American Association of State and Local History (AASLH). This year, AASLH conferred fifty-nine national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits, books, and organizations. The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history.