JUNE 12TH & 13TH  
Sunday Afternoon 4:00 – 7:00 pm  
Monday Morning 7:30 – 10:30  

Identify and record the different birds at Orient Land Trust by walking transects across the diverse habitats on the preserve. Those interested in bird photography are encouraged. Jim will use a high zoom point and shot cameras to help in identification. Bring binoculars and your camera!  

Please Call to Reserve Your Space!  
719-256-4315  

Bird Fun Photography & Identification Workshop

Jim Welch, Wildlife Photographer

Next time you come into the Welcome Center, you may notice new smiling faces! Crystal and Snowflower have joined our staff on the Front Desk and are ready to help you become a member, make a reservation, check in for your stay, or answer a question! We have given Evette, who has been working diligently for Housekeeping, a few shifts at the desk. Perhaps you'll be momentarily perplexed because she is out of context. She continues to do a great job in all areas. We also want to welcome Jesse, David and Adrienne who joined our housekeeping staff this spring. All are doing great work. Please make them feel welcome!

Use less paper! We recognize that we are a conservation organization with the intention of being conscientious stewards of this revered land. In the spirit of making Every Day an Earth Day, we would like to encourage everyone to bring their own dish cloths, dish towels, and clean-up supplies. Using less paper products will take some fresh thinking and willingness to put in a little effort..

Here are some suggestions:

1) Bring your own bath towels and dish towels, along with a dishcloth or two. In the kitchens, instead of using a towel or wash cloth that somebody else used, have your own clean one ready to go. Wash them at home and put them in the bin for hot springs trips. Avoid bringing paper products; be sensitive to your impact.

2) Use a regular mug or bring your own travel mug for your coffee or tea.

3) Bring a water bottle (metal or plastic) to fill at our water fountain. Get good drinking water piped fresh and pure from the springs.

Our guidelines have always been simple and focused. We ask our visitors to recognize that we are a conservation based land trust and to help us be good stewards by taking personal responsibility for yourself, your family and your pets. Be respectful of the land, the water, the animals, our staff and guests. We are all in this together!

You can help by:

Being responsible for your trash and recycling. We do provide a recycling area, but if you can take your trash/recycling home, that saves us the labor and expense of processing it.

Pack it in – Pack it out!

Always clean up after yourself! Never leave dirty dishes or food for others to clean up, even on the "free" shelf at Oak Lodge.

Be aware and responsible for your belongings! Please don't leave them in the forest or around the pools. Let the next visitor experience that moment of awe when they come upon a beautiful pristine pond!

Leave it better than you found it! If you see trash, pick it up. If you see a new guest who is being disrespectful, use it as a moment to educate and share our Valley View culture.

We want to maintain our unique culture while promoting our mission of conservation and land stewardship. Being a small nonprofit land trust we need all of our members and visitors to participate in this process! It not only helps us to keep our costs affordable, but creates a sense of ownership and stewardship that works well here and in the world at large.

Last year, 2015, we experienced the most visitors ever at the hot springs. For the first time, this February and March we reached our capacity limits almost every weekend. We have limitations on overnight visitors and for day visits. Because of the way our society is set up, weekends, holidays, and summer are the times that most people can take their vacations. The effect here is that the springs are busy during those times. One thing you can do to make sure you get in when you arrive is to Call First! Whether you are coming for the day or staying overnight, let us know you are heading this way. Make a quick call notifying us of your plans and we can save the space. No one likes being turned away and we don't enjoy that part of the job either. The capacity limit is there to minimize the negative impact of overcrowding. Indoor accommodations are popular and reservations are usually necessary to get a cabin or room. Camping is the low cost option and tent sites are numerous. However, we do reach capacity limits for overnight and day visitors. Be wise, call ahead.

Orient Land Trust has a new-to-us vehicle in the fleet (if that's not too optimistic a word). It's a 2002 Dodge 3500 (1 ton, dual rear wheels) with a Cummins Diesel engine. We'll be using it as the workhorse for all the hauling chores. It's a flatbed so it will be nice to use as a work truck.

Many thanks to Mike O'Donal, the ranch manager, for letting us beat up his trucks on OLT's behalf for the past four years.

Each year, OLT opens its gates to celebrate it's devoted members and all their support. Anyone can become a member and no members are turned away. With so many fun-lovin' folks, we ask everyone to park off-site and be especially mindful of one another and our delicate space. Our supply of ice is limited and we encourage sharing tent spaces whenever possible.

Enjoy live music at the Pavilion from 9 pm-around 1 am on Friday and Saturday nights..

Friday Night Band: Todd Johnson & Breaking Blues with returning camp host Ian Monk on drums.

Saturday Night Band: Mama Magnolia. We saw them at the Crestone Music Festival last year and we could not be more thrilled to have them this year for Member Appreciation.

"Their powerful blend of groovy rhythms, explosive horn lines, captivating melodies and soulful lyrics will invite you to want more. With a love of shifting meters, polyrhythmic structure, evolving harmonies and complex dynamic shape, they let the music guide them to create danceable and undeniably deep music that is tasty soul candy to those who hear it."

http://www.mamamagnolia.com/

Soil health is at your feet. Carbon sequestration to many people means trees. Another way to sequester atmospheric carbon and improve soil fertility as well as improve absorption of water is by increasing the carbon content of soil. As carbon content in the soil increases there are many benefits. Carbon depleted soils don't absorb much rainfall. The ground crusts over and the rain runs off and causes flooding in low lying areas. The ability to grow crops in carbon depleted soils depends increasingly on artificial fertilizers and pesticides. These additives further diminish the carbon in the soil and the need for those additives becomes even greater. The carbon that was once held in the soil goes into the atmosphere and the greenhouse effect intensifies.

Orient Land Trust is engaged in trying to improve the soil at the ranch. There are many components and lots of hard work involved. One of the recommended tools for increasing soil carbon content is livestock impact. We are fortunate that the ranch has not been subjected to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The agricultural lands are not in bad shape and we have the water to work with. The steps we are taking are incremental. Little by little we are working toward a better environment.

Thank you for your support! Here are two links to videos that provide some basic information.

Allan Savory: How to fight desertification and reverse climate change - TED Talks

Soil Carbon Cowboys

In semi-arid regions, such as the valley, the grasslands evolved with significant sporadic animal impacts. Buffalo herds being hard to find and the inherited European penchant for fencing, those concerned with soil health are turning to a variety of livestock to substitute for that beneficial grazing symbiosis. One of the recent books published that summarizes the recent research is:

"Cows Save the Planet and Other Improbable Ways of Restoring Soil to Heal the Earth" by Judith D Schwartz

The tasks at hand that are needed to run OLT smoothly are myriad. Though the Staff here is ever capable, there is just so much that we can accomplish in a day. Orient Land Trust relies on a long standing tradition of volunteerism.  Through the years, many noble souls have come forward and brought their many talents to bear on improving our systems, grounds and infrastructures.

I have found that the most notable trait in all of our volunteers is a profound love and dedication to the vision of this magic place. Other hot springs may succumb to the pressures of development, but OLT endeavors to keep what we have and improve these systems in a way that perpetuates the much-loved ambiance while being less than noticeable…

Our volunteers get that.

Through the years, some of the talents that have been offered are (but not limited to,) plumbing, electrical, construction, systems development, welding, design, engineering, tech support, masonry and rock work,  digging, weeding, animal husbandry, gardening,  clean-up,  fence work, heavy equipment operation and Program Hosting…(to name a few)…

We have had volunteers that have helped to maintain our Hydro-electric power system, (Jim M.), excavated building foundations with their own equipment, (Jonathan), renovated the Welcome Center and Cottonwood Cabin, (Adam, Mark, Scott H.),  donated a work vehicle (and has done many other projects), (Tim),  installation of in-floor-heating grids, (Jim and Neil),  signed off on a legal letter that enabled OLT and (partner) Living Art Systems to pioneer methane digesters  in the San Luis Valley as a septic system alternative, (Daniel), and design, happily done many grubby tasks that involve strength and/or tenacity, (Mark, Jeff, Liam, Greg, Donavon, Ron, Cheryl, Bill and Jude, Brent, Gary, Marie and Ruby, Kathy, and Larry, (and I know I’m forgetting folks and my abject apologies ahead of time…), assembled, installed and donated, 2 (going on 3), control systems that remotely control the Hydro-system’s spear valve, notify changes in collection box water level and (soon to come), Apple Pool temperature regulation, (Tom B.).

We have had work crews from Universities, Government sponsored programs, and walk-ins. We have long-standing Bat Hosts, Astronomers, Discovery Hosts, Camp Hosts and Board Members. We have volunteer Committee Members and folks who bring things in from “Civilization” and donate recycled building materials.

All in all, Orient Land Trust thrives because of this ongoing confluence of volunteer spirit and donated financial support.  It has been one of my greatest pleasures as the OLT Facilities Manager that I have been able to interact with all of these wonderful and talented, selfless givers!

My and Our Thanks!

- Mark Jacobi, Facilities Manager

I’ve been working on scheduling volunteers for Visitor Services for this summer!  We still have openings for May, early June, late August and September.  If you are interested in supporting Orient Land Trust as a camp host, discovery host, bat tour guide or astronomy host; please contact Rosie for an application.   Thank you to all our returning volunteers and new friends too!  It’s going to be a great summer!

- Rosie Rosenberg, Volunteer Coordinator

Help Protect Valley View Hot Springs! 

Do you love the wildlife of Valley View Hot Springs?

Please help prevent this special place from being taken over by houndstongue.

We are continuing our fight to prevent houndstongue, an invasive and toxic weed, from taking over here. This plant does not provide food for wildlife and will displace native vegetation. By pulling houndstongue in the early summer we prevent it from spreading. And we are making headway against it!

Volunteers will pull and bag this aggressive weed for two half-day sessions and enjoy the satisfaction of helping protect a place we all care about. While we're at it, we will also be digging out any Bull Thistle we encounter. Bring gloves!

Volunteers are very important to our organization and help us throughout the year. We are currently accepting applications for volunteers May through October.
We are looking for individuals who love this special place and have time, energy and expertise to share. A positive attitude, understanding of our unique culture and the ability to work well with others is required. We want to match our volunteers up with a job they will enjoy and be successful at. Please let us know if you have special skills or abilities!

Positions that we are looking to fill for the coming season are: Camp Hosts, Discovery Hosts and Bat Tour Guides. These Ambassador positions require a two week minimum commitment and you have to love working with people! If you have less time to offer, consider helping our facilities staff with trail maintenance, fire mitigation, special projects or down at the ranch!
Download the application online, or email Rosie at Thank you!