In its 21st year, the Environment Foundation donated $140,710 to 23 projects across the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond. The largest donations focused on reducing the impacts of climate change, trail restoration and outdoor experiential education for youth and teachers. Other grants funded water quality monitoring initiatives, local commuter incentive programs and distribution of the environmental newspaper High Country News in Roaring Fork Valley high schools.
Multi-Year Grants
This spring, the Environment Foundation awarded three-year grants to the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) and Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV).
ACES received $20,000 annually for the next three years (totaling $60,000) to support ACES Ed, environmental science education for children from early childhood to college. ACES partners with local schools to bring extensive, hands-on science learning programs into the classroom and in the field. These programs make 65,000 student contacts each year, teaching over 2,500 in-classroom lessons and providing nearly 400 field programs to students of all ages.
RFOV will receive $8,000 per year for the next three years (totaling $24,000) to support local trail maintenance and restoration. RFOV also uses these stewardship projects to educate the volunteers and general public about the responsibility we all have to preserve and protect “our backyard."
ACES received $20,000 annually for the next three years (totaling $60,000) to support ACES Ed, environmental science education for children from early childhood to college. ACES partners with local schools to bring extensive, hands-on science learning programs into the classroom and in the field. These programs make 65,000 student contacts each year, teaching over 2,500 in-classroom lessons and providing nearly 400 field programs to students of all ages.
RFOV will receive $8,000 per year for the next three years (totaling $24,000) to support local trail maintenance and restoration. RFOV also uses these stewardship projects to educate the volunteers and general public about the responsibility we all have to preserve and protect “our backyard."
David Hamilton, RFOV’s Executive Director says, “The Environment Foundation’s support has enabled us to accomplish dozens of projects and engage more volunteers. We are honored that the Foundation has the confidence in our work to award our organization a special multi-year grant.”
Composting in Aspen Schools
The Environment Foundation donated $7,290 to EverGreen ZeroWaste to begin composting programs within the Aspen School District. “With the support of The Environment Foundation, EverGreen ZeroWaste is thrilled to implement compost collections for more than 1,500 students in Aspen,” writes Ali O’Neal, Outreach and Education Coordinator. While EverGreen ZeroWaste runs primarily as a compost collection organization, they also promote sustainable waste diversion through education. “Our waste diversion education programs allow participating students to shape the conversation around resource recovery, and empowers them to truly change the paradigm for waste diversion in our communities.”
Protect Our Winters
Protect Our Winters (POW) received $5,000 from the Environment Foundation for general operations.
The climate nonprofit mobilizes the outdoor community to participate in the legislative and political process, influencing climate policies locally, statewide and nationally.
“POW’s mission is achieved by localizing broad climate solutions and empowering passionate, outdoor communities,” writes Torrey Udall, development and operations manager for POW.
The climate nonprofit mobilizes the outdoor community to participate in the legislative and political process, influencing climate policies locally, statewide and nationally.
“POW’s mission is achieved by localizing broad climate solutions and empowering passionate, outdoor communities,” writes Torrey Udall, development and operations manager for POW.
“The Environment Foundation epitomizes this spirit. As an employee-run organization, the community declares, ‘This is more than my job. This is an identity, and that comes with a responsibility.’ As a grant recipient, POW has bestowed that responsibility and it is one that we work tirelessly to fulfill.”
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative
A donation of $4,828 was awarded to Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) to help fund continued maintenance on the Elk Mountain Fourteeners. Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks — the “Fourteeners" — are home to fragile alpine tundra ecosystems – some of which exist nowhere else on earth — that are uniquely adapted to living in such high regions. These peaks are quite popular, with approximately a quarter-million people climbing these mountains every year.
Funding from the Environment Foundation will go towards protecting previously constructed summit routes and revegetating closed social routes on Capitol and North Maroon Peaks, assessing the current hiking use trends on Castle Peak and gathering secondary route condition inventories on Pyramid Peak.
Funding from the Environment Foundation will go towards protecting previously constructed summit routes and revegetating closed social routes on Capitol and North Maroon Peaks, assessing the current hiking use trends on Castle Peak and gathering secondary route condition inventories on Pyramid Peak.
Colorado Outward Bound School
Since 1941, Outward Bound has promoted outdoor education through experiential learning and has reached over 7 million people in its 70-year history. The Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS), as a part of this national network, received a grant of $7,200 to fund the expansion of an eight-day educational backcountry course for teachers from the Roaring Fork School District.
“COBS has been running transformational leadership experiences in the Elks outside of Marble since 1961,” says Darcy Lattof, Development Director. “By working with teachers, it gives them the opportunity to experience their own transformation and recharge, and gives them the tools to inspire their students to do the same in the outdoors.”
Spring 2018 Grants
Spring 2018 projects represent a broad range of environmental issues facing the Roaring Fork Valley:
Applications for the fall 2018 grant cycle are due October 22, 2018. Those interested in receiving an application can email Matthew Hamilton at mhamilton@aspensnowmass.com.
| ORGANIZATION | |
| Aspen Center for Environmental Studies – ACES Ed: Children's Environmental Science Education Programs | $10,000.00 |
| Aspen Global Change Institute: Learning from the Ground Up – Engaging the Roaring Fork on Changing Ecosystems | $2,500.00 |
| Aspen TREE – Farm Center Development | $7,000.00 |
| Basalt High School: Experiential & Outdoor Education | $5,100.00 |
| Basalt High School: Rock Climbing Wall | $1,000.00 |
| Buddy Program: LEAD Outdoor Leadership in Basalt | $5,000.00 |
| Colorado Fourteeners Initiative: Elk Mountains Fourteeners Trail Stewardship and Sustainable Trails Project | $4,828.00 |
| Colorado Outward Bound School - Enhancing Experiential Education in the Roaring Fork Valley through Backcountry Educators Courses | $7,200.00 |
| Conservation Colorado Education Fund and Western Resource Advocates: Tackling Climate Change in Colorado | $15,000.00 |
| Energetics Education – Solar Rollers in Upper Roaring Fork Valley | $5,000.00 |
| EverGreen ZeroWaste - Aspen School District Compost Collections and Waste Diversion Education | $5,000.00 |
| Fat City Farmers - GOCO Inspire Program | $5,190.00 |
| Glenwood Springs Bicycle Advocates – Promote continued bicycle travel momentum begun during Grand Avenue bridgereconstruction; expand and support bicycle use for local practical tips | $3,000.00 |
| High Country News – HCN University for the Roaring Fork Valley | $3,500.00 |
| Pauline S. Schneegas Wildlife Foundation – General Operating Support | $4,000.00 |
| Protect Our Winters – General Operating Support | $5,000.00 |
| Roaring Fork Conservancy – Water Quality Equipment | $6,392.00 |
| Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers – Three Years of Funding for Trail Projects throughout the Roaring Fork Valley | $8,000.00 |
| Rocky Mountain Youth Corps – Roaring Fork Valley Youth Corps | $10,000.00 |
| Southern Rockies Seed Network – Development of high elevation native plant materials for the Roaring Fork Valley and contributing watersheds | $5,000.00 |
| U.S. Forest Service – Aspen-Sopris Ranger District: Maroon Lake Restoration Project | $11,500.00 |
| Western Colorado Congress – Gasfield Justice Campaign | $4,000.00 |
| Wilderness Workshop – Forest Watchdog Program | $7,500.00 |
| Total | $140,710.00 |
Applications for the fall 2018 grant cycle are due October 22, 2018. Those interested in receiving an application can email Matthew Hamilton at mhamilton@aspensnowmass.com.
