We are offering nightly Bat and Astronomy Tours along with a campfire & s'mores! Yes, s'mores are not educational... but they sure are fun! Saturday and on request; Everson Ranch Tours, Hydro and Geology Tours are also available. There is no charge for any of our Tours! Please register at the Welcome Center.

Bat Tours began on the 13th of June and have reached their full numbers as of the 29th with incredible out flights! Nightly tours are leaving the welcome center at 6:30 pm. It is a moderate to strenuous hike, 4 miles round trip. Wear good walking shoes, warm clothing, rain gear if necessary. Bring a flashlight and drinking water. The tour usually takes 3 to 4 hours.

Fort Lewis College biology students along with Dr. Lemur and Kirk Navo were here on June 30th. They caught 21 bats and brought them back to the Pavilion to do their testing. Many guests were present and were able to witness the scientists at work. The scientists will submit a report on the health of our bat colony and we will keep you updated!

Everson Ranch Tours are every Saturday. Cherrye is hosting the tours, leading hikes to the reservoir, visiting the animals and overseeing volunteers in the garden. We have pigs, chickens, cows and a herd of goats. A new community garden has been planted and volunteers are always welcome to help! Our strawbale bathhouse is complete! At 5pm there is a potluck barbecue where guests can interact with staff, volunteers and learn more about OLT.

Astronomy Tours are scheduled nightly. Mark Cunningham has once again been an incredible asset to OLT. Mark is a professional astro-photographer and we are fortunate to have him here every other weekend this summer. Along with other passionate and knowledgeable volunteers, we are able to offer astronomy tours every night, weather permitting!

Geology & Hydroelectric Tours are offered upon request, just ask at the Welcome Center to schedule a tour.

Good news! The most recent water tests showed no problems and the state has rescinded the boil drinking water notification. All clear.

Thanks to everyone for their understanding, helpfulness and great attitudes during the boil water alert. Valley View people are the best people! We are grateful for your patience and support. We're also glad that this was a brief and minor interruption. A special Thank You to camp host Barry Schwartz for his daily trips in his own truck to Salida to help supply OLT with bottled water!

Orient Land Trust wants to give an appreciative Thank You! To the Saguache County Sales Tax Grant fund for their $2500 grant in support of the upcoming Science Camp. We were notified of the award just before Memorial Day and this is just the most recent example of the many ways that Saguache County has supported our efforts. The Science Camp this year is scheduled for July 24 through July 28. We will have daily scientific activities (examples: geology tour, hydroelectric tour, a hike to see the bat outflight, an evening watching the night sky at the telescope) and some other fun summer activities like swimming in the pool and hiking. For more information and to reserve your child's space contact Orient Land Trust at 719-256-4315.

2016 Science Camp Poster

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

UPDATE: After our latest tests, the State has again given us the all clear. Enjoy drinking our pure spring water once again.

The Valley View drinking water system is under a "Boil Drinking Water" notification from the State of Colorado. We are providing bottled water to our visitors. If you're heading this way, you can help by bringing your own water.

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!

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/

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.

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.

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.