This summer we were able to almost triple the acreage of the irrigated hayfields. The yield was extra good thanks to plentiful rain through the growing season. The first 8 acres we harvested was done by a local custom hay operator, as was done last year. The remaining acreage and the second cutting of the alfalfa field was done with OLT's own swather and baler. The swather, donated by our partner in cattle grazing, Arrowpoint Cattle Company, had to be extensively repaired and rebuilt yet was still much less expensive than paying someone else. The baler, also donated by Arrowpoint, required some repair that was less costly than the work done on the swather. It was with mixed feelings that we surveyed the finished product; a hayfield dotted with small bales. The rows of little bales in the bright sun were lovely to see, but we also realized we were back to lifting and stacking hay by hand. Are we too old for this? Or, is this what keeps us young?

The weekend of August 28, 29, and 30 was the Crestone Energy Fair. Orient Land Trust is a participant again this year. On Sunday, August 30, OLT conducted a hydroelectric tour to four interested participants of the Energy Fair.

Second Annual
OLT Membership Dinner & Fundraiser

Presentations by

DOUG BISHOP - OLT Executive Director
JAY SIMS - Geologist & Earth Sciences Professor at University of Arkansas, Little Rock
KIRK NAVO - Retired, Wildlife Conservation Biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Friday, October 9, 2015

Radisson Hotel

3155 S. Vaughn Way
Aurora, CO   (I-225 & Parker Rd.)

5:30 - Cash Bar
6:30 - Dinner   Cost: $35 per person
7:00 - OLT Report to Members & Speaker Presentations
8:30 - Music with OLT Members John Standish & Mark Allen

> RSVP online by Friday, October 2nd <

Enjoy a great meal & OLT friends, learn about OLT’s new strategic plan, and support the completion of OLT’s Waste Water Treatment Plant campaign!

Questions, please call Pam Nelson, Director of Development @ 719-298-2289

OLT members have been accustomed for many years to receiving a Fall Newsletter. We are transitioning, alternatively, to an Annual Report which communicates about our activities and accomplishments over the ENTIRE past year instead of just ¾ of it as the Fall newsletter did. An Annual Report is also the only published document that lists and recognizes our donors through year-end since this information is not required in OLT's IRS Form 990. OLT leadership has decided that, while there will be a delay in compiling information for an Annual Report each year until our Annual Audit is completed, this communication tool will serve our members better by providing a more complete financial picture that includes year-end numbers. We hope our members will appreciate the value of this change in focus from an annual printed newsletter to an Annual Report highlighting all that OLT has accomplished toward meeting its mission goals. Feel free to provide any provide any feedback to Executive Director Doug Bishop.

Save the Date for OLT"s Second Annual Membership Dinner in south Denver at the Radisson Hotel near I-225 South and Parker Rd on Friday, October 9. The goal of the dinner is to raise funds to wrap up our Wastewater Treatment Facilities upgrades campaign, We still need nearly $100,000 to finish paying for this large but necessary project. Cash bar opens at 5:30 pm with Dinner at 6:30 pm followed by a panel of OLT member speakers about all the wonderful programs OLT offers that tie in with our new Strategic Plan: Doug Bishop, OLT's Executive Director,JAY SIMS - Geologist & Earth Sciences Professor at University of Arkansas, Little Rock and KIRK NAVO - Retired, Wildlife Conservation Biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The evening will round out with music by several talented OLT member musicians, John Standish (Board Chair) and Mark Allen. Cost is $35 pp.

ONLINE REGISTRATION

Brand launched with new products!

OLT's Everson Ranch now has its own brand name and logo thanks to the creativity of Geneva Mixon (OLT's recent Board Chair), Cherrye Williams (OLT"s Office Manager), and Mike O'Donal (Everson Ranch Manager). The idea for the label name, "Everson Ranch Goodness", germinated with Mike and Cherrye. Geneva captured the concept in a wonderful new logo depicting the ranch and its role at OLT. The "Everson Ranch Goodness" label encompasses all the wonderful products already being produced from OLT's Everson Ranch - grass and organically fed beef, pork and eggs. The most recent addition to the "Everson Ranch Goodness" line is our selection of pork sausage, ham steaks and pork chops. Our large, black exotic pigs are known for their pedigree - they are considered "heritage" hogs. They retain the traits of their ancestors that lived on the pastures and woods of England in the 16th and 17th centuries. Hardy animals, they are able to handle the cold and heat and can effectively convert pasture and goodies found in our fields and woods into nutrition. Their pork is micromarbled, has a deliciously Old World flavor and might arguably be considered the best pork available. Future plans for the "Everson Ranch Goodness" line of products include honey, potatoes, and garden vegetables.

The Science Camp this year had more participants. We rearranged the schedule to provide more time for the young scientists to spend time with their families. Parents remarked that they liked the schedule better. In the morning, we met for an hour or two. Sometimes we swam, one morning we had a geology hike at the mine, picking up rocks and looking at unusual formations. One morning there was a trip to a local goat farm where the scientists learned to make cheese. In the afternoons, there was horseback riding, journaling and writing, a hydroelectric tour, and a wildflower walk, Evenings included campfire with s'mores, astronomy, singalong, and a scavenger hunt with an emphasis on fireflies. Friday finished off with a tour of the ranch and a barbecue lunch. The pigs were popular. The night that we had scheduled the bat hike got rained out. However, parents helped by taking their kids on a different night. Thanks to all the participants, parents and children.

Lots of rain, tall grass, bright sun, early summer. Add them all together and you get gnats and mosquitoes and sunburn. Nobody likes them. The bats will help with the bugs. The warm weather encourages us to shed our clothes and enjoy the warmth of summer. Sunblock protects us from sunburn and repellents help keep the pests away. However, we are at the top of a watershed and what we put into the water goes downstream to the fish and flora.

Remember: shower off the lotions and potions before soaking in the pools, be aware of the pollutants that you introduce, other people may not like what you are spraying while you are next to them. Some avoid these products altogether, floating a sarong across the surface of the water, wearing wide brim hats, or using an umbrella. Orient Land Trust protects the water, the land, and habitat. A few precautions help maintain pure water and clean air.

This is our chance to give a big Thank You! to all of our members. Thanks for your support! Orient Land Trust depends on your contributions. Your memberships have enabled us to pour water on the hayfields, protect the mine history and bat habitat, stock the freezer with organic grass fed beef, welcome geologists from high schools and colleges, provide research opportunities for biologists, create a thriving habitat for rare fish. Of course, the land has been protected from development and we have protected the open space from becoming a patchwork of splintered properties. Valley View Hot Springs remains the oasis.

During Members Appreciation Weekend, the capacity limits are eased. If you are a member, you are welcome. This means that it is more crowded than any other weekend. We have a band on Friday Night, Gumbo Jets, and we have a second band on Saturday night, Hippies with Blondes. On Saturday afternoon, we invite everyone to provide food at a potluck that is ever changing and reminiscent of the loaves and fishes. Sunday morning, OLT staff cooks you breakfast. Throughout the weekend, the fine espresso and lattes that have in previous years been sold by Saguache Espresso will be for sale again this year. All members are invited! Move over, make room, and share the pools and campsites with members from all over.

Silent Auction: Clean out your Attic/ Garage. Art and artifacts welcome but lower priced items sell better! Bring a unique item to donate for our Silent Auction on Saturday morning. Please email or call Pam Nelson at 719-298-2289 if you are planning to donate something for the auction. 

Historically, the printed annual report was mailed out in the fall. Last year, when the time came to publish the annual report, we decided that it made more sense to publish each annual report earlier in the year as the audit was completed. Therefore, we did not publish an annual report last fall and the annual report that will be mailed soon will include the financial report for two years, 2013 and 2014. In addition to the financial report for both years, you will find updates about Orient Land Trust's accomplishments and a list of the generous people who have donated to OLT. Last year was a good year for OLT and we'd like to thank everyone for their kindness, respectfulness, and continuing to donate to land conservation in the northern San Luis Valley.