Long-time volunteer, Ted Peck, has volunteered to host a summer science camp for one week at OLT that will span our properties from the Everson Ranch to the Hot Springs and Orient Mine. It's a great opportunity for up to 20 kids (and their parents) to learn a little science and renew or create relationships that may last a long time. We're lining up presentations in geology, hydrology, biology, plants, ranch animals, astronomy, and of course our beloved bats.

Attention All Awesome Orient Land Trust Members:

We're happy to announce the lineup of bands scheduled for our 2014 OLT Membership Appreciation Weekend; Friday, August 8th – Sunday, August 10th.

Facebook Event

Boulder's Intuit, scheduled for Friday at 8:45pm, draws inspiration from reggae, funk, jazz, blues, hip-hop, folk, and world music to create a lively and original sound. With heart-warming lulls, energetic peaks, and endless stylistic shape–shifting, Intuit delivers a captivating groove that everyone can enjoy.  Website - Facebook

Saturday at 9:00pm we feature Denver's premier afro-beat stylists, ATOMGA. We'll be squeezing this 11-piece afro-funk collective, featuring a four-piece horn section and awesome percussion, onto the Pavilion stage. We're hoping Atomga's heavy-duty, down and dirty, positive vibe blows your mind, but doesn't blow the roof off the place!  Website - Facebook

So, loyal members; come to Valley View Hot Springs, shed your threads and get your boogie on at the 2014 Orient Land Trust Membership Appreciation Weekend.

Holistic Management is based on a decision making framework which results in ecologically regenerative, economically viable and socially sound management of grasslands.

Grasses across the earth developed with large herds of prey (ibex, yaks, bison, camels, elk, moose, and, yes, the ancestors of cows, goats, sheep, etc.), and their predators – wolves, lions, hyenas, etc. Think of the buffalo - the prey lived in large bunches, eating all plants down to a healthy level, pooping and peeing and working it all into the earth with their feet. When the predators came around, or they had eaten all the plants down to the stalks, the herd moved on quickly, in a tight herd, to start the process over again elsewhere. The result was healthy plants, roots and soils.

Today we have eradicated the large herds of wild prey and most of the predators. We have divided vast grasslands into plots of a few acres (even many acres) surrounded by fences. Animals are put out for many months, eating only the plants they like most, returning to the shoots, and eventually killing the plants. The result is that the most desirable plants die off, and the less desirable plants survive, leading to a more and more limited plant array, and loss of biomass above and below the soil surface. This in turn leads to unanchored soils, which we see blowing in the valley all the time. This method of grazing has created enormous damage to the northern San Luis valley. But we can change this, and at OLT we are doing just that.

More than just for feeding livestock, grasses are important for the wellbeing of the globe. They are, on a global scale, huge carbon sequesterers (hmmm, a word?). So, it's a good thing to optimize their health to optimize our health.

And the way to do that on a large scale is to help to bring back the model of predator-prey dynamics to our grasslands. A few issues, certainly. We have the prey, in the shape of food animals. However, as we have fenced the entire world, we can't just let the proverbial wolf loose because the prey animals would not be able to flee naturally. So what to do?

Among others, the Savory Institute (savoryinstitute.com), has been working all over the world for decades to help food producers mimic the prey-predator model of grasses revival to great success and acclaim. His premise is that even though it is not realistic to bring in predators, we can use cattle, goats, sheep, even pigs and chickens, to revive grasslands by stepping in and using holistic grazing management to take their place. The method is to put a lot of animals on a small area of land and move them quickly when they've eaten the grass down to a desired level and only bring them back when the grass is ready. That is done with lots of determination, work, and electric fence. The result is healthy roots, healthy soils that readily absorb and hinder evaporation of the sparse water, and healthy grasses of multiple species. This will not create immediate results. It will require hard work and dedication for years.

To that end, OLT has entered into a collaborative partnership with a local ranch, Arrowpoint Cattle Company (you might have eaten their delicious beef that we sell at OLT), which has been using this grazing method for years. We have also joined hands with the Savory Institute, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management, and our neighbors, Richard and Linda, to bring this effective process to the Everson Ranch, Richard and Linda's lands, and OLT's BLM grazing allotments, in order to bring our grasslands back.

Arrowpoint's cattle are Scottish Highland, small, drought and harsh weather resistant beauties that are trained to a whistle and a kind word - okay, and maybe some cow cookies. We have a total of around 120 cattle on the Ranch.

OLT has always had cattle on the Everson Ranch. The difference now is that we are practicing natural resource enhancement as opposed to commodities resource extraction.

So come help us celebrate our commitment to the preservation of OLT's beautiful lands and helping to build a model of sustainable agriculture so ranchers in the Northern San Luis Valley can continue to ranch and preserve our beautiful open spaces!

Orient Land Trust (OLT) is pleased to announce that long-time Saguache County resident Doug Bishop has been chosen as its new Executive Director.

Doug is a native of Colorado and has lived in the northern San Luis Valley for over 40 years since moving to Major Creek, just south of Valley View Hot Springs, in 1973. He first visited Valley View that same year, even before OLT’s founders discovered it!  In 1980, he moved to his current home on ten acres that were originally part of the homestead that became Valley View Hot Springs, which is now owned and operated by OLT.

Doug has worked off and on at the hot springs since 1975, both in a hands-on and decision-making capacity. Over the decades he has contributed to many construction, remodeling, and infrastructure projects at OLT. Besides founders Neil and Terry Seitz, no one is more familiar with the history of OLT than Doug.  In addition to his extensive “on the ground” experience, Doug has also helped guide the organization by serving on the Board of Directors since OLT’s inception in 2001, making him its longest serving board member. He recently served as the board treasurer and has his finger on the pulse of the organization’s finances.

Apart from his work at OLT, Doug has worked extensively in both tourism and education, two of the key components of the OLT mission. Doug worked for years at Monarch Ski Area where he developed many planning, budgeting, and management skills working with both guests and employees and eventually managing the Monarch Children’s Center. Doug left Monarch to pursue a career in public education and is currently teaching at Mountain Valley School in Saguache where he developed many close relationships with other educators, parents, and students. Doug graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Elementary Education from Adams State University in Alamosa with a nearly 4.0 average, and has completed all course work toward a Master's Degree in Special Education. He is a true Valley “local” and a respected member of the community, which is an important asset when dealing with ranchers, neighbors, and landowners here in the San Luis Valley.

On the home front, Doug has exemplified and embraced OLT’s strong conservation and environmental values. He has built his own homes with a close eye on recycling, conserving, and being creative with scarce resources.  This has given him a realistic, grounded, and fiscally conservative outlook over the years, qualities that will serve him well as OLT’s Executive Director.

The OLT board also sincerely thanks Facilities Manager Mark Jacobi for the fine job he has done as Interim Executive Director during the last six months. Mark has filled the role with grace, humor, and integrity, and he has worked well with both the board and staff.

Fellow appreciators of OLT and fellow soakers, we need board members and board committee members. If you have ever thought of serving OLT this is the time to step up and be counted. If you are interested in serving on the board of directors or a board committee, please send an email to BDCchair @olt.org with your name, phone number and any other pertinent information you wish to share. We will contact you when we get your email. Thank you for reading this and for caring about OLT.

Want to get involved at Orient Land Trust?  Volunteers are extremely important to OLT.  Please consider a donation of your time to help us work more efficiently toward the protection of the northern San Luis Valley’s unique resources and open space.

Summer 2014 Volunteer Hosts Needed

The Host opportunities listed below are all "full time," onsite positions that run for a minimum of two weeks, or more during our peak visitor season, between May and September.
Astronomy Hosts
Do you have an interest in astronomy and experience with telescopes? Then consider spending a month here at Valley View as an Astronomy Host providing astronomy education and assisting guests in viewing the celestial wonders above us (using our telescope, or yours). And with our clear, dark skies here in the San Luis Valley, we have some of the best star viewing conditions in the country! Time and interest permitting, Astronomy Hosts may also lead daytime tours of Orient Land Trust’s hydroelectric facility.
Orient Mine Bat Tour Hosts
Orient Mine Bat Tour Hosts lead evening walking tours to the Orient Mine to watch the bat out-flight, managing the integrity of the bat habitat and educating visitors on the history of the Orient Mine as well as the natural history of Mexican free-tailed bats. Time and interest permitting, Orient Mine Bat Tour Hosts may also lead daytime tours of Orient Land Trust’s hydroelectric facility.

Help us learn of your interests by filling out an OLT Volunteer Application. You can pick up an application at the OLT Welcome Center, or give us a call to have an application sent to you. Or, simply go to www.olt.org and click on “Get Involved,” print out an application and mail it to the address on the bottom of the last page.  Thanks for Volunteering!

OLT's campaign for Valley View's Waste Water Treatment Plant upgrades is well underway and is now nearly 15% complete. Our fundraising dinner was attended by nearly 200 people and raised over $15,000 in donations/ pledges and proceeds from guest speaker John Fielder’s generous donation of 30 % of book sales for the evening. Combined with donations from the December Annual Appeal mailing seeking funds for the WWTP upgrades, we have raised almost $27,000 to date for this campaign, or 15% of the goal. THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO ATTENDED THIS FIRST-EVER FRONT RANGE EVENT FOR OLT and those who made a pledge/ donation for this important project whether present or not.

The dinner event at the Doubletree Hilton in Westminster on April 3 rd was a successful community building evening for OLT members and friends, expanding the usual recreational context in which OLT supporters normally engage with OLT at its home in the San Luis Valley . Speaker John Fielder provided a stunning slideshow and presentation featuring his nationally recognized nature photography and conservation work around the state and in the San Luis Valley in particular. OLT is grateful for the donation of his time, speaker fees and expertise on behalf of OLT.

We're working hard to reach every supporter to help us reach our goal of $180,000 for this important project. If you haven’t made a donation (or want to make another one!), you can use the form below to mail in with your gift, or visit our website to make a donation on-line. Together, we'll be providing upgraded facilities for life’s “ basic necessities” at Valley View while also contributing to OLT’s future financial health by reducing the encumbrance of large loans to pay for these renovations while funds are being raised for the WWTF . 

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Do you have a great photo or story you'd care to share? OLT is always gathering content for its newsletters, brochures, and articles. You can always send your contributions to us for consideration. OLT appreciates all contributions and is careful to credit those who wish it. We also respect our visitor's anonymity and, where requested, leave off individual's names.

Download and sign the attached release before sending it back to us (scanned or by postal mail). Be sure to let us know if you'd prefer to be credited or anonymous. 

Note: Photographs should be of the highest resolution possible to be most widely useful. However, high-resolution images are large enough that only a few may be attached to an email. If you have more than 10 MB (megabytes) of images or video to share, please burn them to a CD or USB stick that can be delivered to our office physically.

Materials can be sent to:

or

Orient Land Trust
Information Systems
P.O. Box 65
Villa Grove, CO  81155-0065

The Orient Land Trust is a non-profit land trust created around Valley View Hot Springs, its unique culture and environment.

With the Orient Mine and Everson Ranch, we now protect 2,200 acres, its wildlife corridor, pristine spring waters, hiking trails, rustic cabins, and camping. Visitors of all ages and walks of life enjoy free educational programs, naturist open spaces, geothermal warmth, hydroelectric energy, and Colorado's largest bat colony.  Read more...

Guidelines  -  Rates and Reservations  -  Bat Tours