Kids! Science Camp is coming. This year the dates will be July 19 – 24. Bring your curiosity, your scientific method, and your sunblock. Monday – Friday half the day will be spent learning from the 4 scientists: geologist / hydrologist; plant and animal specialist at the ranch; biologist; and bat specialist. The other half will be day-camp type experiences for discovery, fun, and relationship building with the organizer of the science camp. Normal hours will be from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., except for a bat tour one evening and star gazing with the astronomer with the telescope one evening.

There is a registration fee of $50, which will be returned on Friday. OLT is not trying to make money on this, but we do want to know for sure who is coming, and we want to know that participants will be there for the whole event. Families will need to make normal arrangements for camping or lodging. You can download a registration form below or phone the office with your information.

Join OLT at Poor Richard’s Back Patio in Colorado Springs, June 7, 2015 from 4 – 9 pm when musician and OLT board member John Standish will be playing the piano with accompaniment by OLT volunteer Mark Allen and others. Advance tickets on sale now, please RSVP to or call 719-298-2289. Tickets are $10 and we are suggesting a donation of $40 per person to support all of OLT’s programs. Members are encouraged to bring a friend or prospective OLT member. The back patio at Poor Richard’s is a great place to relax and enjoy the summer weather but it is small so capacity is limited. This will be OLT’s first Colorado Springs event (that I can remember). Thank you John and Mark!

Poor Richard's Downtown
324½ N. Tejon St. Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Phone: 719-578-5549

Attention! This is not the annual report. There may be a few numbers-minded people that are wondering what happened to the annual report. The last annual report went out in the Fall of 2013. Last Fall, 2014, we thought that it was time to write the next version. Then we realized that the financial report wouldn’t be complete until the end of the year. The auditor was here the last week of March and we will have the results of the 2014 audit in a few weeks. When that information is available, we will produce the next printed annual report. In the meantime, we will continue to email a monthly e-newsletter. The annual report will include the audit for 2013 and 2014. That should get us back on track for an accurate and complete annual report every year in late spring that provides the details for the year most recently completed.

“SHAPES OF VALLEY VIEW”

ART BENEFIT FOR ORIENT LAND TRUST
At the Denver Art Society

Unique body sculptures of Valley View members formed out of painted packing tape (believe it or not) will be on display. The artists will mold your personal body sculpture at the Event for a small donation.

We are inviting all musicians to bring their instruments and talents to jam in between sets by a local favorite Salida band, Caravan X.

The OLT Land Conservation Program will receive all donations.

Beverages and light refreshments will be available for purchase.

Y'all come. Invite many, please.

This project is going well. The crew is top-notch. The noise isn’t too disruptive, though the late sleepers might disagree with that statement. We have given the contractor the green light to move along at the pace that works well for them. Thank you for your patience as we upgrade this necessary infrastructure. As of March 29: the 22,000 gallon tank is set and bedded. Ten of twenty infiltrator galleries have been dug, infiltrators installed and the first covering of dirt has been replaced. The next week should see the rest of the twenty courses finished. There will be some details like setting up the pump, the controls, and the monitoring system. Inspections and sign-offs from the designer and state will also need to be done. We are anticipating having the new system on-line by mid-April (knock on wood).

The construction crew installing the new wastewater treatment plant arrived yesterday and started digging. Some people may be annoyed by the noise and activity and we want to give everyone notice. We would have told you sooner had we known the exact start date. This project is weather dependent and the contractor had to find their own window. Some people might want to come and see the progress. If you do want to take a look, please stay well away from the construction zone and watch from a safe distance. Others may want to avoid the noise and bustle. It's going to be a busy few weeks.

This is a real milestone. We've been planning this for at least six years. It's happening at last. When the project is complete, it means less odor, less noise, and a less disturbing treatment system for decades to come. Yay! Let's celebrate!

How would you like to join a like-minded community of compassionate souls who care deeply about topics like conservation, sustainability, and the future of the Northern San Luis Valley? Would you like to learn more about the history and inner works of Valley View Hot Springs and the Orient Land Trust while sharing your skill, passion, and energy with our community?

The Board of Directors of Orient Land Trust is currently seeking board committee volunteers to help us fulfill our mission to preserve Valley View Hot Springs and its neighborhood for the education of current and future generations.

We need volunteers to assist with:

• Human Resources,
• Public Outreach,
• Fundraising,
• Finance and Accounting,
• Board Member Recruitment, and
• Conservation.

Join a committee! Visit: www.olt.org/committees to learn more about our committees and contact a committee chairperson to get information or get involved.

You can also call the OLT office at 719‑256‑4315 or email OLT Vice Chair, John Standish at .

The OLT Board of Directors is also seeking applicants. We particularly need recruits with an expertise in accounting and investment. All board applicants are encouraged to serve on a committee before applying for the board. For more information contact Don Geddes at 719‑655‑0203 or .

There is a new look to match the new year at the Welcome Center! With the hardwood floor we have also changed the configuration of the front desk and rearranged the library and history rooms. The project was a big job and it was interesting to go through all the accumulations. Our gratitude goes to the volunteers that worked so diligently doing the installation of the floor. Thanks Adam, Scott, and Mark! The staff also put in long days in December to make your visit more comfortable and to keep things cozy.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the bath/kitchen facility is progressing nicely and OLT received a grant from Saguache County to defray some of the costs toward building a methane digester sewage treatment system instead of a conventional septic system.

In the next several years, the plan is to restore hayfields and improve dry-land pasture for cattle. The hayfields need tending and water. The initial investment will largely be in straight pipe, valves, and gated pipe to distribute the water to an increasing acreage with a target of 55 acres of hayfield irrigated by this method. Irrigated hayfields in 2013 and 2014 totaled 8 acres. In 2013 and 2014, the cutting and baling of the native grass hay was contracted. Ideally, OLT would have the equipment and do that work in-house.

2015 will be the third year of a partnership with an organic beef producer from Chaffee County; Arrowpoint. Cattle will be used to restore the grazing acreage to a healthier state with planned impacts to introduce more organic material into the soil to improve soil ecology with a more concentrated but shorter interval of hoof impact to stimulate the growth of grasses and forbs. If you haven't had a chance to taste the beef produced, it is available at the Welcome Center.

We are exploring raising Black Hogs on a small scale to diversify the soil restoration species that will help improve soil health and mitigate weeds and invasive plant species.

A few of the historic structures at the Everson Ranch have gotten attention. Their decay has been arrested and their structural integrity shored up. We'd like to keep working on the interiors to provide acceptable accommodations for volunteers and other visitors. The aforementioned bath/kitchen is a new structure (initiated in 2013) built to provide a facility for sanitation and cooking. This infrastructure is necessary before asking for volunteers and/or paid ranch hands. The metal storage container, brought in during the summer of 2014, is being fitted as grain storage and inventory storage for a shop that has been approved by TNC.