By Stephanie Weber

During a week in late July, it dawned on me that even if I could carve out a full week to venture away from my desk to see the SJMA staff in action, I could not actually get to all of them, given their vast coverage. While SJMA Visitor Information Specialists were stationed on the front lines at public land offices across the San Juan and Rio Grande National Forests, we also had education programs occurring simultaneously at the Nature Center and at Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, our Forest Ambassadors staffed trailheads from Lone Cone to the Pine River, Junction Creek to the Cimarrons. In fact, our 10 Forest Ambassadors rotated through 21 different trails during that particular week.

Now, had I hustled and logged a significant number of miles, I probably could have gotten to those team members, but then, there were our field crews in the Rio Grande National Forest. Our four-person Wilderness Crew was working alongside the RGNF’s two-person Wilderness Crew, and they were eight miles deep into the Rio’s side of the Weminuche that week, making an overnight trip a necessity if I were to visit them. We also had four seasonal staff working directly with the RGNF recreation staff, and they were working all over the RGNF.

At our peak this summer, we had 45 hardworking, passionate people on our payroll and across the entire San Juan mountain region.

Aside from a ridiculous rash of flat tires on the SJMA vans and personal vehicles, the summer was free of incidents, which is remarkable when you consider that there were scores of staff traveling many miles, working in rugged terrain with tools, or managing hundreds of summer campers and other education events with people of all abilities.

While SJMA’s risk management has always been strong, our management team has deepened our commitment to greater professional development for our staff. Not only does deeper professional development enhance the employees’ experiences and make for a more successful organization, but it also is a part of our strategic plan.

Since SJMA is a state-licensed child care provider, our education program already includes an array of annual training requirements, but it’s been further enhanced through our partnership with the Montezuma Inspire Coalition, and new this fall, our home-school program through the Alpine International Preparatory Academy. Our education team routinely takes part in courses to enhance the care of children, to deepen our understanding the cultural significance of the region, and to further improve the quality and impact of our lessons.

Our seasonal stewardship crews now have a jam-packed two-week training program, and by the end of training our crews have certifications in CPR, Wilderness First Aid, sawyer, and Leave No Trace as well as instruction on trail maintenance. They are well prepared to step foot on the trail wearing one of our uniforms.

We are thankful for the funds that we receive through our SJMA members and donors which provide us the means to deepen the professional development opportunities for our team ensuring that we provide the highest-quality education and stewardship programs. Learn more about what we do at sjma.org.

It’s that time of year when, like many of you, I find myself reflecting on the year. It’s been an incredible year at San Juan Mountains Association – not only for accomplishments but also transitions, some of which were difficult.

There’s still plenty to do before we all ring in the New Year. Our major fundraiser, “Christmas Trees for Conservation” tree lot beckons, with opening day on November 24th, and we celebrate the power of philanthropy on Colorado Gives Day on December 5th. But the programmatic work has slowed.

Our education team is seeing a gap or two in their schedule each week. Our seasonal stewardship crews have ended, and tools have been cleaned and stored for the year. We’ve packed up the basecamps we had in Needleton, Ice Lake, and Blue Lakes. Our visitor information specialists are still fielding questions from hunters, but the flurry of recreationists have come and gone – at least until the snow flies.

The SJMA staff – 45 people at peak – worked tirelessly all summer to care for our public lands throughout the entire San Juan Mountain region or provided memorable educational experiences to thousands of children across southwest Colorado. With education and outreach at the core of everything we do, we connected with tens of thousands of individuals to help them understand the importance of helping care for the incredible landscape we call home and to encourage them to join us in being good stewards.

However, we couldn’t do any of it without an array of partners. From our federal land management partners to volunteers who donate their time and skills, to our corporate sponsors, like Alpine Bank, and all of you who support us with an annual membership, it truly takes a village to care for our public lands. In fact, did you know that Rolando Gonzalez and his crew at CRC Janitorial have adopted the vault toilets at the Junction Creek Trailhead and voluntarily care for them from May through October?

This year we have also deepened our partnerships with other nonprofit organizations to leverage our reach and impact. Through funding from La Plata County, we have worked alongside our colleagues at La Plata Open Space Conservancy, Mountain Studies Institute, and Southwest Conservation Corps to provide experiential programs to Bayfield and Ignacio youth on Fridays. We have had a couple of volunteer stewardship efforts like the Sneffels trail building with the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative or the Hermosa Creek cleanup with members of the United Methodist Church in Longview, Texas. Speaking of volunteers, more than 175 individuals have donated more than 4,000 hours to help with
our education programs, rebuild the Nature Center’s deteriorating dock, or engage with backpackers in Chicago Basin or make sure that new visitors to Ice Lake or Blue Lakes understand what’s in store for them.

I simply cannot thank everyone we have worked with this year in the space allotted, but during this Thanksgiving month, know that all of us at SJMA are grateful to all of you who joined us in some way this year to work hard, share some memorable moments – and even some laughs – and to care for this place that we all call home. See you at the tree lot!