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Apr 09
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Sunrise on the river

The Need to Know on the Capture the Cache Photo Contest

By Capture the Cache, Events, Uncategorized

Photograph: A word whose Greek roots mean “written in light.” A photograph captures a moment in time, a memory, even a feeling. These moments create a visual story of the people, places, or objects in the photo.  

The Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area’s annual photo contest provides a platform for individuals to tell the story of our heritage area through the visual representation of photography. The Capture the Cache photo contest celebrates the natural beauty, culture, and heritage of the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area. The contest is an opportunity for amateur or professional photographers to express their creativity while exploring the heritage area.  

”Eternal glory! That’s what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament.

Professor DumbledoreThe Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter Series

Unfortunately, there will be no eternal glory, but you will obtain bragging rights as a winner of the Capture the Cache photo contest! There will be a chance to win cash and non-cash prizes too. Competitors must be 16 years of age and older to enter. 

The contest ends on May 10, 2024, so get your cameras snapping! 

The heritage area extends for 45 miles and includes the lands within the 100-year flood plain of the Cache la Poudre River. It begins in Larimer County at the eastern edge of the Roosevelt National Forest and ends east of Greeley, a quarter mile west of the confluence with the South Platte. Photos must be taken within the confines of the heritage area. Full list of rules and regulations.  

2024 Categories

Outdoor Community Culture

Outdoor Community Culture photos are meant to capture the community of the Cache la Poudre River and surrounding river corridor. This could include anything from dogs, music festival, brewery patio life, photos of the scenery along the many hiking and biking trails, and/or attendance of community events. These photos are meant to capture the essence of what it is like to live in the heritage area. This is YOUR community, so show us the community through your eyes! 

History Along the River Corridor

The Poudre River is as rich in history as it is in natural wonders. History Along the River Corridor hopes to showcase the plethora of historical sites and stories along the corridor. 

These could include spots such as 1979 Avery House, 1883 Water Works, B.H. Eaton Ditch, Bingham Hill Cemetery, Cache la Poudre Marker, City of Natural Area and Trails Division at Signature Bluffs, Council Tree, Great Western Sugar Beet Flume and Bridge, Greeley Ditch #3, Greeley History Museum, Kaplan-Hoover Bison Bone Bed, Lake Canal Museum of Art Fort Collins, Pleasant Valley School House, Strauss Cabin, Von Trotha-Firestien Farm at Bracewell, Windsor History Museum and more. This is a list to get you started.  

In Motion

The river corridor is always in constant motion, whether it’s water flowing, a cyclist biking along the trail, or a train crossing the bridge over the river. These photos are meant to capture the movement of the river and the surrounding river corridor. This could include but is not limited to people cycling, hiking, or rafting, and/or running water, and moving trains. 

Q&A with the 2023 Winners

Full gallery of 2023 winners.

3rd place | Recreation & Lifestyle
2nd place | River Reflections
Water Works | Credit: Dave Cho | Tours & Itineraries
2nd place | History & Culture

Terry Walsh

3rd place Recreation & Lifestyle

What did you enjoy most about the contest? 

When I heard about the contest, I thought it would be fun to enter and hopefully get my photos seen by others.  But honestly, the most enjoyable part of entering was going back through my photos and choosing which ones to submit.  That gave me the chance to relive some great memories and enjoy the Poudre all over again. 

Why did you decide to enter the contest? 

I was hoping to get recognition for some of my photos if they won, but just as important was the idea of sharing my photos with others.  The river has so much to offer that it is good to see the organization getting more people to see what the river and surrounding area has to offer. 

John Bartholow

2nd place River Reflections

What did you enjoy most about the contest? 

Of course, I enjoyed “winning”.  But frankly, I think our whole community “wins” when we — as a community — appreciate the Cache la Poudre River’s many assets.  For too many years, the Poudre was essentially a dumping ground.  Downtowns turned their backs on the river.  All we could think about was pulling as much water out as the law would allow.  Finally, those old ethics are changing.  More and more people recognize the value of an ecologically resilient river for recreation, flood control, and other non-extractive uses.  We have a lot more to do in terms of protection and restoration, but at least we are making progress.  So, I do what I can to show the river’s beauty and how the community values water *In the River*, not just out of it. 

Why did you decide to enter the contest? 

Building on the first question, I enjoy photography and the Poudre has been one focus for years and years. I enjoy sharing my work for almost any non-profit that has a use for it — again, hoping to appeal to the ‘better angels’ of restoration and protection.  The river itself has no voice; we must be that voice that welcomes a cadre of supporters. 

Dave Cho

1st place History & Culture

What did you enjoy most about the contest? 

I most enjoyed getting to know the river much more than I had previously known. Looking for and finding interesting spots and features forced me to get more familiar with the areas in and around the river and the surrounding areas. I found a new appreciation for beauty and recreational opportunities as well as the people and organizations that work on conservation efforts. 

Why did you decide to enter the contest? 

I’m a photographer hobbyist and some friends encouraged me to enter the contest. I thought it would be fun and challenging and a great excuse to go out and photograph. The different categories within the contest provided a nice incentive to see the river in different ways and forced me to expand my vision on what is possible around the river. 

Greg Boiarsky

2nd place History & Culture

What did you enjoy most about the contest? 

I got a chance to look at the Poudre River in a different light. It made me walk (and bike!) along the trail just looking for historic sites and photographing different aspects of the trail than I had photographed before. 

Why did you decide to enter the contest? 

Honestly, it was fun to try my hand at winning a contest with my photos. I like sharing my photographic perspective with friends and the wider community. You can’t swing a cat without hitting a fabulous photographer in Fort Collins, so it was an honor being chosen. 

Apr 08
Love0

Mexican American History Project Greeley

By News, Uncategorized

Did you know a book has never been written about the history of Mexican Americans in Greeley using their voices, stories, and perspectives? Now, a group is working to change that.

The Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area recently sat down with the Mexican American History Project Greeley (MAHPG) to learn more about their work to tell their stories and address this gap in Greeley’s recorded history.

”“Our organization’s goal is to provide a resource book that highlights the history and contributions Mexican Americans have made to Greeley’s success since there is a gap regarding this information in Greeley’s general history. This book will help to give a voice and perspective of Greeley Mexican Americans that is seldom heard and validate our history and contributions in a place we call home.”

Emma Pena-McCleaveProject Coordinator for MAHPG

The book will delve into personal stories of Mexican Americans from Northern Colorado and their long-standing history in Greeley. While Mexican Americans have a longer history in the region, the book will focus on stories from 1920 and later. The goal of this work is to provide young Mexican Americans a strong cultural self-identity while helping to educate the community at large on the contributions and impact Mexican Americans have made on Greeley’s culture, community, and major industries such as the farming, packing plants, construction, and more recently, oil and gas.

The first section of the book will provide a collection of intensive research into historical documents from Greeley about the history and contributions of Mexican Americans in the community. The second half will hold thirty-nine stories from first-hand interviews with Greeley Mexican American residents. Gathered as part of the group’s oral history project, the stories showcase the residents’ perspectives of Greeley’s past, present, and future.

The group hopes to complete the book by April 30, 2025. Once published, MAHPG will distribute sets, English and Spanish, to Weld County schools, libraries, museums, and community centers, providing updated resources about local Mexican American history for school-age students and the community. The book will also be one of the few resources available in Spanish that provides an insight into the past and present of Greeley’s Mexican American community.

Dr. Dierdra Pilch, Weld District 6 Superintendent, was very receptive to the concept of the book stating, “It’s about time.”

While the Mexican American History Project Greeley has come a long way from inception, the group is still in the process of raising money for the publishing and distribution phase of the book.

To learn more about this incredible project, visit Mexican American History Project Greeley – Home (mahpg.org).

Jul 05
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Poudre Heritage Alliance Awards 2022 Community Grants

By News

Poudre Heritage Alliance is excited to support the following projects and activities that celebrate the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area through our community grants program:

 

The Five States of Colorado

For release in 2023, Colorado Humanities and Denver-based HaveyPro Cinema are producing a 90-minute documentary film, The Five States of Colorado. Designed for a wide range of audiences from elementary school-age to adults, the film will address the history and issues within five regions, or “states,” of Colorado to inform, educate, and serve as a basis for community and classroom discussion. Footage will include Learning in Our Watershed programming of the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area. Post-production, it will be made available as a free, streaming video or download to every public school and academic library in Colorado.

Poudre River Trail Interpretive Signage

This project includes the design, fabrication, and installation of a new interpretive sign at the recently constructed trailhead at Island Grove Regional Park in Greeley, Colorado.  This wayfinding node incorporates shade for visitor comfort.  The sign includes information on the history of Island Grove Park and the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area in English and Spanish.  The sign also incorporates historic images, illustrations of local plants and wildlife as well as a regional map of the Poudre Trail.

The Year of the River 2022

Wolverine Farm Publick House is hosting a 6-month celebration of the Cache la Poudre River.  This project invites the community to explore the Poudre River through the lens of creative interpretations from a dozen local artists outside and around the Publick House. Throughout the summer the Year of the River celebration will include pub talks, storytelling events, readings, performances and more.

Poudre River Trail-athon

If it’s an adventure you’re looking for this summer, then check out the 2022 Poudre River Trail-athlon. From June 1-August 1, pick up a free Trail-athlon Adventure Kit available at area libraries. In the kit, you will find ten adventure activities to choose from including a trail journal, take-and-make project, a scavenger hunt, biking, hiking, crafting, and more. The more activities you complete, the more points you earn toward prizes. It’s fun for the whole family!

Life Jacket Loaner Station at Horsetooth Reservoir

This program aims to increase life jacket wear during water-based activities by educating the public about the importance of using a life jacket and how to properly wear and use a life jacket. The Drennon’s Dreams Foundation Life Jacket Loaner Stations will provide the public with free use of life jackets on a first-come, first-served basis, while recreating at Horsetooth Reservoir in alignment with Poudre Heritage Alliance’s Play it Safe program.

If you have questions about these projects, grants, or the Poudre Heritage Alliance, contact bbullard@poudreheritage.org.

Jan 15
Love0

Poudre Heritage Alliance Now Accepting 2018 Grant Applications

By News

The Poudre Heritage Alliance (PHA) and the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (CALA) are now accepting 2018 grant applications. Other non-profits, government entities, and small businesses can go online to submit their applications: https://poudreheritage.org/grant-information/. The closing date for applications is March 2, 2018, with award decisions by May 2018. See below for more information about grant projects from 2017:

Historic Windmill Installation: Centennial Village Museum, established as a Centennial-Bicentennial community project in 1976 adjacent to Island Grove Regional Park in Greeley, CO, was designed as a living history site to interpret the architectural and cultural heritage of Greeley, Weld County and northeastern Colorado, The Historic Windmill project would repair and re-install a Steel Eclipse Type WG (worm gear) Fairbanks-Morse and Company windmill that includes a stock tank with a recirculating water system in the High Plains section of the Village. The windmill interprets the delivery of water for domestic use, stock raising, and irrigating crops in the rural irrigated and dryland districts of Weld County. An interpretive panel adjacent to the windmill plus curriculum materials for presentations at the annual spring and fall History festivals at the Village will be developed as a part of this project.

Proving-up House Restoration: Saved from demolition in 2005, the City of Fort Collins moved the historic 1890 James Ross “proving-up” house to storage until an appropriate permanent placement for educational purposes could be found. The only documented proving-up house known to exist in Larimer County, the Ross House has survived for 127 years. The Homestead Act of 1862 was adopted to get vast government lands west of the Mississippi into private hands for settlement and development. The Act mandated homesteaders had to build a small dwelling, live in it, improve the land, and after five years, for an $18 filing fee, they owned that quarter section of land. These houses, sometimes called “claim or filing shanties” often had no foundation and were portable, to be able to “prove-up” other holdings. Last fall, the Ross House was relocated to The Farm at Lee Martinez Park along the Cache la Poudre River in Fort Collins, where it will be restored and interpreted for the enjoyment and education of all citizens.

Nature Rides Program: The Growing Project (TGP) developed a new, educational program that connects youth from The Boys and Girls Club to natural areas in Northwest Fort Collins for activities related to the watershed and local ecology with Growing Project educators and experts. TGP worked with Bike Fort Collins and the Bike Co-op to secure bikes and bicycle education for youth participants to ride from their facilities to the natural areas with TGP staff. Part of programming included occasional service days through a partnership with The City of Fort Collins that involved cleanup efforts in local natural areas and while learning about river health from City experts. Youth were also able to invite family members on these rides.

H20 Today Exhibition: “H2O Today” at the Greeley History Museum dives into what it means to live on a planet where 71 percent of the surface is covered in water, yet less than 3 percent is drinkable. The exhibition highlights the crucial role it plays in daily life through water power, industry, agriculture and home use. The “H2O Today” exhibition is part of the Smithsonian’s Think Water Initiative to raise awareness of water as a critical resource for life through exhibitions, educational resources and public programs. The exhibit runs through May 20, 2018.

***Picture above taken by the Growing Project staff during a Nature Rides program along the Poudre River

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