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Bike to Work ( or wherever) Day 2022

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PHA had an awesome time partnering w/ the Coalition for Poudre River Watershed & NoCoVelo 365 last month for Bike to Work (or Wherever) Day! We loved seeing all your smiling faces out on the trail at the Whitewater Park. Thank you all for participating and coming by to see us!

Check out the photos from the day below!

*NoCoVelo365 as the owner of the copyrighted images. They may not be edited in any way for any reason with exception of applying color correction. Additionally, they may not be duplicated, copied, or reproduced without my explicit permission in writing. *

The winner of the PHA gift basket raffle:

Marva Hewett

All of the raffle prize winners, sponsors, and prizes they won are now listed online via NoCoVelo365.com

Looking for more biking adventures to explore the landmarks and history along the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area?

Programs: Pedaling the Poudre | Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (poudreheritage.org)

Bellvue Lab Clean Up

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PHA Staff and volunteers got together at the Bellvue Lab for a clean- up day! We have been working hard on the restoration of Ralph Parshall’s Irrigation Lab in Bellevue. This project is currently in progress, and we hope to have more to share with you all soon!

Check out the photos from the day below!

Virtual Volunteer Rendezvous – Feb. 7

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Looking to make an impact in our local historic watershed? A Heritage Culturalist Volunteer for the Poudre Heritage Alliance (PHA) does just that. Volunteers are trained on our significant local resources, western water law, and interpretive sites in the area – then help support the PHA in celebrating and preserving the heritage of the Poudre River.  Volunteers can participate in sponsored events, work on historic documentation projects, be involved in PHAs programming, lead workshops and guided bike tours of the area, and so much more! Join us at our annual volunteer rendezvous for more information on volunteering with PHA and a virtual tour of the Windsor History Museum! 

 

Our annual rendezvous is a FREE and FUN event the Poudre Heritage Alliance hosts each year to say THANK YOU to our volunteers! This is also an opportunity to further your own knowledge of local history, water heritage, and the rivers enduring legacy. This year, our rendezvous will be a private virtual tour of the Windsor History Museum. This year we are opening up the event to anyone who is interested in what it means to become a Heritage Culturalist Volunteer as well! ⁠ 

 

We hope you will join us from 1pm-2pm on February 7th!

Please RSVP using this form: https://forms.gle/kVnFANFJRb5MnPT48

 

The zoom call information can be found below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88494533718?pwd=Q0l3bFlieUtXTmJrS3Z6OG9RaXhnZz09

Meeting ID: 884 9453 3718
Passcode: PHA

 

Volunteer of the Month: Deborah Shulman

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Q: Tell us about your path to water activism

A: I began participating in water activism in 2015 by joining the League of Women Voters water and environmental group and the Larimer County Parks Advisory Board where I still serve, but my journey started with the High Park Fire.

I watched on national media outlets as the fire fighters battled the fire and the helicopter made a wall of water between my house and the fire.

Our house and property are located on a steep hillside and we have a limited water supply from our well. We have run out. I have learned to manage water, how to conserve and be efficient and even grow vegetables and fruit.

Water is a precious limited resource that we all need and have to negotiate.  I have participated in deliberation and water facilitation workshops and learned how to have conversation surrounding tough water issues toward resolution.

It was at the Poudre River Forum where the Poudre Heritage Alliance is a sponsor that I first heard how the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area recognizes water and beneficial use from different vantage points – agricultural, industrial, municipal, environmental and recreation.

There is conversation.  There is collaboration.  That is what motivated me to become a Poudre Heritage Culturalist and to teach others about water and history.

Q: Why did you become a volunteer with the Poudre Heritage Alliance?

A: I believe in the power of stories and history to teach fundamental lessons and guide us going forward. The events that led to Prior Appropriation and its subsequent adoption into Colorado water law along with national and global impacts, resonate in this day of polarized politics, gridlock and inability to work together for the common good.

The men from the Union Colony and Fort Collins that arrived at the Eaton School House on their horses, with their tents and guns were angry.  Union Colony had built ditches, it’s community and economy around the Poudre River.  Fort Collins had grown and also needed the water. Then the water dried up.

What happened in that school house is nothing short of remarkable.  It taught me the power of conversation and collaboration to solve our issues for the common good. We have to know what we want and what we are willing to give up to get to a point of resolution.

Conversation and collaboration are not easy and we have to keep coming back to the table even when the going gets hard and tempers flare.

This is what I bring to my participation the Poudre River Forum committee and our approach to water education.  Everyone loves the Poudre River. We all need and want water. Now let’s talk.

The Poudre River Forum is on February 28 and the topic is Quality Collaborations (water quality).  Please join us.

Q: When you aren’t supporting PHA as a volunteer, what do you like to do for “fun”?

A: It’s all about water. I spend winters cross country skiing – classic, skate, trail, backcountry, and telemark.

In the warmer months, I swim, bike, run, hike and grow food. I also have a touring kayak and enjoy paddling on Horsetooth Reservoir near my home.

I am on the committee for the Horsetooth Swim races.

Q: When did you decide to run for Larimer County Commissioner?

A:  It was a direct result of my participation in water issues and the Poudre Heritage Alliance.  I was in a small group deliberation workshop surrounding NISP and how to have constructive dialogue around contentious issues.  I wanted to know about how these cities were managing water and if there was a focus on conservation and efficiency.

I asked, “How can I influence water and land use policy?” or “How do we get a regional water treatment plant?”.  The answer was to become county commissioner.

 

To learn more about the 2020 Candidates for Larimer County Commissioner, check out this article from the Coloradoan.

To learn how you can volunteer with the Poudre Heritage Alliance, please contact Jordan Williams at admin@poudreheritage.org or visit our website: https://poudreheritage.org/heritage-culturalist-volunteers/

Volunteer of the Month: Robert Ward

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Photo: Robert Ward leads a Peadling the Poudre bike tour, sharing his extensive water knowledge with guests.

In 2005, Robert Ward completed 14 years as Director of the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute, located on the Colorado State University campus (CSU).  In his research administration role, he served terms as President of the National Institutes for Water Resources and the Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR). His 35-year career on the CSU Engineering faculty involved teaching courses in systems analysis methods, water quality monitoring and management, and engineering design. His work on water quality management and monitoring sent him around the world, to places like New Zealand and The Netherlands. In January 2006, he also was awarded Honorary Life Membership in the Colorado Water Congress, recognizing his work in connecting university-based water research to the solution of practical day-to-day water management problems.

Besides consulting and professional society activities, retirement for Robert includes hiking, biking, reading, gardening, raising funds for the CSU Water Resources Archives, and serving as a current Heritage Culturalist Volunteer (and former Board Member) for the Poudre Heritage Alliance (PHA), a group that seeks to inform the general public about the development of western water law and technology, using the Poudre River as a classic example. 

Robert supports PHA programs and events by leading Pedaling the Poudre bike tours and providing well-researched interpretation for PHA’s Heritage Trails initiative. Robert’s expertise and involvement with the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage is invaluable and very much appreciated!

To learn how you can volunteer with the Poudre Heritage Alliance, please contact Jordan Williams at admin@poudreheritage.org or visit  our website: https://poudreheritage.org/heritage-culturalist-volunteers/

Volunteer of the Month: Judy Firestien

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Much of our work would not be possible without volunteer power! This month we are honoring Judy Firestien, one of our Heritage Culturalist Volunteers, who currently volunteers her time at PHA Board Meetings taking minutes while also promoting the CALA to the community through the Von Trotha Firestien Farm at Bracewell.  Thanks for all of your time and energy, Judy.

Question: Tell us about your career path and your work on the Farm.

Answer: I worked for several small biotech companies in Fort Collins as Office Manager for about 12 years before moving back to the family farm northwest of Greeley in 2005.  I had begun to gather genealogy and historic information on our farm and the settlement of Bracewell where the farm is located.  In 2008, I compiled much of this information into a nomination for the farm and in 2009, our farm, Von Trotha-Firestien Farm at Bracewell, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Since then, we have hosted educational groups and are continuing to work on “hands-on” activities to educate the public on the importance of agriculture and irrigated farmland in this area.  For several years we have had an “Open Farm” event with antique tractor displays, petting zoo, pony rides, irrigation demonstration, and educational displays to encourage people to come out and experience the farm.  We also regularly host gatherings such as graduation parties and birthday parties at the farm and have also hosted a couple of weddings.

Q: What do you like most about the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area?

A: I really enjoy the great history it holds with regard to agriculture and water law and the development of the Greeley-Fort Collins area.  It is also so special to me because a portion of our farm lies within the Heritage Area and I have many fond childhood memories of times along the river, mostly exploring with my dog, Duke.  We also had an ice skating pond on our property next to the river and spending time skating and having skating parties are some of my very favorite memories.

Q: Why did you become a volunteer with the Poudre Heritage Alliance?

A: I wanted to further solidify the knowledge I have gained over the past years with regard to history of the area, water history and water law, and historic preservation.  I hope to further use this knowledge on our farm to educate the public on history, water, and how awesome the PHA is and to inspire and encourage them to learn more!  (You can learn more about Judy’s farm and its history within the CALA at www.BracewellFarm.com.)

Q: When you aren’t supporting PHA as a volunteer or managing the Farm, what do you like to do for “fun”?

A: Sometimes it seems like my favorite hobby is mowing or doing “weed patrol”, as I call it, around the farmyard!  Not really a hobby, but seems to take up a lot of my time during the summer to try to keep the place looking nice.  I enjoy spending time with friends, hanging out on the “sky deck” at the farm, reading, watching movies, researching genealogy and history, and walking.  We built a structure at the farm awhile back that started as a picnic shelter, but we added a deck on top.  It’s fairly high and might be considered more of an “observation deck”, but we have dubbed it the “Sky Deck”!   It’s a great place to hang out with friends or relax and enjoy the sunset!

Interested in volunteering with the Poudre Heritage Alliance? Please contact Jordan Williams at programs@poudreheritage.org to learn how you can support the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area, or click here to sign up!

Tom Trout

Volunteer of the Month: Tom Trout

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Much of our work would not be possible without volunteer power! This month we are honoring Tom Trout, one of our Heritage Culturalist Volunteers, who brings a passion for water and history to his volunteer experiences here at the Poudre Heritage Alliance. Thanks for all of your time and energy, Tom.

Tom grew up on a small farm in Ohio.  As an agricultural exchange student to Peru, he experienced irrigated agriculture in an arid climate, and, on his return, headed West to graduate school in Agricultural Engineering at CSU.  After 2 years improving irrigation systems in Pakistan, he joined the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) as an irrigation scientist.  He retired in 2015 after 32 years conducting research in irrigation water management in Idaho, California, and Colorado.  He continues volunteering at ARS and as an adjunct faculty member in Civil Engineering at CSU, and takes an occasional consulting trip overseas (going to Uruguay in November). As a Heritage Culturalist for the Poudre Heritage Alliance, Tom combines his favorite subjects:  Water and History.  Tom and his wife, Vickie, remain involved in activities at CSU through alumni functions, sports and hosting international students.

Interested in volunteering with the Poudre Heritage Alliance? Please contact Jordan Williams at programs@poudreheritage.org to learn how you can support the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area, or click here to sign up!

Volunteer of the Month: Kenton Daubert

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Our work would not be possible without the volunteers that donate their valuable time, talents and energy to making our programs successful. Thank you to each and every person that has become a part of the Poudre Heritage Alliance family through volunteering. Now, please meet Kenton Daubert, our Volunteer of the Month!

 

Hello to everyone! My name is Kenton Daubert and I reside in Greeley, CO. I got involved at Poudre Heritage Alliance as a Heritage Culturalist while attending a presentation at Farr Library in November 2016 about the Volga German – Russian immigration, which I am a descendant. There was a slip of paper on a table about PHA which I thought that I would enjoy being a part of. Jordan contacted me in April 2018 and asked if I would be interested in being a part of PHA. I replied “Yes I am”. I was fortunate by being given an opportunity to be an intern from May 17, 2018 until March 30, 2019. At that time Jordan informed me that PHA would be happy to have me continue as a volunteer. Since then I have been serving in this capacity.

 

Reasons I enjoy working with PHA are there is so much to learn concerning the culture of this area. Water is a very important concern to everyone in the world. I recommend that if a person can attend the West Slope and East Slope tours that Northern Water provides to do so. They are highly informational! I have attended many Pub Talks and have learned lots about the Poudre River from the early days of colonization on up to the present time. I enjoy meeting the people that I have met by being involved with PHA. Everyone has a history and many talents.

 

Take care everyone and enjoy life!
Your friend,
Kenton Daubert

To learn more about volunteer opportunities with the Poudre Heritage Alliance please contact Andy Auer, PHA Volunteer Coordinator, at programs@poudreheritage.org.