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Conservation Newsletter Training

New Important Noxious Weed Resource in the Watershed:Las Animas County Noxious Weed Guide

Hot off the press – the brand new Las Animas County Noxious Weed Guide!This new comprehensive guide to noxious weed identification and control by Shannon Clark and Shelly Simmons provides excellent color photos of common local noxious weeds as well as a ton of great information about the plants themselves and the best methods for control!The guide was made possible through the efforts of the Purgatoire Watershed Weed Management Collaborative, the Spanish Peaks-Purgatoire River Conservation District, and a host of sponsors!To get your copy, you can contact Shelly Simmons directly at  or stop by the Spanish Peaks-Purgatoire River Conservation District office at 3590 E. Main Street in Trinidad. We also have copies at the Purgatoire Watershed Partnership office at the same address. Get yours today! 

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Newsletter Training

Bar NI Ranch Community Fund Grant AwardedTo Support Youth Education and River Enhancement

The Purgatoire Watershed Partnership, Trout Unlimited local chapter, The Youth Club of Trinidad, and Bird Conservancy of the Rockies partnered together on this newly funded project by the Bar NI Ranch Community Fund to encourage youth to get outside and engage with the outdoors, while also participating in environmental education and accomplishing enhancement of the Purgatoire River. Local youth will participate in activities in and along the Purgatoire River guided by local experts in fishery development, birds of the riparian corridor, and native and invasive riparian vegetation/habitat and plant identification. Participants will learn about their local river ecosystem and help enhance their river – all while getting wet and dirty and slimy in the name of being outdoors! Activities will include fish stocking, learning how to fish, helping to develop basic bird and plant skills and ID booklets for the Trinidad River Walk, and conducting invasive plant management/native habitat restoration.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife will also be a key partner in these efforts.  

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Conservation Events Newsletter Training

Patagonia Youth Education & Restoration Work Day

On Nov 4th, 2019 we held a special youth and young adult river restoration and education day sponsored by Patagonia. More than 15 participants were involved in this event, where educational speakers including Shelly Simmons and Donna Albertson with the Purgatoire Watershed Weed Management Collaborative provided education on noxious weed identification and best management and restoration practices. All attendees received a free Purgatoire River t-shirt and a Las Animas County Noxious Weed Guide as well as a pizza party lunch in between all the hard work clearing woody invasives like Russian olive and tamarisk out of the Purgatoire River! Thanks to all who participated! 
 
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Conservation Events Newsletter Training

Another Successful Purgatoire River Fall Cleanup!

On Saturday October 5th 2019 we held our annual fall Purgatoire River Cleanup event and were joined by 46 enthusiastic volunteers cleaning up everything from tires and basketballs to a variety of plastic trash out of our river. Together we cleaned up more than 120 bags worth of trash along approximately one mile of river! What a difference a community can make! And we had a bunch of new volunteers this year that got so excited about keeping our river clean that we will be initiating a monthly river cleanup event in the new year.
Thanks to all of you who came out for this event – the river looks great!  
  
  
 We kicked off the day with river experts giving educational presentations on multiple topics including birds of the Purgatoire River as well as upcoming river restoration and recreation enhancement efforts and economic development in the works tied into the river and the Trinidad River Walk. All attendees received Purgatoire River t-shirts and a full lunch! Sponsors of the event included the Trinidad Community Foundation, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Trout Unlimited local chapter, City of Trinidad, Twin Enviro, Creek Week Campaign, Purgatoire Watershed Weed Management Collaborative, Spanish Peaks-Purgatoire River Conservation District, Purgatoire River Water Conservancy District, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Fountain Creek Watershed District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board. Thank you! 
  
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