The last week of September has temperatures in the mid-70s and sunny. It’s been feeling cooler with the morning and evening chills and the soft breezes in the backyard. The NOAA three-month seasonal outlook shows an equal chance for moisture through December. In other words, stay ready. Here’s more.
1. Connecting a region trapped between two states
At its essence our story ‘Lobatos Bridge at the intersection of history, recreation’ is about the discovery of a region – now split between the states of Colorado and New Mexico – eons ago, and the re-discovery now of an amazing territory that connects a unique set of people to the land and the natural resources it is blessed with. The history of the San Luis Valley on its southern end tied to the history of northern New Mexico up through Taos and into Santa Fe is not commonly known outside the region itself. That’s a shame. Now there are two efforts underway which collectively work to let a rich – or as Chris Canaly says, “super, frickin’ interesting”– story of the nation’s history be told.
2. Ry Outside
It’s hard not to look at these petroglyph photographs and all the photography that accompanies ‘Lobatos Bridge at the intersection of history, recreation’ and not wonder about that period of time. The purposeful photography of Ryan Scavo, aka Ry Outside, captures both the beauty of Lobatos Bridge area and the historical significance of this particular land. It’s why efforts are underway to establish a recreational and educational area at Lobatos Bridge and separately to eventually request a national conservation area designation or possible extension of the New Mexico national monument area around the Gorge Bridge in Taos. Ry is based in Del Norte and is an adventurous sort, willing to hop into her ride to lend us a hand. Her discoveries with her photography have carried us more than once. We’re grateful for her visual sense to document the Valley’s land and history. Her photography tells its own stories.
3. SLV Generation Wild and Alamosa schools
San Luis Valley Generation Wild and its work to get kids outdoors was rewarded with another grant from Great Outdoors Colorado. The SLV Generation Wild program received $350,000 in GOCO funding to help it engage with Alamosa students who shifted to a four-day academic week schedule. The award was part of GOCO’s statewide Generation Wild program that it launched in 2015 to get kids and their families outdoors.
4. Catch up with The Valley Pod
Healthy San Luis Valley
Whether it is Arlene Harms (left) and construction of the Rio Grande Wellness Center, or Devon Pena and his efforts with the People’s Market in San Luis, or Liza Marron and her award-winning work with the San Luis Valley Locals Food Coalition, it’s eye-opening how the San Luis Valley leads on the healthy living front. There are trending healthy eating initiatives in every corner of the Valley. Harms talks about her work around the Blue Zones of living in this episode of The Valley Pod. We’ll keep connecting the dots to see a full picture on all the worthwhile work happening across the San Luis Valley.
The quasi-government behind the scenes
San Luis Valley Development Resources Group has been playing a big role behind the scenes. In addition to its work on economic development, it convenes the San Luis Valley Council of Governments which has been active of late. Executive Director Sarah Stoeber (right) fills us in on The Valley Pod. It’s worth a listen.
5. An end-of-summer note
With summer ‘23 gone by, the extreme heat and lack of moisture had us reaching out to Jenny Nehring, whose insights are always helpful and worthwhile when thinking about the natural environment of the San Luis Valley. She’s a partner at Biologist Wetlands Dynamic and calls Rio Grande county home. We like how she framed her reply. Here’s part of it. “I believe these extremes are stressful on our native plants and wildlife but the stress is kind of disguised because there is enough moisture to get by … for now. I often think about moisture in terms of personal finances and how hard life is if you don’t know where your next dollar will come from (rain/snow) if you don’t have anything in savings. It can appear that you are getting by just fine but the reality is that you are on a thin margin if the rain doesn’t come through and that is stressful.”
6. Really, Broncos?
70-20. Our condolences to the season ticket holders.
p.s.
Alamosa librarian Maria Kramer emails to tell us Ted Conover, author of “Cheap Land Colorado,” will visit the Alamosa Public Library on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 5:30 p.m.