This month we asked each CCALT staff member to share why they are thankful to work with the wonderful people and beautiful places of Colorado. Every answer and reason was unique. We hope you enjoy them! 

Molly Fales:
am thankful that I get to work with people across the state who have fantastic stories and who are all working towards the same goal. 

Site visits are one of my favorite parts of the job. I love hearing landowners’ stories of how they are working to buy back land that once belonged to their great grandfather or how they fell in love with a piece of land while looking for somewhere to raise their kids or new summer pasture. All of the stories are inspiring, and I feel privileged to work with such great people in such a beautiful landscape. 

Erik Glenn:
I am thankful to have an opportunity to work with passionate and thoughtful landowners across the state to ensure that my children will get to grow up in a Colorado that continues to be defined by its natural beauty and Western heritage. 

A little more than a year ago, my wife and I were blessed by the birth of our son, Theodore. Shortly after his birth, my maternal grandfather passed away. He was a farmer/rancher in Nebraska who instilled in me my love for the land and agriculture. I hope my work on behalf of CCALT and the landowners we work with will be able to inspire that same love in Theodore. 

Anne Rogers:
I am thankful that my work at CCALT allows me to connect to and learn about different regions of Colorado. 

Early in my time at CCALT I was able to get out of the office to attend a site visit on the eastern plains. We met with several gracious landowners and toured their ranches, highlighting the unique geography, plants and wildlife of the area. It was a wonderful visit that allowed me to see the hidden beauty of the plains that I might otherwise never have experienced. 

Maggie Hanna:
I am thankful to work with generations of hardworking farmers and ranchers who take great pride in their work and their obligation to the stewardship of land, family, and community. 

This spring, some of the CCALT staff had the privilege of branding with four generations of the Turecek Family. They take their work and their commitment to family and community very seriously, but are seldom caught without a smile and a practical joke. The Tureceks were honored as the recipients of the 2016 Leopold Conservation Award. #thankarancher 

Courtney Bennett:
I am extremely thankful to be a part of an organization that is a leader in land conservation across our beautiful state.

This year I got the privilege of monitoring CCALT’s conservation easements along the Saguache Creek corridor in Saguache County. As the landowners drove me through their properties, I was truly awed by the extent of the conservation work completed in the region. In addition to monitoring the conserved properties, I also conducted several site visits on properties that CCALT is working to conserve, work that will contribute to the grandeur of this already magnificent accomplishment. 

Jayne Thompson:
I am thankful that non-ranching families across Colorado understand and appreciate the benefits of agriculture and are willing to support CCALT’s conservation efforts. 

For me, this past year has been full of many wonderful conversations with people throughout the state of Colorado. The takeaway from these exchanges makes me optimistic that people “get” that there is a value in protecting productive lands and they are willing to offer any support and advice that they can to help us reach our conservation goals. If you have been one of the many people who has shared advice and a cup of coffee with me this year, thank you! 

Megan Knott:
I am thankful to work for an organization that aids in preserving ranching legacies across the state of Colorado. 

The Knott family now spans five generations of ranchers in northwestern Colorado. A portion of our family’s ranch is conserved with CCALT, and my husband Tyler and I are fortunate to have the opportunity to raise our daughter Ella on this land and to know that it will remain intact for even more generations of the Knott family.