July 30, 2024 | By: Jocelyn Catterson | 2 min. read

Growing up in Colorado, my family would make the drive from Evergreen down to camp in the San Luis Valley every year. The valley developed a special place in my heart after years of childhood memories, but I never saw myself living here. After graduating high school, I spent most of the next decade living in Montana, working in environmental education and for various conservation nonprofits. I moved back to Colorado during COVID and ended up in the San Luis Valley almost accidentally. But I instantly fell in love with the close-knit and rural community in Del Norte.

Before I started working for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) last fall, I had become closely connected to agricultural and water communities in the San Luis Valley through my work surrounding the aquifer sustainability issues as one of the Colorado Art, Science + Environment Fellows. The connection between agriculture and conservation is constantly discussed in the San Luis Valley, but I had not heard of CCALT before a local rancher I had become close with told me they were looking for someone to staff their new office in Del Norte. After learning more about CCALT through conversations with Executive Director Erik Glenn and other local contacts, I fell in love with the organization’s mission and the opportunity to work at that intersection of agriculture and conservation. I am incredibly thankful to be working with such a passionate team and for such an important cause.

This summer marks my first season of monitoring. Many of the conservation easements that CCALT holds in the area are along the Saguache Creek Corridor, found in the northern part of the San Luis Valley. Here CCALT has partnered with several of the longtime agriculture families to conserve an almost 30-mile stretch along Saguache Creek that extends from Cochetopa Pass to east of the town of Saguache. This corridor of conservation is truly incredible to drive through, but even more astounding to experience on foot or from the seat of a side-by-side. As a botany geek, the flood irrigated wet meadows along Saguache Creek have been such a source of joy to see this summer. The plant diversity found in these special areas is astounding.

Through monitoring with our landowners in the area, I have touched the banks of Saguache Creek from the boundary with national forest lands down to the agricultural fields on the valley floor. What a blessing to be so closely connected with almost the entire length of this waterway. CCALT’s landowner partners work hard to steward the landscape along Saguache Creek. I look forward to continuing to assist our landowner partners in the valley and throughout Southern Colorado.

I want to send a special thank you to all of the San Luis Valley landowners who have shown me some of their special places and welcomed me into this community. We couldn’t do this without you.