June Updates for the UWP

[Emily Galanto]

Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership

June Updates

June 4, 2012

Hello everyone! The UWP has exciting news and opportunities for you all, please read!

News and Updates:

 As of April 30, 2012, the UWP has hired a half-time coordinator, Agnieszka Przeszlowska, and a full-time Americorps VISTA, Emily Galanto. Additionally, the Strategic Plan and the Operating Plan have been approved. These are great steps for our organization! The action items put forth in these plans will be more effectively executed with our new staff. This includes developing education and outreach programs, acquiring funding and most importantly, reclaiming our watershed. 

We are excited to announce that the Watershed Plan that has been in the making several years is scheduled to be finalized by June 30, 2012. Thank you all for all your help with developing this plan!

As far as fundraising, the UWP would like to thank Trout Unlimited, Ouray Brewery, Adobe Inn, Alpine Bank and Tri-County Water for recently donating to the UWP. Their donations made hiring our new VISTA, and putting on the 2nd Annual Mining Conference in Silverton, CO possible. The Ridgway-Ouray Community Council (ROCC) has also generously donated to the UWP for general operating costs and events. Thank you so much donors! The UWP cannot succeed without your generosity. 

We are also pleased to announce that our previous VISTA, Matt Jurjonas, successfully wrote and received a grant to 1) Remove invasive Tamarisk in the Ridgway State Park and 2) Re-vegetate Rollan's Park with native plants. This project will take place the week of August 6 with a youth corps crew, and of course many additional volunteers!

In May, the UWP participated in an Earth Day Celebration with the Ridgway Fourth Graders at Rollan's Park. The students planted native seeds right by the 4H Center off Highway 550. We can already see the plants coming in! The UWP also participated in the Natural Resources Festival in Montrose. For photos and more information, please visit: http://www.uncompahgrewatershed.org/?page_id=273. While you're there, check out our updated website!

Events:

We have two major events this month that the UWP has been working hard towards:

Weed Pulls on Wednesdays! Every Wednesday in June we will be pulling weeds in Rollan's Park by our beautiful Uncompahgre River. We will meet from 5-7pm starting June 6, and every Wednesday thereafter. Tools, gloves and refreshments will be provided. Please come out and volunteer! Just two hours a week can make a huge difference. Please e-mail uwpv...@gmail.com with questions or comments.

The 5th Annual Ridgway River Festival is fast approaching! The event will take place on June 30, 2012 from 11am-6pm. As you all know, this is an incredibly successful event largely put on by the MOSAIC Community Project. The UWP is organizing the Water Education Tent, and also helping with the Silent Auction. If you would like to volunteer with the UWP, or for the festival in general, please visit: http://ridgwayriverfestival.org/volunteers.php, or you can e-mail uwpv...@gmail.com. Also, if you would like to donate to the Silent Auction, or donate to the festival in general, please e-mail uwpv...@gmail.com! Half of the proceeds will benefit the UWP, and the other half will benefit MCP. 

Thank you all for reading, and we hope to see you out for these events soon!

-UWP

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Emily Galanto
Outreach Coordinator | OSM/VISTA
Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership

PO Box 1882, Ouray, CO 81427
http://uncompahgrewatershed.org

UWPV...@gmail.com