Collaborations

Culebra Range Community Coalition

The Purgatoire Valley Foundation (PVF) supports and collaborates with the CRCC very closely on two major initiatives serving youth, education and the environment:  The Trinidad Water Festival and the Environmental Scholarship Program.  Funding these two substantial programs is beyond the capacity of either organization independently, but together we can do it.

Bar NI Ranch Community Fund

The Purgatoire Valley Foundation works closely with local organizations serving youth, education and the environment.  When good projects present themselves that need funding beyond PVF capacity, we have been able to direct those programs to the apply for a grant through the Bar NI Ranch Community Fund competitive process.

The Youth Club of Trinidad

Director Pat Walsh does an outstanding job introducing and engaging area youth with the natural environment.  He partners with PVF and the Trinidad Water Festival with water conservation lessons and a very popular water relay race.

Colorado State University Extension Office

This office provides rural communities University resources and leadership.  CSU’s local representative, Kim Peters, has done an outstanding job transitioning into a larger leadership role in the Trinidad Water Festival and we look forward to her leading the Festival far into the future.

Network Council

With the goal of bringing together a broad range of collaborative partners to network about upcoming community events, programs and activities, Tom & Linda Perry lead this monthly meeting where area nonprofits and city and county officials meet to give a brief recap of upcoming events and activities.  The desired outcome of this exchange is to encourage mutual support of events and activities as well as to look for opportunities to collaborate and reduce expenses, share workload, and generate excitement and broader exposure.

Purgatoire Watershed Partnership  (PWP)

Following up on earlier CRCC watershed health and protection workshops, the PWP was formed in 2011.  Tom Perry was a founding member and is a member of the Board of Directors.  PWP’s vision and mission is very compatible with the Purgatoire Valley Foundation and we regularly collaborate on common goals such as improving river and watershed health, building trust among stakeholder groups, understanding and mitigating impacts from coal-bed methane gas development, reduce / remove invasive species such as tamarisk and Russian olive, protect land and wildlife, and promote and advance environmental education.

Trinidad Farmers Market

Saturdays during the summer and fall, Tom and Linda Perry have advanced their nonprofit mission with a booth at the Trinidad Farmers Market.  “Coffee for Causes” is the banner flying over the collaborative space representing the Purgatoire Valley Foundation, the Bar NI Ranch Community Fund, and the Culebra Range Community Coalition.  Coffee and homemade breakfast items and snacks are sold a dollar at a time to raise funds in support the Environmental Scholarship Program.  An interesting bonus of this outreach is the incredible networking that takes place.  As community members come to the Farmers Market for their fresh produce, many sit and visit over a cup of coffee in the “Coffee for Causes” booth.  The booth has become an incubator for new ideas and projects for the community and the watershed.

Trinidad Carnegie Public Library

The Purgatoire Valley Foundation has collaborated with the Trinidad Carnegie Library with a grant to purchase environmental films for the library to lend out and with organizational help for public “Free Movie Nights” watching an environmental film at Trinidad State College or the Library followed by a discussion of the film over snacks and beverages.  After “Free Movie Nights” the films go into the Library’s film section where they can be checked out and viewed by the general public for years to come.

Bosque Del Oso

This 30,000 acre property is the largest State Wildlife Area (SWA) in Colorado.  At its inception a Management Advisory Committee (MAC) was established to advise, primarily on land and wildlife stewardship policies.  Tom Perry was a founding member of this group and has served on this committee since 1998.

River Watch 

Since 1989, River Watch has worked with volunteers around the state, coordinating volunteer efforts to collect quality water ecosystem data that can be used to monitor and regulate Colorado’s rivers and streams.  River Watch collects more stream data than any other entity in Colorado.  It is the largest volunteer-driven water quality program in the United States.  River Watch is the only entity in the state that tests chemical, physical, and biological indicators of health in all watersheds in Colorado.  River Watch volunteers analyze water samples for harness, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature.  Additionally, volunteers collect samples which a professional lab analyzes for 13 metals, 7 nutrients, and macro-invertebrates.  River Watch has a strong quality assurance and quality controls (QA/QC) program.  Data collected from the River Watch program is used by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to regulate and enhance Colorado’s rivers and streams.  River Watch’s data is also used by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for enforcement of the Clean Water Act and by the Colorado Water Quality Control Division.

Starting in 2005 Tom Perry has been sampling and testing the middle branch of the middle fork of the Purgatoire River and in recent years this testing has been handed off to new River Watch volunteers.  This sampling site on the Bar NI Ranch is very interesting as it is upstream of all human activity and gives a clean baseline profile of the Purgatoire River before it passes through human activity zones including, farming, ranching, gas development, small acreage development, new roads/erosion etc.

Trinidad State Junior College  (TSJC)

Trinidad State College has been an integral partner as host site for the Trinidad Water Festival enabling its success.  The festival has been held on campus each year since its inception in 2012.  Multiple TSC faculty members have engaged students through their demonstrations and many volunteers come from the ranks of TSC staff.

Colorado Watershed Assembly  (CWA)

CWA is a wonderfully collaborative partner pulling together environmental groups from around the state for annual educational workshops and periodic working groups.  We participate regularly in both of these and appreciate the networking opportunities.  It was at a CWA conference a number of years ago that the genesis for the Trinidad Water Festival began in Tom Perry.

City Of Trinidad

Our collaborations with the City of Trinidad include Tom Perry serving on the task force to update Trinidad’s Comprehensive Plan, especially in regard to Trails, Parks, and Open Space, our participation in the annual Earth Day River Clean Up Projects, and working with the City on Trinidad Water Festival Presentations.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW)

We collaborate with Colorado Parks and Wildlife by serving on the Bosque del Oso Management Advisory Committee and with presentations at the Trinidad Water Festival.

Colorado Foundation For Water Education

This is an excellent resource for water education.  We participate regularly with them in both workshops and webinars.

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)

We work together on the board of the Purgatoire Watershed partnership, on presentations at the Trinidad Water Festival, and on the Bosque del Oso Management Advisory Committee.

Colorado State Forest Service  (CSFS)

We collaborate with CSFS on forest thinnings and prescribed burns as well as sitting together on the Bosque del Oso Management Advisory Committee and with presentations at the Trinidad Water Festival.