Join Patagonia Telluride, Sheep Mountain Alliance, and EcoAction Partners to learn about local, state, and national ballot questions and how you can keep the environment in mind while voting this fall.
Light refreshments will be provided. See you there!
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance and Wilkinson Public Library for a Book Talk and Signing with Zak Podmore, Thursday, October 24th at 5:30pm in the Program Room.
Award-winning journalist Zak Podmore brings to life the magnificent terrain and complex politics of the Colorado River, its dying reservoirs—and the surprising revelation that the inevitable loss of Lake Powell could be a turning point for more a sustainable future.
"Life After Dead Pool is a fascinating account of how climate change and drought are forcing a radical reimagining of western water management. Investigative journalist Zak Podmore gives us solace, insight, and maybe even hope." —DAVID QUAMMEN, Spillover and The Heartbeat of the Wild
After decades of drought, the American West is stretched to the breaking point. A changing climate and design flaws in the Glen Canyon Dam have pushed the once-massive Lake Powell reservoir to the brink of collapse—putting at risk millions of people who depend on the Colorado River for water, agriculture, and electricity. Now, as Glen Canyon reemerges, its surprising ecological rebirth reminds us that nature’s capacity to heal may well outpace our own imaginations.
Environmental journalist Zak Podmore explores the complex challenges ahead and reframes the inevitable loss of Lake Powell as a turning point for a more sustainable future. Through an arresting mix of science and storytelling, Life After Dead Pool debunks the notion that the West’s water challenges are unsolvable and invites us to secure a future where the Colorado River once again runs free.
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance and EcoAction Partners for our monthly Coffee and Climate Conversation at Wilkinson Public Library! This month, we will be focusing on the topic of water in the West - its scarcity, importance, and what’s in store for the future. We will also be joined by author Zak Podmore, who recently published his new book, Life after Deadpool: Lake Powell’s Last Days and the Rebirth of the Colorado River.
Coffee, tea, and pastries will be kindly provided. All ages welcome and encouraged. We look forward to seeing you there!
Join EcoAction Partners, Sheep Mountain Alliance and Wilkinson Public Library for our monthly Coffee and Climate Conversation. This month, our topic will be food systems - we will discuss what it looks like to fight for food justice in our region, how we can reduce our impact, improve our systems, and more. Coffee and tea kindly provided!
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance and Patagonia Telluride to celebrate current efforts to protect the Dolores River Canyons landscape, and learn more about how you can contribute your voice to the conversation! Food & Drink provided. RSVP here.
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance, EcoAction Partners, and Wilkinson Public Library for a conversation about solar energy in our region. Learn about the upcoming solar land use code update, and how you can make your voice heard in the conversation about solar energy in our region! Light refreshments provided by CounterCulture. Interpretation available.
Únase a Sheep Mountain Alliance, EcoAction Partners y Wilkinson Public Library para una conversación sobre la energía solar en nuestro región. Conozca la próxima actualización del código de uso solar de la tierra y cómo puede hacer oír su voz en la conversación. Refrigerios ligeros proporcionados por CounterCulture. Interpretación disponible.
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance, EcoAction Partners, and Wilkinson Public Library to explore the questions and feelings that arise around the climate crisis, environmental degradation and community action. Coffee and light refreshments kindly provided!
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance, EcoAction Partners, and Wilkinson Public Library to learn more about the public commenting process and how you can make you can engage on topics that interest you. Light refreshments kindly provided!
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance and EcoAction Partners for this community forum on drought and wildfire resiliency in our region. The forum is aimed at addressing drought and wildfire concerns in our region as well as increasing access to resources for resiliency and preparedness. Light refreshments will be provided!
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance, EcoAction Partners, and Wilkinson Public Library for our monthly Coffee and Climate Conversation in the library programming room!
We will be talking about what it looks like to make real change happen in our community, region, and beyond. How can you be involved in public processes, facilitate conversations surrounding hope, and spark tangible action in the climate sphere?
All ages are welcome, and coffee, tea, and homemade baked goods are kindly provided.
Join the Town of Telluride Ecology Commission, in partnership with local nonprofits, for the second annual Trash Bash!
Meet at 10am at Town Park, spend the morning picking up trash on local trails, and culminate the day in a community party with pizza and raffle prizes.
Participants can also clean up an area before the actual day of the event and post a picture of themselves on social media to get others excited about the clean up and earn admittance into the Bash!
Produced by the award winning company Rig to Flip, The River of Sorrows follows the adventures of two pack rafters as they travel into the wild canyons of a near-dry Dolores River. The film takes a deep dive into the nuanced and complicated issues of the Dolores River including climate change, overallocation and agriculture, boating, Tribal water rights, and the need to protect this incredible landscape. Please register here for the event!
Drinks and appetizers provided
Panel discussion following the screening
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance, Collaborative Action For Immigrants (CAFI), and Wilkinson Public Library for a free day of skiing or snowboarding! Thanks to a generous donation of passes, lessons and rentals from Telski and Telluride Sports, we are able to provide this opportunity to anyone and especially Latino community members who would like to get out on the ski mountain for a day. To volunteer, sign up here.
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¡Únase a Sheep Mountain Alliance, Wilkinson Public Library y CAFI para un día gratis de esquí o snowboard! Gracias a una generosa donación de pases, lecciones y alquileres de Telski y Telluride Sports, podemos brindar esta oportunidad a cualquier persona, y especialmente a los miembros de la comunidad Latino, que deseen salir a la montaña de esquí por un día. Para ser voluntario, regístrate aquí.
Special guest Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk is a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe of Towaoc. She is among the Women of Bears Ears, a group of Indigenous women who seek to restore Indigenous women’s matrilineal roles as decision-makers, culture bearers, and nurturers of our shared ancestral lands, and of future generations. She braids this work of rematriation into her work in conservation as the Cross-Cultural Programs Director for Montezuma Land Conservancy, where she has been collaborating with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe with the Traditional Harvest Project, as well as partnering with other organizations to bring forth collaborative efforts in a culturally relevant way.
Join EcoAction Partners, Sheep Mountain Alliance, Wilkinson Public Library and the San Miguel Watershed Coalition for an evening centered around creating a new climate narrative! Our film screening event will take place at the Wilkinson Public Library at 6:30PM, followed by a conversation with former climate advisor to the Obama administration, Molly Kawahata. There will be free food and Patagonia giveaways!
A little more about the film: As a former climate advisor to the Obama White House and an ice climber with dreams of climbing steep mountains, Molly has dedicated her life to taking on seemingly insurmountable challenges. But it’s her intimate battle with mental health that gives her a profound understanding of how to harness the power of the human mind to create change. “The Scale of Hope” follows Molly as she sets out on an expedition into the Alaska Range while working to create a new climate narrative that centers her favorite question – “What can I do to help?” – with a surprising answer. It’s a story about struggle, hope, and what it will take to solve the greatest issue of our time.
Join EcoAction Partners, Sheep Mountain Alliance and Wilkinson Public Library for our first Coffee and Climate Conversation on February 15th from 8:30-9:30am!
This month's theme will be land use, renewable energy, and unheard voices. We will be joined by alpinist, mountain guide and climate activist Kitty Calhoun, who will speak to her experiences as an activist, and highlight her current projects- including fundraising for clean energy kits on the Navajo reservation and a film project to bring to light some of the climate injustices that are currently happening within the Navajo Nation.
FREE tea, coffee, and pastries will be provided. We hope to see you there!
Celebrate the beauty of the full moon on the Valley Floor!
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance for the 2024 Valley Floor Moonlight Progressive Dinner on Wednesday, January 24th. Walk to the trails on the Valley Floor, then ski, snowshoe, or walk to three food and drink stations dispersed throughout the groomed trail loop right by the Shell station.
Cider, soup and cookies will be available at the three stations. *Please bring your own bowls and cups!*
We are excited to celebrate the the “Wolf Moon” of January as a community. Come for the food and drink, and stay to enjoy a night out on the trails of the Valley Floor!
This event is FREE and open to the community!
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¡Celebre la belleza de la luna llena en el Valley Floor! Únase a Sheep Mountain Alliance para la cena bajo la luz de la luna en el Valley Floor de Telluride en el 24 de enero a las 5:30.
Camine hasta los senderos en el Valley Floor, luego esquí o camine hasta tres estaciones de sopa, bebidos y galletas dispersas a lo largo del circuito de senderos justo al lado de la estación Shell.
La sidra, la sopa y las galletas estarán disponibles en las tres estaciones. Puede traer sus propios tazones y tazas o utilizar los que se proporcionan.
Alquilar equipo de esquí Nórdico al lado del Shell Station, proviso por Telluride Nordic Association. Se le sirve en orden de llegada. Todos son bienvenidos!
Estamos emocionados de celebrar la "Luna del lobo" de enero como comunidad. ¡Venga por la comida y quédese para disfrutar de una noche en los senderos de el pisto de valle!
Este evento es GRATIS y abierta a la comunidad.
Join us on Noel Night at Patagonia Telluride to learn more about the work Sheep Mountain has been doing. Pick up some free stickers and other swag when you donate!
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance, EcoAction Partners, San Miguel Watershed Coalition, and Telluride Institute for our monthly Environmental Happy Hour!
This month’s theme is creating cultures of reciprocity with indigenous communities, and will host a short panel discussion asking the question, how can environmentalists in the telluride community work with our indigenous neighbors to build reciprocal relationships that honor traditional ecological knowledge, native perspectives, and sense of place?
This event begins at 5:30pm at Bruno in Telluride.
In celebration of our 35th anniversary, please join SMA staff and board members for a presentation on SMA’s history over the past 35 years! This event is in partnership with the Telluride Historical Museum and will be held at the Madeline Hotel.
We hope to see you there!
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance, EcoAction Partners, San Miguel Watershed Coalition, and Telluride Institute for our monthly Environmental Happy Hour!
This month's theme is Renewable Energy and Mining, and we will host a short panel discussion asking the question, how does mining factor into discussions surrounding beneficial electrification, solar and other battery-powered energy alternatives?
This event begins at 5:30pm at Bruno in Telluride.
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance and Telluride Historical Museum for a Hike into History to celebrate SMA’s 35th Anniversary!
We will be hiking out and back on the Sneffels Highline Trail, and will be discussing the ecological and environmental policy histories along the route.
Tuesday, August 8th, at 8:30 am hike to Blue Lake, our region's municipal (drinking) water source, and learn about the basin the water comes from and how the system works with Amie Martell- Water/Wastewater Division Manager for Town of Telluride. Ruthie Boyd of Sheep Mountain Alliance will also be on the hike and you can get all your questions about SMA's efforts to protect regional watersheds answered as well!
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance, EcoAction Partners, San Miguel Watershed Coalition, and Telluride Institute for our monthly Environmental Happy Hour!
This month's theme is Natural Disasters, and we will host a short panel discussion asking the question, as climate change causes extreme weather events to occur with greater frequency, what can we do as a community to prepare?
This event begins at 5:30pm at Bruno in Telluride.
Join Eric Kuhn for a talk entitled “The Perfect Ingredients for a Colorado River Crisis, A 21st Century Climate, 20th Century Infrastructure, and 19th Century Laws.”
The Colorado River is in crisis. The river has long been legally overallocated. Now climate change is further reducing the available water supply. The river is facing significant hydrologic, legal, and management challenges. Solutions will require new ways of conserving and allocating the available water supply and a new era of cooperation among all users of the river. Overcoming the politics may be the biggest hurdle.
Eric Kuhn is the retired General Manager of the Colorado River Water Conservation District and co author with John Fleck of Science Be Dammed: How Ignoring Inconvenient Science Drained the Colorado River, University of Arizona Press, 2019. Eric started employment with the Colorado River District in 1981 as Assistant Secretary-Engineer. In 1996 he was appointed General Manager, a position he held until his retirement in 2018.
Eric and John’s book, Science Be Dammed, is about Colorado River hydrology, what we knew, when we knew it, and how we used it to shape the over-allocation of the river under the 1922 compact, the other major provisions of the law-of-the-river, and the projects we have in place today.
¡Únase a SMA y la Biblioteca Pública de Wilkinson para una caminata familiar por Bear Creek!
Join SMA and Wilkinson Public Library for a family hike up Bear Creek!
Join Sheep Mountain Alliance, EcoAction Partners, San Miguel Watershed Coalition, and Telluride Institute for our monthly Environmental Happy Hour!
This month's theme is Conservation and Development, and we will host a short panel discussion asking the question, how do progress and development intersect with environmental and conservation values?
This event begins at 5:30pm at Bruno in Telluride.
The Protect the Dolores Coalition is proud to present The River of Sorrows, a Rig to Flip film that follows two packrafters down the near-dry Dolores River in southwest Colorado as they navigate the complex issues facing the river and surrounding landscape.
The River of Sorrows is hitting the road and premiering at venues throughout Colorado. Join us in celebrating the Dolores River, where we will learn from those whose lives are closely intertwined with the river and landscape. The film takes a deep dive into water use issues, boating, uranium mining, agriculture, Tribal water rights, and the impacts of climate change on this extraordinary place.
The film is produced and directed by the award-winning Rig to Flip production company and filmmaker Cody Perry—a Dolores, Colorado resident. Together, we hope to create a spark in communities across Colorado and inspire action to permanently protect the Dolores River Canyon Country.
This is a FREE event open to the community! To secure your ticket, register here.
Despite the above-average snowpack this spring, climate change and increasing water demand in the Southwest have drained Lake Powell to record-low levels in recent years, sparking a water crisis across the Colorado River Basin. For the ecology of Glen Canyon, however, the changes have been overwhelmingly positive. Hundreds of miles of canyon streams have sprung back to life as natural wonders and cultural sites have resurfaced.
Award-winning journalist Zak Podmore will share photos and discuss the dozen trips he's taken to Lake Powell with scientists, archaeologists, environmental groups, and water policy experts over the last two years. The talk will explore the question: Would the needs of Southwestern cities, farms, and rivers be better served without Lake Powell?
Join SMA in exploring the evolution of grassroots environmental activism and how methods have changed over the last 30 years.
Learn about Telluride-based activists' experiences fighting for what's right, from securing conservation for Telluride’s Valley Floor, to working on a national level to fight climate change, to addressing current inequities in the Telluride community and beyond.
The panel will consist of Mason Osgood (current SMA director), Joan May (former SMA director and former County Commissioner), Art Goodtimes (SMA founder, mushroom enthusiast and former County Commissioner) and Claudia García Curzio (Collaborative Action for Immigrants member and community activist).
