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Grand Valley Zoological Quest |
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Grand Valley Zoological Quest (GVZQ) is a FOR IMPACT ORGANIZATION which seeks to create The Children's Nature Center scheduled to open December, 2013. Our goal is to have A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY by providing opportunities in education, conservation, and research, as well as the enhancement of our beautiful valley's lifestyle. Education is of great importance to GVZQ and we are research based. For decades, researchers have studied the important benefits of children interacting with animals and nature. Some of those findings include: nurturing relationships between children and animals helps to cultivate empathy in children; childrenâs interaction with animals create a sense of responsibility for living things; children who interact with nature and animals grow up to be conservation conscience adults; and children who are exposed to nature score higher on standardize tests. Research further demonstrates that populations of individuals such as: the elderly, autistic, developmental disabled, physically disabled, and Veterans suffering from PTSD, report positive benefits to their lifestyle when interacting with animals. Currently, GVZQâs offers educational classes to local schools, literacy to life science. Lesson plans are written by licensed teachers and zoological professionals. Our programs follow the standards sanctioned by School District 51, the State of Coloradoâs Department of Education, and support the goal of The National Science Foundation's STEM. Since January 2011, over 16,000 students of all ages have participated in our educational programs and outreach. Imagine what we can accomplish with a facility of our own! GVZQ has leased a 3,000 sq. ft. building in which to create The Childrenâs Nature Center. The Childrenâs Nature Center will open late October-November, 2013. Our immersion exhibits in species naturalistic habitats and educational activities will draw guests from all over the western slope seeking enrichment as well as entertainment. It is our desire that this facility be welcoming to residents in the Grand Valley as well as the estimated 600,000 residents on the western slope, the 5 million residents of Colorado but also to neighboring states and distant travelers. | |
Tamarisk Coalition |
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We envision healthy and self-sustaining riparian ecosystems throughout the American West resilient to invasive plant species and supported by enduring communities of stewards. Tamarisk Coalition has been working to help people manage invasive plant species and to restore native riparian vegetation since 1999. We were created to address invasive plant species, specifically tamarisk, a non-native plant that can cause degradation to riparian habitats, along rivers in western Colorado. Throughout our experience our geographic scope and our approach to enhancing riverside habitat have both expanded as our organization has grown to focus on riparian restoration as a whole. We promote cross-boundary, ecosystem-wide restoration approaches that employ a landscape-scale perspective. Our geographic focus can be characterized by potential habitat that is suitable for tamarisk establishment . This information, combined with ongoing assessments of our partnersâ needs, helps us to prioritize which watersheds our work can be targeted to achieve the largest impact toward achieving our vision. Covering such an expanse requires building and maintaining strong relationships with all of our partners including individuals, agencies, and organizations such as local, state, federal, and tribal governments; land managers, private citizens, watershed groups, universities, nonprofit organizations, and foundations. We recognize that these audiences are diverse and have unique goals from each other and work to bridge relationships with a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations. We believe riparian restoration must be accomplished with respect for biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, existing water laws, property rights, cultural and social values, and livelihoods. Our key strategies are: 1. Act as an Information Clearinghouse: Develop and connect our partners with important resources, methods, and solutions necessary for restoring riparian landscapes. 2. Empower Practitioners: Support our partners by fostering communication, assisting with problem solving, and refining approaches to effectively restore riparian areas. 3. Enhance Frameworks for Restoration: Improve opportunities and establish programs within governance, policy, economic, and information systems that will support and benefit our partners' ability to conduct riparian restoration. | |