by Esteban Salazar
On June 12, the SLV GO! Embajadores played a small but meaningful supporting role in the Baca National Wildlife Refuge Freedom 250 event. The event commemorated the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States while inviting participants to reflect on the deep eco-socio-cultural history of the San Luis Valley. As part of the day’s programming, the Embajadores helped lead a heritage tour walk, a bird walk, and participated in a panel discussion focused on land, water, wildlife, and community. We learned a great deal about the ongoing collaboration between our partners at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other regional conservation leaders working together to care for the Baca National Wildlife Refuge and the broader San Luis Valley landscape.
We also contributed to a lively panel discussion with USFWS Regional Historic Preservation Officer Jen Kolise and the mayor of Crestone, Benjamin Byer, around the prehistory and history of the refuge and surrounding region. The conversation explored how people have interacted with this landscape across generations. Some of the panel questions addressed land use, water, environment, and cultural memory, including: “What would the San Luis Valley have looked like in 1776, and who would have been present in this landscape at that time?” Other thought-provoking questions invited participants to “describe, explain, and outline what it means to be human in a changing world.” Additional discussion centered on the themes of land, water, and community, including ranching heritage, landscape change, the role of water in shaping life in the Valley, the current mission of Baca National Wildlife Refuge, and the vision for the refuge’s future as a place of habitat protection, public learning, and collaborative stewardship.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists were also present and shared valuable information about refuge management and prairie dog research in the San Luis Valley. Their presentation included prairie dog colony data, prairie dog communication, the role of fleas in plague transmission, and different strategies for plague mitigation. They also discussed multiple methods for vaccine deployment, helping attendees better understand the complex relationship between wildlife health, grassland ecosystems, and conservation management on public lands.
Events like Freedom 250 create important opportunities to connect history, ecology, and community in one shared conversation. For SLV GO, the day was a reminder that outdoor access and conservation are not only about trails and recreation, but also about understanding the stories, relationships, and responsibilities that shape the places we love. We are grateful to our partners and community members who helped make the event possible, and we look forward to continued collaboration around education, stewardship, and connection across the San Luis Valley.
