2019 Otter — RMCC River Conservation Award
RMCC awarded our first Conservation Award – The Otter – to Wildlands Restoration Volunteers. That award focused on river conservation. The awards committee evaluated organizations based on the following criteria:
- An organization that supports river access, water quality and community involvement.
- Makes a difference on CO rivers through river cleanups, legislation or other means.
- The RMCC award will ‘make a difference’ to the Organization or the Event.
- The organization has a good track record of success.
- The waterways impacted need ‘support’.
- The rivers we (RMCC members) paddle are helped.
- Whether there is a cleanup, event, or project that can be ‘supported by RMCC’.
Sarah Egolf-Tarr, the WRV Development Director, accepted the plaque and $500 check at the 2019 Annual Meeting and Potluck. In accepting the award, Sarah talked about WRV’s restoration work with a focus on their river restoration projects. For more information on WRV, see their website at https://www.wlrv.org/ We hope to plan at least one joint RMCC/WRV restoration project each year.
Thanks to the 2019 Conservation Award Committee members Bill Ashworth, Lindsay Meeks, and G Winter for designing the award selection process and implementing it for us.
2022 — RMCC River Cleanup Sponsorship
The RMCC board agreed to be a tier 2 sponsor of the 15th Annual South Platte Cleanup on April 22, 2022 organized by Protect Our Rivers. In addition to the monetary award of $250, club members participated in the cleanup near downtown Denver.
2023 Otter — RMCC River Conservation Award
RMCC awarded our second Conservation Award – The Otter – to Western Rivers Conservancy (WRC). The award focused on river conservation. The awards committee evaluated nine organizations based on the criteria established in 2019, plus:
- Creating a sustainable long-term impact on the health of rivers.
Western Rivers Conservancy buys land along the West’s finest rivers and streams to conserve habitat for fish and wildlife, protect key sources of cold water and provide public access for all to enjoy. Our donation will be earmarked to be used for a river in Colorado.
Jake Campbell, the WRC Donor Relationships Officer, accepted the plaque and $500 check at the 2023 Annual Meeting and Potluck. In accepting the award, Jake presented a slide show highlighting WRC Colorado’s projects which included the Dolores and the Rio Grande.
For more information on WRC, see their website at https://www.westernrivers.org/ and see this link about projects in Colorado.
Use this link for more information about their Colorado Projects: https://www.westernrivers.org/projects/co
Thanks to the 2023 Conservation Award Committee members Brookie Gallagher, Bill Rivers, G (Virgina) Winter, and Anne Fiore for designing the award selection process and implementing it for us.
