​
​An ambassador for conservation


Coffman Ranch is a place that celebrates the history and future of agriculture, extraordinary wildlife habitat, and community connections. It is a place to learn, share, experiment, and connect. A place that offers opportunities for experiential learning in the outdoors for local schools and nonprofits. Only two miles from Carbondale, this unique gem is perfectly situated to become a demonstration ranch that welcomes the whole community.

​With its deep agricultural roots, rustic barns, brilliant green fields, wild river frontage, and abundant wetlands, water, and wildlife, Coffman Ranch is a throwback to a simpler, quieter, more abundant time. Where it once raised potatoes and dairy cattle, it now raises the next generation of conservationists, farmers, and community leaders alongside the deer, beaver, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, and rare orchids that call this place home. With your help, we can protect and care for this special ranch as a place of hope for the future to inspire more conservation and sustainable land management practices in Western Colorado.​
​
​

​


Honor history, protect the future

For 65 years, Rex and JoAnn Coffman cared for this land and watched wildlife come and go with the seasons. As they turned 90 and prepared to retire from ranching, Rex and Jo agreed to sell the ranch to AVLT in order to see its future protected as a special place. With incredible community support and a generous donation from the Coffmans, AVLT purchased the ranch in 2021, and protected it forever with a conservation easement generously funded and held by Pitkin County Open Space & Trails. The next chapter for this ranch, and the success of AVLT’s conservation efforts, is up to you. Your support helps ensure Coffman Ranch remains a healthy and welcoming home for wildlife, agriculture, and community.

​


​A place for wildlife and biodiversity

The combination of riparian forests, shrublands, grasslands, and wetlands at Coffman Ranch provide a richness of wildlife habitat and activity. Protecting, enhancing, and restoring the biodiversity of this historic floodplain is a priority in the vision for this special place.

 Through the past year of ecological assessments, wildlife monitoring, and data collection, we know the ranch is home to:
  •  5 vegetative communities and 2 wetland communities
  • 150 plant species, including six rare species and 15 tree and shrub species
  • Over 40 species of bird and 13 of bat (there are only 19 bat species in the state of Colorado)
  • 18 species of mammals and 1 species of amphibians
  • 3 types of fish habitat along the three-quarters mile of Roaring Fork River front
    ​


A space for community partners


​We have been running pilot programs and hope you can help expand the programming at the ranch.

​Coffman Ranch is a place for kids of all ages to experience the outdoors and build meaningful connections to nature and healthy food systems.​ Educational experiences range from early-childhood immersion in nature, to advanced scientific research, to community awareness around agriculture and the complementary relationship between nature and livestock. Public schools currently lack free, safe, and easily accessible outdoor learning environments that can be provided at Coffman Ranch. Investing in community partnerships like this can help ensure that EVERY child in our community has the opportunity to see the river, learn about local agriculture, and be inspired by the wildlife who make their home on the land.

Are you a school or nonprofit interested in using Coffman Ranch? Let's make it happen!

​
​

  

Student Volunteer Day

Get your hands dirty to give back. Organize an outdoor service day to help your land trust accomplish local restoration goals. Learn about local ecology, land stewardship, and the value of giving back to the community by supporting the land.
​

Ecosystems Learning

Explore regenerative agriculture's role in local ecosystems. Put a shovel in the ground to understand the health of land from the ground up. Learn all about soil healthy, the importance of biodiversity, and how it all relates to the health of our community.

Place-Based Learning

Bring your own curriculum or enjoy quiet time in nature. Interact with your place however you would like! Take a walk, journal, or dig up worms - AVLT can provide the support for your outdoor learning. Brainstorm ways to practice reflection and connecting to your place with our outdoor education coordinator.
​

  


​
​Connect your group with Coffman Ranch

​If you represent a local school, nonprofit, or youth group and are interested in using the property for outdoor education, please use this form to contact Brian Hightower, AVLT’s Outdoor Education Coordinator, for more information.

​
WHAT TO WEAR / BRING
We learn in the rain, snow, or shine! Please wear sturdy shoes that you don’t mind getting wet and dress for the season. Please also bring any water, drinks, or snacks you might want.  As it is a working ranch, no dogs allowed.
​
LIABILITY WAIVER
​Your safety on the ranch is our top priority. We are respectfully requesting that you sign a liability waiver in advance of arriving to the ranch. PDF versions of the Child waiver are also available here in English or Spanish.

  

  


​

“I will always remember it. The experience was meaningful for our 8th grade. It changed a lot of my fellow students while at Basecamp. I learned how I could work well with my classmates. This trip left a significant impact on me and my classmates.”
                                                                                                  – Chris


  


​​A place for this community's vision

Scroll to move through the story map!


​Invest in a healthier future


The next chapter for this ranch - and conservation in Western Colorado - is in front of you today. This is your opportunity to help protect and steward land and treasured water and experience a working ranch first-hand. This is your opportunity to help a vision for your community come to life, to empower the next generation of land stewards, and to save a piece of the past for a healthier future.  Please contact Jeff Davlyn at [email protected] or 970.456.3560 for more information on how Aspen Valley Land Trust and Coffman Ranch can help fulfill your giving goals. 
​
​




​

​
WANT TO DISCUSS YOUR PLEDGE?
​​

Learn how you can make the vision a reality
​