Honor history, protect the future
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For 65 years, Rex and JoAnn Coffman cared for this land and watched wildlife come and go every season. As they turn 90 and step back from ranching, Rex and Jo agreed to sell this special place to AVLT while retaining the right to live out their days here. You can help them ensure the ranch remains active in local agricultural, a place for wild critters and plants to thrive, and a quiet place for the community to enjoy. |
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A place for balance
With its deep agricultural roots, rustic barns, brilliant green fields, thriving riparian corridor, and abundant wetlands, water, and wildlife, Coffman Ranch is a throwback to a simpler, quieter—and more abundant—time. Where it once raised potatoes and dairy cattle, it now raises beef cattle, hay, and wildlife along a generous stretch of wild Gold Medal waters of the Roaring Fork River. In its future, we hope it will raise the next generation of conservationists, farmers, and community leaders alongside the deer, beaver, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, bobcats, and rare orchids that call this place home. It will be a place to inspire, reflect, learn, share, and enjoy. 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.
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 scientifically special place.
Through the past year of ecological assessments, wildlife monitoring, and data collection, we know the ranch is home to:
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
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A place for youCoffman Coffee Walks Join your local land trust for a walk to the river! Rain, snow, or shine, every first Friday of the month at 9am we will be at the ranch ready to walk to the river.
You bring the coffee and we'll bring the convo. The walk takes approximately one hour. Please wear sturdy shoes that you don't mind getting wet and dress for the season. Unfortunately, no dogs are allowed as it is a working ranch. The next Coffman Coffee Walk is Friday, October 6 at 9am. All ages are welcome! Please RSVP for every member of your party. You will receive an email with additional information before the event. Contact Carly Bolliger at carly@avlt.org or 970.963.8440 for any questions, special accommodations, or to cancel your registration. We love weekends at evenings, too! If you are unable to make it to a scheduled Coffman Coffee Walk, please contact us and we would love to take you out on a tour another day. |
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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!
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Student Volunteer DayGet 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.
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Ecosystems LearningExplore 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.
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Place-Based LearningBring 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.
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Connect your group with Coffman Ranch
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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. SIGN THE ONLINE WAIVER |
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“I will always remember it forever. 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 community and inspiration
With your support, we can evolve Coffman Ranch into a conservation homestead that will provide unique opportunities for the community to learn about and engage directly with conservation, habitat restoration, and agriculture. This demonstration ranch will showcase the best of what conservation has to offer and help invest in the next generation of land stewards, regenerative land management, natural climate solutions, and connection to the land. You can help create showcase and springboard broader conservation goals throughout the region.
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 jeff@avlt.org or 970.456.3560 for more information on how Aspen Valley Land Trust and Coffman Ranch can help fulfill your giving goals.
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Aspen Valley Land Trust is dedicated to protecting land forever in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys. For 55 years, AVLT has been a trusted community-supported conservation partner helping to ensure the natural and community health of our region. |
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320 Main St. Suite 204 | Carbondale, CO 81623 | 970.963.8440 | avlt@avlt.org © COPYRIGHT 2023, ASPEN VALLEY LAND TRUST. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. |
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