Connecting Community

Connecting people with place and one another

Community-driven conservation is the practice of protecting and caring for natural spaces with the community, not just for the community. It centers local voices, especially those historically excluded from conservation efforts, in the stewardship and future of the land. This work recognizes that lasting conservation success depends on creating spaces where everyone feels welcome, heard, and connected to the outdoors.

Through initiatives like Coffman Ranch, AVLT is forging a new path – where land protection is deeply tied to education, access, and belonging.

This work is helping to shape a more welcoming conservation movement. By focusing on partnerships, shared decision-making, and community listening, AVLT ensures that places like Coffman Ranch are not preserved in isolation – they are woven into the fabric of the community. When more people have a personal stake in the land, we all thrive.

We all need conservation and open spaces, and open spaces need us. Together, we can connect kids to nature and agriculture, provide all of our neighbors more ways to engage with this land, and enjoy our open spaces. By connecting to the land and to one another, we can forever protect and care for these special places.

Places you helped save

Land conservation protects more than farms and ranches. It protects places where you can get outside, onto nature preserves, parks and trails – and places for our youth to experience the magic of learning in the outdoors. Explore a few examples below of the treasured places and opportunities that your support is helping to bring to your community.

NATURE PRESERVES

Visit the Silt River Preserve and walk along the Colorado River, view bald eagles, and get your hands dirty volunteering at Highwater Farm.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

Every kid deserves the chance to connect to nature. Connect your school to Chapin Wright Marble Basecamp for a one-of-a-kind outdoor education experience.

PARKS & TRAILS

You saved Red Hill! Carbondale’s red rock face is now a part of the Red Hill Recreation Area and will be protected for scenic and recreational enjoyment, forever.