EAGLE’S NEST OWL’S ROOST (ENOR) Environmental Discovery Camp of Colorado State University Extension in Jefferson County celebrates its 50^th anniversary in 2024.

The camp began in the 1970’s and has pioneered education for over 20,000 children in 4th through 8th grade, in outdoor skills and stewardship of the local open spaces and trails.

Stories abound from participants about the impact of ENOR on the youth who attend, instilling passion for outdoor activities and careers, and demonstrating a deepened commitment to taking care of nature. The program was honored for its effort in pioneering outdoor youth education in January 2024 at Jefferson County Open Space’s Conservation Awards with the Gamble Oak Award.

By Vicky Gits

Once a year, Jefferson County Open Space honors those who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and exemplary effort as volunteers on behalf of Open Space Parks, as well as the causes on behalf of land preservation and involvement.

About 300 people attended this year’s Conservation Award event at the Lakewood Cultural Center Jan. 31. Members of the Open Space staff nominate candidates and choose the winners.

The highlight was a video tribute to volunteer role model John Litz, longtime board member of PLAN Jeffco, who died Dec. 29, 2023 at age 87. Although suffering from cancer, Litz continued to serve as an active member of both the PLAN Jeffco Board and the Open Space Advisory Committee before he died.

Among many other things, Litz was noted for advocating the establishment of a volunteer function in Open Space and for identifying strategically important lands. Litz was also famous for his spreadsheets and strategies for financing acquisitions.

“We would not be here without John,” said Tom Hoby, Executive Director of Open Space.

John Litz Stewardship Fund

An anonymous donor contributed $15,000 to start a John Litz Stewardship Fund and Jeffco Open Space Foundation contributed $25,000 toward a goal of $100,000. Contributions can be made at coloradogives.org. Funds are for public lands volunteerism, visitor stewardship, courtesy education and scholarships for conservation careers.

https://m.planjeffco.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/AWARDS-Logo-1500x630-3.jpg 630 1500 BlogMaster http://m.planjeffco.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/header_PLANJeffco-2-1.jpg BlogMaster2024-02-06 14:48:552024-02-06 14:48:552024 Conservation Awards Ceremony Pays Tribute to John Litz

It is with heavy hearts that we come to you with news of the passing of one of our own, John Litz. There are some people for whom words are just not enough.

John was an original founder of PLAN Jeffco, the keeper of Open Space histories and teacher of conservation methods. His accomplishments are too numerous to list, his encyclopedic knowledge of land and conservation opportunities profound.

When I joined the PLAN Jeffco Board in 2006, I was in the company of Open Space legends – the very people, ordinary citizens all, who had the foresight and the energy to manifest Jeffco Open Space. They had fought long and hard to make Open Space what it is today, a national gem in Open Space programs. They nurtured and guided Open Space through the decades. Margot Zallen, Bette Seeland, Ann Bonnell and John Litz took me under their wings, tutored me in how to become a conservation activist, how to ensure that Jeffco Open Space stayed aligned with the Enabling Resolution. I will be forever grateful for their patience and their guidance.

When Margot left Colorado to join her family in Oregon, she handed me the reins to PLAN Jeffco. She knew that she was leaving me in good hands with John, who was there, every month, every time I had a question, every time I needed to understand how to do something. His departure, expected and inevitable, has left a huge hole in my heart, and a strong desire to live up to his faith in my ability to carry the torch of PLAN Jeffco.

For John, I will do my very best.  …Michelle Poolet, President ProTem

 

I wrote the following poem in tribute to John and Ann while I was in Berlin with the attached photo of the location where I happened to be in Berlin when I learned of John’s passing.   The photo, however, is from 2018 as explained in the poem.

In memoriam for John Litz and Ann Bonnell

Speaking of marvels, I [was] alive together

with you, when I might have been alive

with anyone under the sun . . .

—Lisel Mueller, Alive Together.

IN PASSING

I’m on Bodestrasse when I get the news about John.  I’d already known about Ann but it takes a bit of time to write about how lovely it was to have been alive together with the two of you.

John, no one I’ve met displayed a fiercer intelligence on each and every subject you cared about, including the preservation of the natural world.

Ann, the same can be said of you—who suffered no fools or challenges in your pursuit of all things ornithological, ensuring that there will always be birds.

You know, I’ve been at this spot before.  It was during a wonderful summer visit with my cousins, Leo and  Linda.  We watched a young woman reading under the light here.

It was the perfect evening to a beautiful day.  I still like to think that she was reading Hegel or Heidegger or that whatever it was, it was something beyond me:

few ever say it—and you’d both think it impolite—but this is safely said:  those whom we admire and thus choose to point the way, are the smarter among us. …Peter Ruben Morales, Vice-President ProTem

 

When I think of John as a person, the words that come to mind are:  pragmatic, visionary, and persistent. His passing, after half a century of applying those traits to the betterment of Jefferson County’s open spaces, leaves a huge void in the ranks of our effective environmental advocates and in our knowledge of how our open spaces came to be as they are.  John did not just think about, or appreciate, or talk about the value of open spaces for their ecological and human values, he acted on their behalf.  His presence and all that it embodied will be missed.  …Jean Tate, Treasurer ProTem

Remembering John.

John was a quiet leader. You could always count on him to come to well-reasoned decisions.

He knew how to research and gather the information needed to make good decisions.

He was a team player. He always did more than his share, although it was hard to get him to share responsibilities.

He was generous – with his time and resources.

It was a privilege to know and to work with him. He leaves a large gap, impossible to fill. …Bette Seeland, Founder Board Secretary

 

I first encountered John at an information session hosted by my state representative – the topic was land preservation and John spoke on the history of PLAN Jeffco and the origins of JCOS. Only then did I realize that a dedicated group of citizens was responsible for establishing the Open Space park system that I had enjoyed all these years. When the opportunity came my way to join PLAN Jeffco, I was thrilled for the chance to learn from these rock stars! I came to know John as extremely knowledgeable – I think he knew every parcel of land larger than 40 acres in the county, who owned it, what it was used for, whether it was a candidate for preservation, and how it might be obtained. John was also a kind and decent man – warm, and generous with his time and expertise. His departure leaves a gaping hole in the Jeffco conservation community. I’m sure that there’s so much more that I could have learned from John, but I am grateful to have had this blessing in my life. …Catherine Schramm, Board Member

 

I did not know John all that long, so there’s not a lot of history with him to remember.  He was skeptical of me joining the PJ Board, ostensibly because he didn’t know me.  He warmed a little over time, but I can’t say we were friends.   All that said, he was impressive, not only for his accomplishments, but for being remarkably knowledgeable about so many things!  He could tell you about virtually every little corner of the County, particularly the JCOS parks, not to mention being up-to-speed on the current County and JCOS affairs.  I will miss him for his encyclopedic knowledge, and I’m sure most people whose paths crossed with him will feel the loss. …Fred Naess, Board Member

 

John was a key member of the group who got Jefferson County Open Space started and was a lifelong member of OSAC. Everyone who walks, runs, bikes, rides, etc. on our wonderful open space parks here in JEFFCO owes him and his comrades a huge debt of gratitude. The greatest honor we can do him and the beautiful open space he helped create is to be grateful for it, and to think about the legacy he left. Please be more selfless, compassionate, patient in his honor, and think about what YOU can do to protect the legacy, both in how we treat each other but also how we treat the land, the trails, the flora and fauna that live in these open spaces. Please be courteous. For 2024 let’s all be more selfless and less selfish, in small ways, in big ways. They all count. Thank you. For John. For me. For you. For the baby birds. For the deer. For everyone. …Lydia Andrews-Jones, Board Member

As a pioneering member of PLAN Jeffco, John Litz was one of our touchstones with the past. Not only did he possess deep knowledge of the evolution of Open Space and PLAN Jeffco, he was also the person who volunteered the most loyally and prolifically. He was unassuming but brilliant at the same time. John was both treasurer as well as newsletter editor. He was a member of the Open Space Advisory Commission for 30 years. John regularly volunteered his living room for meetings and hosted the annual Christmas party. He helped with the marketing and sale of artwork for PLAN Jeffco’s outdoor painting fund-raiser, In Plein Sight. He never said he was too busy to do one more thing. His work identifying desirable parkland and staving off development over the years has vastly improved the quality of life for thousands of Jefferson County and Front Range residents.   …Vicky Gits, Board Member

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It is with heavy hearts that we come to you with the news of the passing of one of our own, Ann Bonnell.

Ann was a cherished PLAN Jeffco Board Member, joining in 1997. She had been an active participant until recently, when her health took a serious downturn. She passed on Tuesday, December 26, 2023.

As we bid farewell to one of our long-time Board members, we ask that, if you wish to remember Ann Bonnell, bird and conservation advocate extraordinaire, in lieu of flowers please donate in her name to Denver Audubon, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, EarthJustice, or the Nature Conservancy.

Ann moved to the South Jeffco area in 1975, where she was a volunteer in many projects to preserve open spaces and wildlife habitat in the Chatfield Basin area. Ann spent her life teaching and volunteering, starting with high school biology in Albuquerque, NM, volunteering with special needs populations, and coaching Special Olympics swimming and cross-country skiing, giving her a specialty in accessibility issues for our Open Space Parks. She was involved with the Save the Mountain Backdrop Project here in our own Front Range. Ann was a Volunteer Naturalist for Roxborough State Park, South Platte Park, Denver Botanic Gardens and the Audubon Society of Greater Denver. Ann was an inveterate birder; she used to guide the Tuesday Birders and led teams for the annual National Audubon Christmas Bird Counts. She represented Audubon as a Technical Specialist for 10 years in the development of the proposed Chatfield Lake Reallocation Project. She served on the Restoration Advisory Board for the Air Force PJKS Superfund site, located at their former Waterton facility. Ann was 2nd Vice President of The Audubon Society of Greater Denver and served on their Conservation, Trip, & Nature Center Committees.

During her tenure on the PLAN Jeffco Board, in addition to the multiple articles on birds and birdlife that she contributed for our print newsletter and website, Ann added so much background information relating to birds when we were discussing certain lands that we needed to protect.

We will miss Ann. As a committed and genuine conservationist, she kept us on the right track as we plowed our way through issue after issue. We will look to the skies, at her beloved birds as they wing their way to wherever they’re headed, and ask “What would Ann have us do?”

Articles written/co-authored by Ann Bonnell:

Birds of Jefferson County: Accipiters
https://planjeffco.org/birds-of-jefferson-county-accipiters/

Snowbirds
https://planjeffco.org/snowbirds/

The Great Backyard Bird Count between Friday, February 14 & Monday, February 17. Have You Watched Any Birds Lately?
https://planjeffco.org/the-great-backyard-bird-count-between-friday-february-14-monday-february-17-have-you-watched-any-birds-lately/

Birds of Chatfield
https://planjeffco.org/birds-of-chatfield/

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) Results Are In – from the February 2014 Count!
https://planjeffco.org/the-great-backyard-bird-count-gbbc-results-are-in-from-the-february-2014-count/

The Bird Family with an Attitude: The Corvids
https://planjeffco.org/the-bird-family-with-an-attitude-the-corvids/

 

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By Vicky Gits and Bette Seeland, Nov 26, 2023

Early this year Jefferson County Open Space quietly removed without replacing an interpretive sign that had stood for about 20 years as a tribute to the visionaries whose genius and hard work launched PLAN Jeffco and created the Open Space Park system.

Now that the sign is gone, it is probably gone for good, according to Matt Robbins of the Open Space department.  Positioned in Elk Meadow Open Space in Evergreen, the sign was removed because it had fallen into disrepair after weathering outdoors for so long.

Evergreen resident Joe Mackey brought the missing sign to the attention of the Open Space Advisory Commission in October at a regular meeting. A former member of OSAC in the ‘70s, Mackey thinks the sign should be preserved.

“History is important and posterity needs to understand the past, in particular the foundation of the Open Space institution which has enhanced our county,” Mackey said.

The whereabouts of the original sign are unknown and there are no plans for replacing it, Robbins said.

“The new program no longer involves plaques within our JCOS parks, as it was becoming very cumbersome to maintain the quality and integrity of all the plaques throughout the parks to the level which they deserved,” Robbins said in an email.

In some places plaques are posted along with memorial benches. “The current plaques that are out at the parks are permitted to stay until they reach their five-year mark and then JCOS will remove those as the benches become in disrepair or are removed,” Robbins said. However, the memorial bench program was discontinued seven years ago and renewals have been declined since then.

The sign explaining the foundation of open space was part of an outdoor seating area titled the Carol Karlin Overlook off Founder’s Trail in Elk Meadow Open Space Park in Evergreen.

The rustic monument consists of pine trees, a stone pillar that formerly held the sign, a boulder with a bronze plaque and couple of concrete benches. The plaque identifies 45 people under the inscription, “Recognizing the founders who laid the cornerstones on which the Jefferson County Open Space legacy was built.”

There is no standard procedure for removing a sign when it starts to show signs of age. “That is done on a case-by-case basis,” Robbins said.

“But in most cases if a sign is removed a decision is made to post the information at the trailhead or perhaps on the website.”

Robbins said there are no plans to remove the other elements of the Karlin Overlook, such as the pillar, the bronze plaque or the benches.

About a mile north of the Elk Meadow trailhead, the arrangement presents a pleasant place to rest and contemplate the view of the meadow and gentle foothills to the south.

Carol Karlin, who died March 28, 2021, is generally given credit as the person who started the movement that led to the 1972 passage of the citizens’ initiative creating Jefferson County Open Space and PLAN Jeffco, the grassroots organization that spearheaded the effort.

She is famously known for hosting the initial formative PLAN Jeffco gathering in her Lakewood living room in 1971.

Early on, Karlin recruited the support of the Jefferson County League of Women Voters, whose members became the core of the PLAN Jeffco leadership group. The League also produced influential land-use studies, especially “The Mountain Puzzle,” which documented the loss of open space to development. Karlin was a longtime league member.

Before PLAN Jeffco came into existence, Boulder passed a 1967 law which allowed the city to levy a sales tax for open space, but Karlin envisioned a wider-ranging, county-based effort.

In 1971, Bette Seeland, the League’s land-use chair at the time, and Karlin went to the League’s board for permission to take the sales-tax idea to the membership. Seeland is the longtime secretary and member of the board of directors of PLAN Jeffco.

The key element of Karlin’s vision was a half-cent sales tax, which at the time wasn’t a lot. It raised a measly $1 million or so per year but has since grown exponentially to about $68.5 million a year. The system has grown to encompass 56,000 acres, 27 parks and more than 265 trail miles and become a treasured public resource.

PLAN Jeffco is looking for a photo that shows the narrative sign that for many years was part of the Carol Karlin Overlook in Elk Meadow Park in Evergreen.  The sign was atop a rustic stone pillar in a seating area on the Scenic View Trail, a spur off the Founders’ Trail.  If anyone has such an image please send to victoriagits@comcast.net. We are also looking for more information about the creation of the overlook and the bronze plaque.

 

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