Comment on Birds of Jefferson County: Accipiters by Ann Bonnell Lived A Life of Service – PLANJeffco
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Ann Bonnell Lived A Life of Service
Ann Bonnell’s death on December 26th, 2023, at the age of 85, left a gaping hole in the heart of the Jefferson County birding community and in the hearts of her fellow PLAN Jeffco Board members.
Ann’s life was focused on family and service. As a high school biology teacher and volunteer Water Safety Instructor for those with special needs, she was able to reach into the lives of many, passing along her belief in service, empathy, and passion for the outdoors and all that it encompasses. Her specific focus, as we at PLAN Jeffco knew her, was birds – birding, leading Tuesday Birders, and teaching about bird life.
Ann Bonnell leading Tuesday Birders, photo courtesy of Family
Another passion of Ann’s was water and water quality. While on the Board of PLAN Jeffco, Ann monitored the reengineering at Chatfield State Park and reservoir, keeping us updated on the process and progress of that years-long operation. Shortly after joining PLAN Jeffco in 1997, she became deeply involved with the Save the Mountain Backdrop project here in our own Front Range, helping focus conservation efforts on the many watersheds that make up the western portion of Jefferson County.
Ann was an inveterate volunteer. She gave of her time and energy to volunteering with special needs populations and coaching Special Olympics swimming and cross-country skiing, which gave her a specialty in accessibility issues for our Open Space Parks. She was a Volunteer Naturalist for Roxborough State Park, South Platte Park, Denver Botanic Gardens and the Audubon Society of Greater Denver.
Ann wasn’t just a Board member of the Audubon Society of Greater Denver, she was their 2nd Vice President. She served on their Conservation, Trip, & Nature Center Committees, which gave her a very good reason to guide nature tours and kayaking trips at every opportunity. As a technical specialist for Audubon, she served on the Restoration Advisory Board for the Air Force PJKS Superfund site, located at their former Waterton facility. She truly was a force of nature.
Ann Bonnell, Tuesday Birders, photo courtesy of Family
Ann believed in our mission: “PLAN Jeffco works to preserve open space in a manner consistent with our core conservation values by educating and monitoring government agencies, advocating, and working with aligned associations and citizens.”
She realized that, by working to conserve nature and open spaces, adding much valuable information on bird and birdlife requirements, she could be instrumental in providing safe habitat for her beloved birds.
One of the greatest gifts that Ann gave to us and to the world was her daughter, Mary Ann Bonnell, who is known as Jeffco Open Space Ranger One. The photo of Ann and Mary Ann on the PLAN Jeffco About Us – Board Members page is emblematic of the wonderful relationship between these two leaders in our conservation community. Mary Ann will most surely continue to champion her Mom’s belief in the value of nature, while teaching humans how to respect and treasure those experiences in the outdoors.
Ann & Mary Ann at the Lookout Mtn Nature Center 2018
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/
A Celebration of Ann’s Life will be held at the Crown Hill Pavilion of Reflection, 7777 W. 29th Ave. Lakewood, CO, on Friday, April 5th at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to EarthJustice, Denver Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, or the Denver Field Ornithologists are appreciated.
To read more about Ann Bonnell’s accomplishments:
www.evergreenaudubon.org/saluting-ann-bonnell
Olinger Funeral, Cremation & Cemetery – Crown Hill
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Pioneer PLAN Jeffco Board Member John Litz
Pioneer PLAN Jeffco Board Member John Litz Served 51 years
By Vicky Gits
John Litz’s death on Dec. 29 at 87 marked the end of an epic career in the service of PLAN Jeffco and the cause of preserving natural lands in general.
A metallurgical engineer by profession, John was a remarkably prolific volunteer who donated most of his free time over the years to various charitable organizations and land stewardship causes.
He is survived by three daughters, Kari Litz, Kirstin Litz, and Denise Litz and by three grandchildren. His wife of 49 years, Karen, died in 2007.
He was a member of nonprofit PLAN Jeffco for 51 years from 1972 to 2023 and treasurer for most of that time, working closely with longtime chair Margot Zallen. He was a member of the Jefferson County Open Space Advisory Committee for 30 years, from 1993 to 2023.
John was known for his spreadsheets and mastery of finance and operations, said Ralph Schell, executive director of the open space division from 1998 to 2009. But he was also approachable. “John was just someone that everyone could appreciate and get along with.”
He was a tireless workhorse on behalf of the outdoors and a living history record of the open space saga.
At the beginning
PLAN Jeffco in the cemetery 1972 (John is circled).
Litz’s involvement with PLAN Jeffco began in the fall of 1971 when it was just a grassroots advocacy group meeting in the living room of Carol Karlin in Lakewood.
At the time, raising money for raw land and putting just trails and trailheads on it was still a somewhat unusual proposition, but the citizens of Jefferson County passed the resolution with 55 percent of the vote in favor.
John Litz co-authored the 1972 measure that created the county open space agency and a half-cent sales tax to fund it. The money was for acquiring land in its natural state, parks and recreation lands, greenbelt and agricultural buffer zones, scenic easements, historic monuments, wild rivers and wildlife habitats.
John said he joined PLAN Jeffco because his wife was a member of the League of Women Voters and the league had produced an influential land-use study endorsing more parks. The league and PLAN Jeffco shared some members and PLAN Jeffco was looking for men and a Republican so they could claim bipartisanship.
One of the original PLAN Jeffco members who was the treasurer died unexpectedly and so John took over the job. He went on to ring doorbells and play a leading role in identifying and financing large parcels of land for the park portfolio.
Bargain hunting
Clear Creek Gateway Tailhead Cable Cutting – Jean, Michelle & John, 2017-09-29
In the ‘90s, John envisioned raising the money to buy land before prices went sky-high. He helped organize a successful campaign to persuade voters to fund a $160 million bond issue.
Clear Creek Gateway Trailhead Cable Cutting, John & Margot, 2017-09-29
Thanks in large part to his efforts, the park system has grown in 50 years from nothing into a Front Range empire of more than 57,000 acres of preserved land, 270 miles of trail and 27 parks, open to the public for free. The sales tax generated $61 million in 2021, according to the 2021 Preservation Progress Report.
Greg Stevinson, an OSAC member from 1989 to 2009, said John was critical in the early years to identifying and clarifying what properties needed to be acquired. “I thought of him as the silent giant. He would come in and synthesize it and explain why and from there we could take a vote and move on.”
Lasting legacies
Next 40 Years Conference – the full team, 2012
Thanks to John, instead of more housing developments, residents have iconic vistas such as Elk Meadow, Alderfer Three Sisters, Evergreen Mountain, Centennial Cone, Clear Creek Canyon, South Table Mountain, Blue Mountain and the latest Douglas Mountain/Mount Tom (3,400 acres).
John was born in Zambia, Africa, where his father found work at a copper mine during the depression. The remote location spawned John’s appreciation for the value of untouched landscapes. Venturing out to collect firewood one day as a child he realized, “If we had continued north we would reach the Mediterranean without crossing an open road. Now that is open space.”
John graduated from East High School, studied at the Colorado School of Mines and earned a master’s degree from the University of Colorado. His specialty was developing processes for the recovery of metals from ores, concentrates and recyclable materials and held 16 patents. He held season tickets for the Buffalo football and Colorado Symphony.
He lived in Lakewood in a conventional subdivision, but he also maintained a cabin in the mountains near Nederland.
Maximum participation
2018 InPleinSight – John at Lair O’the Bear
He attributed his dedication to community service to being brought up to participate in things, rather than be a “spectator.” He is well known for being the first to volunteer for even the most tedious and burdensome tasks and delivering the above and beyond.
In addition to his treasurer duties, John hosted Christmas parties, committee meetings and created the monthly newsletter, the Update, amply illustrated with landscape photos and nature art.
If necessary, he was willing to set up the table and tent and bring the brochures for a long day in the park representing PLAN Jeffco. He almost singlehandedly ran the sales for PLAN Jeffco’s two plein-air-painting fundraisers.
Even when he became ill, he attended fundraisers and continued to be a presence at PLAN Jeffco and Open Space Advisory Committee meetings.
John was named to the Jefferson County Hall of Fame in 2022 for preservation, volunteerism and public service. He was secretary/treasurer of the Jeffco Outdoors Foundation and helped establish a program that offers free field trips for students to the Hiwan Heritage Museum and Lookout Mountain Nature Center.
John was an officer in the Applewood Kiwanis for many years and recently became a member and secretary of the Wheat Ridge Kiwanis.
He was named a Lifetime Emeritus Member of the Open Space Advisory Committee in recognition of his “inspiration, history, wisdom and insights.”
The John Litz Conservation Award, OSAC 2013
Tom Hoby, executive director of open space since 2009, said John reminds him of the quote, “The greatest thing you can spend your life on is something that outlasts it. That’s exactly what he did. … He was in his sixth decade of volunteering.”
See video memorial tribute produced by Jeffco Open Space at You Tube :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZCCIbc4vNs
John Litz Stewardship Fund
An anonymous donor contributed $15,000 to start a John Litz Stewardship Fund and Jeffco Outdoors 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.
Other Donations
Rocky Mountain District Kiwanis Foundation, Kids Need Kiwanis, 8389 Devinney Court, Arvada, CO 80005, f24.Site.Kiwanis.org
PLAN Jeffco, 23495 Cody Park Road, Golden, CO 80401, Planjeffco.org
Jeffco Open Space Foundation, 700 Jefferson County Parkway, Ste. 100, Open Space Building, Golden, CO 80401, Jeffcoopenspacefoundation.org
Clear Creek Trail Gateway – John walking with Vicky 2017-09-29
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ENOR Turns 50!
EAGLE’S NEST OWL’S ROOST (ENOR) Environmental Discovery Camp of Colorado State University Extension in Jefferson County celebrates its 50th 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.
Registration for 2024 is open to Denver-Metro youth at https://jeffco.extension.colostate.edu/programs/enor-environmental-discovery-camp/
Scholarships available.
For more information contact Jeni Carter, County Director, jc*****@co.us
o 303-271-6629 c 720-703-3837
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2024 Conservation Awards Ceremony Pays Tribute to John Litz
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.
The 2024 Conservation Awards
Aspen Award – Tom Elliott, Rookie Park Patroller
Named as the outstanding first-year volunteer, Tom Elliott served as a Nature Center Ranger. He stood out for his way of making people feel like they are having fun while learning. His ability to speak Spanish is helpful with Spanish-speaking students. He has an engaging way of reminding visitors to abide by the rules, without offending them. To Elliott, a retired educator, translating the language is an important element of teaching.
Rocky Mountain Juniper Award – Mark Hinchman, Trails and Restoration
Hinchman logged an impressive 600 volunteer hours in 2023, mostly as an enthusiastic member of the Trails Volunteer Team. He makes an extra effort to help others understand the big picture behind the physical work activities. He is an effective advocate for stewardship. He absolutely loves any and all kind of rock work, the outdoors and the physical activity.
The Douglas Fir Award – The Conservation Fund-Mount Tom Project
The Conservation Fund won kudos for its critical work in bringing together the landowners whose participation made possible the landmark preservation of 2,100 acres, valued at $25 million, near the Douglas Mountain Study Area and the Ralston Creek State Wildlife Area, only 20 minutes from Denver. It also was able to pre-acquire one of the key parcels to protect it from development. Jeffco Open Space partnered with TCF, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Great Outdoors Colorado and Mountain Area Land Trust to bring the deal to fruition. As a result, there will someday be a new trail to the top of Mount Tom (9,741 feet).
Blue Spruce Award – Inclusive Guide
The Inclusive Guide, co-founded by Crystal Egli and Parker McMullen Bushman, created a Yelp-like website, inclusivejourneys.com, that helps people connect to safe and welcoming spaces and holds businesses and organizations accountable as customer-friendly and inclusive. JCOS parks and trails was the first open space agency to be listed in the guide. The Inclusive Guide helps eliminate the element of uncertainty involved in visiting public parks and other places.
Gambel Oak – Eagle’s Nest Owl’s Roost (ENOR)
In its 50th year, ENOR Environmental Discovery Camp provides educational week-long, all-day outdoor summer day camp experiences to help 4th to 8th -graders learn about the outdoors and principles of stewardship. Jefferson County is the only county in the state to have this kind of program. The Colorado State University Extension 4H office is the managing agency. In 50 years about 20,000 youth have attended the camps.
John Litz Award – Leslie O’Connor, Park Patroller, 20 years
O’Connor was instrumental in creating the park patroller program and is renowned for being an outstanding role model to all volunteers. After 20 years in service, O’Connor remains involved and excited about connecting people with open space. She says her reward is having the opportunity to engage with people and talk to them about nature and the parks.
To view videos of each of the Conservation Awards:
2024 Conservation Awards – Aspen Award – Tom Elliott
2024 Conservation Awards – Rocky Mountain Juniper Award – Mark Hinchman
2024 Conservation Awards – Douglas Fir Award – Conservation Fund
2024 Conservation Awards – Blue Spruce Award – Inclusive Guide
2024 Conservation Awards – Gambel Oak – ENOR Environmental Discovery Camp
2024 Conservation Awards – John Litz Award – Leslie O’Connor
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Comment on In Memoriam – Ann Bonnell, PLAN Jeffco Board Member by Karleen Schofield
Ann Bonnell was a special person! She lived an exceptional life devoted to what she loved: birds, nature, preserving natural resources and so much more. Ann’s sharing of birding knowledge, bird song and habitats brought so much joy to those who faithfully followed her for so many years as members of the Tuesday Birders or park visitors!
Ann would acknowledge me with a cheerful greeting and spontaneous smile, always making me feel special when we met,
whether on a foothills trail, in a Metro park or at a birders’ meeting. Ann Bonnell leaves behind many admiring friends!
Comment on In Memoriam – Ann Bonnell, PLAN Jeffco Board Member by Bob Righter
It seemed I would always intersect with Ann where ever I might be birding. Rounding a bend and there was Ann always cheerful and engaging.
Comment on In Memoriam – Ann Bonnell, PLAN Jeffco Board Member by Cheryl
Ann sparked my interest in birds when she led a North Jeffco Wilderness Women’s group a few different times. Her knowledge astounded me time and again. And as time went by, I started sharing as much as I remembered with my granddaughter. It was such a wonderful time . Ann certainly will be missed, and I believe she’ll be “ birding” like crazy wherever she roams.
