Eco Flight

EcoFlight advocates for the protection of remaining wild lands and wildlife habitat using small aircraft.

The aerial perspective and our educational programs encourage an environmental stewardship ethic among citizens of all ages. EcoFlight’s aerial tours provide elected officials, community leaders, scientists, tribal leaders and the press a first-hand, bird’s-eye view of issues facing America’s public wild lands. Passengers see our iconic western lands and the impacts that industrial scale resource

extraction can have on our natural heritage. Flight offers an honest and engaging perspective on the landscape and illuminates the most pressing issues. From the air, boundaries and misconceptions melt away and passengers with opposing viewpoints often find common ground from which to work together. EcoFlight utilizes professional staff pilots and airplanes maintained to the highest standards. As a small team of seasoned activists and professionals, EcoFlight has the capability to rapidly respond to issues that become critical overnight.

05/27/2026

In May, over 150 scientists spoke out against the attempts to overturn protections for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

They called on Congress to oppose any attempt to overturn protections for the beloved science monument. Its stratigraphy, fossil record, ecological diversity, and cultural resources make it indispensable to scientific discovery and a testament to our shared history as a nation.

The letter states: “As scientists, researchers, and educators from across the United States, we write to reaffirm our deep concern regarding threats to the scientific integrity, management, and long-term protection of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Specifically, the Utah delegation’s reckless gambit to toss out the monument’s management plan using the Congressional Review Act risks not only the scientific objects of interest within the boundaries, but also the future of research and scientific discovery in this unique landscape.”

Join them and take action today: https://monumentsforall.org/grandstaircase/
LINK IN BIO ^^

05/21/2026

Thank you, The Prescott Times 😁

EcoFlight's collegiate Flight Across America students took to the skies to advocate for the Verde River!

05/19/2026

Wrapping up our 20th Flight Across America expedition, the students shared a presentation on their experience with EcoFlight. It was powerful and centered on the importance of connection.

These landscapes are connected, flying across the state of AZ proved how rivers meander and flow great lengths, how wildlife migration routes stretch incredibly remote terrain, and how the expansion of these already humongous mining operations has meaningful negative air and water quality impacts.

Connection is key to finding the strength to stand up, together, for our public lands and rivers. Thank you Flight Across America 2026 for joining us on our 20th FLAA journey It was incredibly impactful and educational to fly and learn from the 8 of you. The future ahead seems bright with you leading the efforts to steward these important places.

05/18/2026

For day 3 of our trip, the college students and pilots saw these massive mining operations from above and from an on ground tour of an active mine This multi-day flight journey.gave a new perspective on the threats to our water resources and connected wildlife landscapes.

We focused on mining, which clearly from the photos above has a massive footprint in southern Arizona.

We saw the ASARCO Copper Complex, Copper World mining (aka Rosemont) and more. Learning from the Tohono O’odham Nation, AZ Mining Reform Coalition, and , about the proposals for these mines to expand.

And we toured the ASARCO Copper mine with a guide. Seeing the active process of mining ore and extracting the copper. It was fascinating but smelled horrible.

05/15/2026

We’re taking a break from our Flight Across America series because Mark Harvey, our stalwart board president, was inducted into Aspen’s Hall of Fame on April 12th, 2026! Congratulations Mark, we are thrilled to celebrate this honor with you.

Mark is the long-running board president of not only EcoFlight but also Aspen Journalism and received the honor of being appointed commissioner to the Colorado State Land Board in 2025 by Governor Polis.

He was born in Aspen in the old hospital on Red Mountain, one of six kids. He grew up before the town was famous and, in a time when kids had to always tuck their shirts in and address their elders with Mr., Mrs., or Miss. With an insatiable need for the outdoors and sports, Mark’s passion as a youngster was ski racing, and he competed at both the national and international level, including the World Cup.

Mark epitomizes the Aspen Idea, embodying athletic, artistic, cultural, and intellectual pursuits for all his adult life. For nearly a decade, he worked as a mountain guide and horsepacker for the National Outdoor Leadership School. His experiences inspired him to author The NOLS Wilderness Guide, which won the National Outdoor Book Award. He produced and directed an award-winning documentary, A Land out of Time, focusing on oil and gas impacts on our public lands in Colorado and the broader West. He started and still runs a successful shellfish farm in Chile’s Patagonia and has recently created Open Range Wines, an award-winning wine company in Colorado. He is a well-published photographer and writer, often focusing on local Colorado issues. He continues to run his family’s cattle ranch in Old Snowmass, one of the last working ranches in the valley.

Mark joins EcoFlight’s founder, Bruce Gordon, in the Aspen Hall of Fame, inducted in 2022, and is proud to join his mother, Connie Harvey, who was inducted in 2006.

We are grateful to Mark for his sense of humor, nuggets of wisdom, and his steady support of EcoFlight.

05/14/2026

Flying over the Great Bend of the Gila proposed National Monument, AZ, began our second day of Flight Across America. We learned about cultural landscapes and efforts for protection of sacred landscapes and Tribal co-management of these landscapes with the Native Nations and US agencies. We flew over sites of rich history - the Great Bend of the Gila with 100,000-plus ancient drawings.

We learned from Navajo water managers, Fort Yuma Quechan Councilmembers, , and more. And the 8 collegiate participants got to know eachother and gain from the expertise of the other participants studies and connections to these landscapes.

05/08/2026

EcoFlight recently wrapped up one of our most powerful weeks of flying ever - our 20th Anniversary Flight Across America expedition. This milestone year brought together 8 select college students from diverse backgrounds to deep-dive into aviation and explore their academic pursuits in a new way.

For two decades, Flight Across America has equipped emerging leaders with the knowledge, perspective, and experience needed to tackle complex environmental challenges. This year’s program continues that legacy—elevating diverse perspectives and fostering meaningful dialogue in some of the nation’s most ecologically and culturally significant landscapes.

The 2026 flight program studied the role of Native Tribes in defending and protecting sacred landscapes in the desert Southwest through activism and policy.

05/07/2026

Organizers say they hope people seeing the land from the skies leads them to advocate for protecting it. Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe looking to protect the Colorado River.

04/29/2026

CMC Conservation Coordinator Joey Lancia joined EcoFlight, Winter Wildlands Alliance, and other stakeholders on a flight around the Upper Gunnison River Basin.

04/27/2026

✈️🌎💚 We spent Earth Week in the skies over the Thompson Divide, CO, celebrating a wild landscape in our backyard—and spotlighting what’s at stake. Between the Roaring Fork and North Fork Valleys, these forests shelter threatened lynx, moose, elk, mountain lions, and more, while linking wild country from Grand Junction to the Elk Mountains.

We flew over the Thompson Divide, just southwest of Carbondale, and focused on the sites proposed for logging and road building, where concerns remain about impacts to wildlife habitat, recreation, and whether the project has received adequate analysis. “My biggest concern is that there hasn’t been adequate analysis,” said EcoFlight’s Lea Linse-Hirro.

There’s no better way to honor Earth Day than lifting up the places worth protecting. 🌲🫎

Read more:https://www.aspendailynews.com/news/area-of-thompson-divide-proposed-for-logging-forest-health-and-fire-mitigation-project/article_fbfbf723-289a-4624-89ba-268566733d77.htmlAspen Daily News

01/29/2026

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument through the seasons 🌼☀️🍁🌨️

From snow-dusted conditions, to river adventures and summer hikes along the deep Rio Grande Gorge, to fall wildlife sightings — this rugged New Mexico landscape shows off the diverse volcanic high plains and 800-ft canyons. Home to elk, bighorn sheep, raptors, petroglyphs, and the Wild & Scenic Rio Grande, it’s a must-see outdoor gem any season. ✨

Address

307 Aspen Airport Business Ctr, Ste L
Aspen, CO
81611

Telephone

+19704291110

Website

http://www.ecoflight.org/

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