Wild Connections

Wild Connections works to establish a landscape-wide wildlands network across south-central Colorado.

This benefits animal and plant communities, clean air and water sources, quiet recreation, cultural locations, scenic vistas and spiritual values. We are...
-- Saving Central Colorado’s wild places by defending wildlands that provide refuge for wildlife and biodiversity as the climate changes.
-- Influencing decision-making about public lands that brings protection to hundreds of thousands of acr

es.
-- Ensuring that future generations can enjoy wildlife and natural wonders in our region.
-- Leading hikes that teach about our public lands and how everyone can protect those lands..

08/24/2026

🌲💧 Our Summer 2026 issue of LANDSCAPES is here! 💧🌲

This issue focuses on protecting the waterways that sustain our wildlands, wildlife, and communities across the Wild Connections region—and looks at the conservation work made possible by your support over the past 31 years.

📖 Inside this issue:
💦 President’s Message: Protecting Waterways as Wild Connections
🏞️ Working Towards Outstanding Waters Designations in the Arkansas River Basin
🌟 You Have Made These 30 Years a Success — Let’s Keep the Momentum Going
☀️ Drought! Understanding the challenges facing our waterways
🗺️ Creating an Outstanding Waters Story Map for Wild Connections
🏔️ Protect Our Public Lands: What Happens in Browns Canyon Matters to All Americans

From protecting clean water to safeguarding wild public lands, there’s a lot of important work ahead—and we need you with us.

👉 Read the Summer 2026 issue of LANDSCAPES and discover how you can help protect Colorado’s wildlands and waterways for generations to come!

Read and download at wildconnections.org

08/18/2026

🌲 Lots happening with Wild Connections this week—and plenty more to look forward to! 🏔️ Whether you want to learn, lend a hand, or get outside on our public lands, we have several great opportunities coming up:

💻 Zoom Seminar Series
📅 Thursday, August 20 at 1:00 PM
Preparing Our National Parks for the Impacts of Extreme Weather Events.
Join our Friends of Florissant Fossil Beds online for an informative discussion about how our national parks are preparing for a changing climate and more frequent extreme weather events.

🌱 South Park Round Hill Volunteer Restoration Project
📅 Friday–Saturday, August 21–22
Help us restore wildlife habitat and reclaim unauthorized routes in the beautiful Sheep Creek area of South Park. No experience necessary!

🏞️ National Public Lands Day – Browns Canyon National Monument Hike
📅 Saturday, September 26
Celebrate our public lands with a hike in beautiful Browns Canyon National Monument!

🪵 Chubb Park Fence Removal Volunteer Project – Phase II
📅 Saturday–Sunday, October 3–4
Join us for another weekend of removing obsolete fencing and improving wildlife habitat at Chubb Park.

👉 Find more info including registration, at wildconnections.org/events

08/13/2026

🥾 A Few Spots Remain! North Catamount Creek Hike — This Saturday, Aug. 15 🏔️

Join Wild Connections this Saturday for a hike on the north side of Pikes Peak! We’ll explore an area affected by a Colorado Springs Utilities forest-thinning project and visit “beaver dam substitutes” designed to improve willow habitat and encourage beavers to return. 🦫🌿

The hike will cover approximately 6 miles with about 800 feet of elevation gain. Participants should bring lunch, snacks, plenty of water, and weather-appropriate clothing, including rain gear. 🌦️🥾

🚫 Sorry, no dogs allowed.

🚗 A carpool/caravan from Colorado Springs will be arranged.

A few spots remain—register now! To sign up, contact Jim Lockhart at 719-385-0045 or [email protected]. Findore info at wildconnections.org

Come explore, learn, and see restoration efforts in action! 🌲🦫🏔️

08/12/2026

🌲 Stand Up for Wilderness! 🏔️

The Department of the Interior is reviewing policies that protect designated wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, and lands with wilderness characteristics—and your voice matters.

Wild Connections has worked for more than a decade to protect wild public lands in Colorado, including 180,000+ acres of BLM wilderness-quality lands secured through the 2024 Eastern Colorado Plan revision.

Now we need your help defending these protections. Speak up for special places like Lost Creek, the Sangre de Cristos, Collegiate Peaks, Browns Canyon, Grape Creek, Beaver Creek, Echo Canyon, Badger Creek, and Eightmile Mountain.

📣 Submit your comment by August 14! Take a few minutes to stand up for wilderness and help keep America’s public lands wild for future generations.

👉 Make your voice heard: ActNowforPublicLands.org

08/07/2026

Help restore Colorado's public lands! 🌿🦌

Join Wild Connections and partners on August 21–22 for a rewarding volunteer restoration project in the beautiful Sheep Creek area of South Park, just southwest of Fairplay. Together, we'll restore approximately 2 miles of unauthorized motorized routes, helping create healthier habitat for Rocky Mountain elk and other native wildlife. 🌲🌼

No experience is necessary—we'll provide the training, tools and snacks! Join us for one day or both and make a lasting difference. 💚

🔗 Register today: wrv.volunteerhub.com/vv2/lp/wildconnections

08/05/2026

🌲 August Wild News is here! 🌄
Get involved this month by joining us for our August 21–22 South Park volunteer restoration project, taking action to protect America's Wilderness Areas, and catching up on the incredible impact our volunteers made at Chubb Park. We're also excited to announce Phase II of our fence removal project this October to continue improving wildlife habitat and connectivity! 🦌💚

📅 Upcoming Events
🥾 Aug. 15: North Catamount Creek Hike
💻 Aug. 20: Zoom Seminar – Preparing our National Parks for the Impacts of Extreme Weather Events (hosted by Friends of Florissant Fossil Beds)
🌿 Aug. 21–22: South Park Round Hill Volunteer Restoration Project
🛠️ Oct. 3–4: Chubb Park Fence Removal Project – Phase II

📰 Also in this month's Wild News
✅ July 11–12 Volunteer Fence Removal Project Recap
📣 Public Comment Opportunities:
• Defend our Wilderness Quality Areas
• BLM Oil & Gas Regulations Rollback

📬 Read the August Wild News and subscribe: 👉 wildconnections.org/about-us/get-involved

07/24/2026

🙌 A huge thank you to the incredible volunteers who joined Wild Connections for our very first Fence Removal Project at Chubb Park! 💚

Together, we removed approximately two miles of obsolete barbed-wire fencing, helping restore a vital wildlife migration corridor for 🦌 elk, 🦌 mule deer, 🦌 pronghorn, and countless other species that call this landscape home.

The success of this project wouldn't have been possible without our dedicated volunteers and partners, and we're excited to share that we'll be returning this fall to remove the remaining two miles of fencing and complete the restoration effort!

Thank you to everyone who helped make a lasting difference for Colorado's wildlife and public lands. 🌲🐾

07/23/2026

🌲🤝 Wild Connections was honored to join Senator John Hickenlooper and community leaders in Chaffee County for an important discussion about public lands, wildfire, and the future of our communities.

Much of the conversation focused on the Willow Fire near Leadville, the challenges it has created during the peak tourism season, how we can work together to support the community's recovery, and how local organizations are adapting to ongoing changes affecting our public land agencies.

Following the discussion, Wild Connections Executive Director John Sztukowski had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Senator Hickenlooper. John thanked the Senator for his leadership in opposing efforts to sell off America's public lands and for standing against the nomination of BLM Director Steve Pearce because of his long record of supporting public land sell-offs.

We're grateful for Senator Hickenlooper's continued commitment to protecting our public lands. He also recognized the important work Wild Connections is doing to conserve wildlife habitat and public lands across central and southern Colorado.

Together, we'll keep working to ensure these special places remain healthy, connected, and accessible for wildlife and future generations. 🌿🦌🏔️

07/09/2026

🦌🌿 Thank you to the Ark Valley Voice for featuring our upcoming July 11–12 Chubb Park Volunteer Fence Removal Project!

The article includes our project flyer, a map of the Chubb Park area, links to the state-managed lands, and comments from Wild Connections Executive Director John Sztukowski about why this work matters for Colorado's wildlife.

💬 "Healthy wildlife populations depend on connected landscapes where animals can safely move between seasonal habitats to find food, water, shelter, and safe places to give birth and raise their young. Chubb Park is a vital wildlife corridor connecting state-managed lands with a vast expanse of Forest Service public lands…”

🙌 There's still time to volunteer! Join us July 11–12 and help improve wildlife movement across this incredible landscape.

📧 To register or learn more, contact John Sztukowski at [email protected] or (817) 939-4239.

📰 Read the full article: arkvalleyvoice.com/wild-connections-seeks-volunteers-for-chubb-park-fence-removal-july-11-and-july-12

07/08/2026

☀️ Summer is the perfect time to get involved in protecting Colorado's public lands! 🌲

Whether you're joining us for a volunteer restoration project or speaking up for the wild places we all cherish, there are plenty of ways to make a difference. 💚

📅 Upcoming Events:
🔧 July 11–12: Chubb Park Fence-Removal Volunteer Project
🥾 August 22–23: South Park Round Hill Volunteer Restoration Project

📰 Also in this month's Wild News:
💬 Public Comment Opportunities
💧 Outstanding Waters Project & StoryMap
🗞️ Wild Connections in the News

📬 Read our July Wild News and subscribe:
👉 wildconnections.org/about-us/get-involved

🌄🦌

Address

Colorado Springs, CO

Telephone

+18179394239

Website

http://www.WildConnections.org/

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