Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance

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Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance

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SCCA promotes preservation and education for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and its Visit

10/16/2026

🎶 TOMORROW! Chantil Dukart Live in Concert 🎶

Join us Saturday, October 17, at 6:00 PM for an unforgettable evening of jazz, soul, blues, original music, and storytelling with award-winning pianist and vocalist Chantil Dukart!

With roots in the Tsimshian and Sugpiaq tribes of Alaska, Chantil brings a unique musical voice, warmth, and laughter to every performance. We’re thrilled to welcome her back to Southwest Colorado for an evening of music and community!

📅 Tomorrow, October 17 | 6:00 PM
📍 Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum
27501 CO-184, Dolores, CO

🧡 Suggested donation: $15 to support SCCA’s cultural programming and the artist. . If you’d like to make your donation online, please visit https://swcocanyons.app.neoncrm.com/event-detail?event=215

Come enjoy an evening of incredible music and help us celebrate the arts and Indigenous voices in our community!

🎵 Learn more: https://swcocanyons.org/events
🎹 Meet the artist: https://chantilmusic.com

We hope to see you there!

09/30/2026

🌙 Today is the final day to support Dark Skies at Canyons of the Ancients! ✨

Your gift helps provide safe, inspiring night sky experiences through:
🔴 Red lighting & luminaria supplies
🔭 Educational speakers & programs
🌌 Efforts toward International Dark Sky Park designation

Help us keep the stars shining for future generations.
Donate today: https://swcocanyons.app.neoncrm.com/forms/summer-2026

Thank you for protecting the night sky! 💫

09/28/2026

🌙 Help Us Protect Dark Skies Before September 30 ✨

There is still time to support Dark Sky programming at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

Thanks to our community of supporters, SCCA has been able to create meaningful opportunities to experience and learn about our incredible night skies—from the annual Star Party to upcoming programs like Luminaria Night. Your support helps make these experiences safe, welcoming, and educational.

Before our Dark Skies campaign ends on September 30, we invite you to make a gift to help provide:
🔴 Red rope lighting and luminaria supplies that allow visitors to safely navigate nighttime events while protecting night vision and minimizing impacts on wildlife.
🔭 Speaker honorariums that bring astronomy experts, educators, and cultural presenters to share their knowledge and inspire our community.

Your gift also helps advance SCCA’s efforts toward International Dark Sky Park designation for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, supporting education, outreach, and responsible lighting practices that protect this extraordinary resource.

Every contribution—large or small—helps keep the stars shining for future generations.

✨ Donate by September 30: https://swcocanyons.app.neoncrm.com/forms/summer-2026

08/31/2026

🌌✨ Updated Schedule: Star Party at Canyons of the Ancients! ✨🌌

Join us Friday, September 4, from 6:00–9:00 PM for an evening of fascinating presentations and stargazing with our partners from Mesa Verde and Hovenweep!

Please note that our schedule has been updated since our last post.

🌟 6:00 PM
The Milky Way and Other Paths to the Other World
with Ranger Colin Purdy

🌟 7:00 PM
Ceremonial Events Based on Celestial Observations
with Mary Weahkee

🔭 8:00 PM
Stargazing on the Visitor Center Plaza!

Bring your telescopes, binoculars, red-light flashlights, chairs, and curiosity! If you're bringing a telescope and would like to share it with others, please contact us ahead of time at (970) 882-5600.

🌙 Programs like the Star Party are an important part of our work to connect people with the night sky and advance International Dark Sky Park designation for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

✨ Help us continue providing Dark Sky education and experiences for our community! Your support helps fund speakers, educational programs, and dark-sky-friendly supplies for nighttime events.

Donate today: https://swcocanyons.app.neoncrm.com/forms/summer-2026

08/28/2026

🌌 Help Us Bring the Night Sky to Life! 🔭

Your support helps make programs like our upcoming Star Party possible—and moves Canyons of the Ancients National Monument closer to International Dark Sky Park designation.

On September 4, join us for an evening of presentations exploring the connections between people, place, and sky, followed by guided stargazing under the incredible dark skies of Canyons of the Ancients.

📅 September 4 | 6–9 PM
📍 Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum
🔭 Bring your telescope, binoculars, red-light flashlight, chair, and curiosity! If you’d like to share your telescope, please call 970-882-5600.

Donations to SCCA’s Dark Skies campaign help fund:
✨ Speaker honorariums for astronomy and cultural educators
🔴 Red lighting and supplies for safe, dark-sky-friendly nighttime events
🌌 Ongoing public outreach required for Dark Sky Park certification

Help us protect the night and keep these experiences accessible to our community:
https://swcocanyons.app.neoncrm.com/forms/summer-2026

08/11/2026

🔴 Why Red Lights Under the Stars? ✨

Have you ever wondered why astronomers and dark sky enthusiasts use red lighting at nighttime events instead of bright white lights?

It’s all about protecting the darkness. Our eyes need time to adjust to low-light conditions, allowing us to see more stars and fully experience the wonder of the night sky. Bright white lights can quickly disrupt that adaptation, making it harder for everyone to enjoy the stars above.

But dark skies aren’t just important for people—they’re important for wildlife, too. Many animals rely on natural patterns of darkness and light to navigate, feed, reproduce, and rest. Low-impact lighting helps reduce disruption to nocturnal species while allowing people to safely enjoy the landscape after sunset.

At SCCA’s Dark Sky events, including Star Party and Luminaria Night, red rope lights and carefully designed lighting help guide visitors along pathways without overwhelming the natural darkness we’re there to appreciate.

Your support helps us continue creating safe, meaningful nighttime experiences at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Donations to our Dark Skies campaign help purchase red lighting, luminaria supplies, and support educational speakers who share the science and stories of the night sky. These programs also help advance our work to earn International Dark Sky Park designation for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

🌙 Help us protect the dark skies at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument: https://swcocanyons.app.neoncrm.com/forms/summer-2026

08/07/2026

✨ Why Dark Skies Matter ✨

When the sun sets over Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, a different kind of landscape comes to life. Beneath some of the darkest skies in Colorado, the Milky Way stretches across the horizon, stars fill the night, and we are reminded of our connection to this incredible place.

Dark skies are more than a beautiful view—they are an important natural and cultural resource. They support wildlife, inspire curiosity and discovery, and connect us to generations of people who have looked to the same stars for guidance, stories, and meaning.

Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance is working in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management to achieve International Dark Sky Park designation for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Through programs like our annual Star Party and Luminaria Night, we're helping protect these remarkable skies while creating opportunities for our community to experience and appreciate them.

This summer, we’re raising funds to support our Dark Sky programming, including:
🌙 Red rope lighting and luminaria supplies to help visitors safely enjoy nighttime events while preserving night vision
🔭 Speaker honorariums for astronomy and cultural educators who bring the night sky to life

Will you help us keep the skies above Canyons of the Ancients dark and accessible for everyone?

✨ Learn more and support Dark Sky programs: https://swcocanyons.app.neoncrm.com/forms/summer-2026

📷 Photo by Kurt Hillman

07/17/2026

✨ Today's the day! ✨

Join us this afternoon for our Beginner's Telescope Workshop with Dani Long!

Whether you're brand new to astronomy or just need help setting up your telescope, this workshop is for you.

🔭 Bring your telescope (or use one of ours!)
🕒 Today (July 17) at 3:00 PM
📍 Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum

We'll see you under the (daytime!) sky as we get ready for many nights of stargazing. 🌞➡️🌌

07/12/2026

New to Astronomy? Start Here! 🌌

You don't have to be an astronomer to enjoy the night sky.

Whether you've never looked through a telescope or you've owned one for years, this workshop is designed to help beginners gain confidence using their equipment.

Best of all, we'll meet during the day so you can clearly see each part of the telescope while you learn.

🔭 Bring your own telescope—or borrow one of ours!

📅 Friday, July 17
🕒 3:00 PM

More information: https://swcocanyons.org/events

07/07/2026

Ever Wonder How to Use Your Telescope? 🔭

Have a telescope collecting dust because you're not sure how to use it? You're not alone!

Join experienced stargazer Dani Long for a beginner-friendly, hands-on workshop where you'll learn:
✨ Telescope basics
✨ How to align your finderscope
✨ What different eyepieces do
✨ Care and maintenance
✨ Tips for successful stargazing

Bring your own telescope or try one of ours!

📅 July 17 | 3:00 PM
📍 Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum

Learn more: https://swcocanyons.org/events

Address

PO Box 113
Cortez, CO
81321

Telephone

+19702391730

Website

http://www.swcocanyons.org/

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