Stewardship — Taking good care of our resources, being responsible to future generations for their condition. This monthly column fea­tures organizations dedicated to natural-resource manage­ment that provide steward­ship opportunities in Summit County. These organizations and volunteer opportunities are part of the “Summit Stew­ards — Fourth Annual Sum­mit County Summer 2008 Volunteer Calendar,” pub­lished by Friends of the Dillon Ranger District. To view the full calendar of Summit’s vol­unteer opportunities, includ­ing 39 organizations and more than 160 events, visit www.fdrd.org.
  Organization: Continental Divide Land Trust
  Organization’s mission statement: The Continental Divide Land Trust perma­nently preserves and pro­tects irreplaceable natural areas in and around Summit County for current and future generations, through land-preservation agree­ments, land acquisition and public education.
  Contact Information: Leigh Girvin, Executive Director, (970) 453-3875, info@cdlt.org, www.cdlt.org Testimonial: “It is our responsibility to preserve rather than overrun the land, to provide water and space for creatures other than ourselves. If we all do our little part, it does add up. Land conserva­tion is part of the big picture.”
  — Jon Kirkpatrick, CDLT member Next Project: Saturday, Easement Stewardship Day, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  Each year, CDLT is respon­sible for monitoring and stew­ardship of the conservation easements that it holds in order to ensure that the con­servation values are protected. Volunteers will learn how to monitor a conservation ease­ment with training in the morning and a monitoring field visit in the afternoon.
  Lunch will be provided, so please sign up in advance.
  Future Projects: September nature hike — connecting peo­ple to the land; Oct. 11, Make a Difference Day.
  Organization: Summit County Open Space & Trails Department
  Mission Statement: To identify, protect and manage open spaces, recreational pathways, natural sur­face trails and trailheads to pre­serve and maintain Summit County’s rural mountain character and a high quality of life for its resi­dents and guests through collabo­ration with the community and its members, partnerships and a high degree of customer service.
  Contact Information: Clau­dia Wiley, (970) 668-4092 or claudiaw@co.summit.co.us Testimonial: “What a great project. I know we made a big difference in making this area safer for wildlife.”
  — Maria Rivera-Vazquez (Trudy Robinson Open Space Project, May 2008)
  Next Event: Oct. 1 Volunteer Recognition Day, a celebration of the season’s accomplishments.
  Future Project: Oct. 11, Make a Difference Day