Check Out This Weekend's Pumpkin Patch & Community Events!

Guidestone's Fifth Annual Pumpkin Patch

Saturday, October 22, 10 to 4 and Sunday, October 23, 12 to 4
Location: The Meadows, 15264 Crossman Ave. (CR 350), Buena Vista (Look for the pumpkin signs!)

Join us for hayrides, petting zoo, face painting, pumpkin picking, pony rides, and hot apple cider and lunch, and more!

Admission for adults and children three and over is $5; children two and under are free. All proceeds support Farmhands, Guidestone's Educational Program.

Special thanks to our hosts and sponsors!

Colorado Grown, Cottonwood Creek Dairy, Arkansas Valley Trail Rides, and Cottonwood Creek Dairy

Articipate's 3rd Annual "FUN-Raiser!"

Salida Steamplant Event Center, 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Workshops from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.; Silent Auction 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.; Live Entertainment 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Visit the website for more information

Living Green 2011 Home Event

Visit 10 environmental homes throughout Chaffee County

Saturday, October 22, 2011
9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Tickets and information at GARNA.org or call 719-539-5106

Creating Miracles for Sustainable Living

Publish Post

Join us for a Fundraiser

for

Guidestone and partners Weathervane Farm, Cottonwood Creek Dairy,

and Colorado Grown Co-Op Market!

Hosted by Karen Lacy of Alternative Choices Wellness Center and Eddie Sandoval of Asian Palate.

When: Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 5:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Where: The State Hwy. Theater, Buena Vista

Cost: Entrance Fee (Donation) $5 Adults (13 and up); $3 Kids (5-12)

What: Come for dancing and live entertainment, silent auction, raffle drawing for prizes, and healthy food to eat! All money spent is tax deductible.

Guidestone is dedicated to strengthening the local food economy through preserving agricultural resources and educating for ecological literacy. Guidestone serves farmers, landowners, educators, youth, and community members in the Upper Arkansas River Valley by providing farm based education programs and by supporting and growing the capacity of agricultural resources to help ensure a secure agricultural future for the region. Two Buena Vista farms, Weathervane Farm and Cottonwood Creek Dairy, and Colorado Grown Co-op Market currently work with Guidestone and benefit from their work in the community.

Technologies and Sustainable Education

Check out this very interesting TEDx Talk on Technologies and Sustainable Education with Karen Brown, creative director of the Center for Ecoliteracy. Brown is an award-winning designer who has lectured throughout the U.S., Europe, and Japan on the human and environmental consequences of design. Enjoy!

Ecological Literacy

Guidestone is dedicated to strengthening the local food economy through preserving agricultural resources and educating for ecological literacy.

The Upper Arkansas River Valley is a remarkable place in which to live! Within its awe inspiring landscape of mountains, canyons and river valleys, a number of meaningful organizations have taken root. These thriving organizations enhance the quality of life here and nourish us in countless ways through their work.

Recently I attended presentations put on by one such organization, The Collegiate Peaks Forum Series, whose mission is: “to facilitate the intellectual enrichment of The Upper Arkansas Valley residents and their visitors by sponsoring events featuring nationally recognized persons schooled in philosophy, religion or science and hosting other community discussion activities”.

Great work! And a big thank you goes to them for the quality speakers we are continually treated to through their Lecture Series. Temple Grandin, one of Time’s 100 most influential people in the world, spoke in two separate presentations: Animal Behavior and Autism (a condition Temple has lived with all her life). Last week Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow spoke at the SteamPlant Theater in Salida. Michael’s most recent book is Thank God for Evolution, and Connie’s book The Ghosts of Evolution was on the list of Amazon’s top recommended science books for a number of months.

I had the opportunity to spend time with Michael and Connie in beautiful Chalk Creek Canyon discussing ecological wonders such as the Chalk Cliffs, moraines in the valley, our natural hot springs, bats and local fauna and flora. It was their first time to visit this area. Their enjoyment and enthusiasm for the natural world is contagious, and through their study and understanding of nature and science, they share a link with Guidestone in this appreciation of ecological literacy.

To be ecologically literate is to understand the basic languages "spoken" by Earth, which are easy to see in natural settings. And it requires more than intellectual understanding. It is to become aware at the deepest level of your consciousness that we share the same story. And, since Earth's story is one chapter in the universe story, you learn to experience yourself in the unfolding drama of the universe. Ecological literacy focuses on process and story and its curriculum is transdisciplinary and experiential. Thomas Berry, earth scholar, author and teacher, devoted much of his life to understanding our place as humans in the whole of the Universe Story, which for him became a mythic and mystical, as well as scientific, narrative. He asserts that, “Earth’s story is our story. We are a product of the universe and in us the universe is becoming conscious of itself…” The Sacred Universe, Thomas Berry.

One of my favorite quotes by Berry is "The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects." Farmers, and those who live close to the land, understand this and know that human economy is inseparable from earth’s own economy. To be truly successful at any endeavor is to live in this larger context.

By Judie Anders, Guidestone Board Member

Showing of Inspiring Film

"The Greenhorns"

Thursday, August 25

Salida SteamPlant Theater

6 pm Appetizers and Drinks

7 pm Film and Discussion

Food and Water Watch, in partnership with Central Colorado Foodshed Alliance, Chaffee Citizens for Sustainability, and Guidestone, is hosting a film screening of The Greenhorns to raise awareness of the 2012 Farm Bill. The event is part of the Fair Farm Bill Road Trip - a month of activities across 20 states to educate consumers about how the federal Farm Bill impacts us all.

From low-income families who need food stamps to survive, to midsized family farmers struggling to stay in business, to shoppers who deserve healthier food choices, everyone has the right to safe, healthy, affordable food that supports independent farmers and producers. But to restore this balance, "voting with our forks" is not enough. We need a fair Farm Bill.

The event will take place on Thursday, August 25 at the Salida SteamPlant Theater starting at 6 pm with "local food" appetizers catered by Michelle Gapp and a cash bar followed by the film screening at 7 pm. "The Greenhorns" is an inspiring documentary about a new generation of farmers. Director and activist Severine von Tscharner Fleming takes her audience on a journey across the United States visiting farms and nurseries urban and rural. Some are operated by children taking over their family businesses and others are start ups by young people attracted to a simpler, more honest way of life. The evening will conclude with a presentation about the Farm Bill by Food and Water Watch senior organizer, Sam Schabacker. This event is free and open to the public, but donations are appreciated.

Join Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas for a showing of Green Fire

Join the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas as they present a new feature length documentary on Aldo Leopold. The film, Green Fire, explores Aldo Leopold's life in the early part of the twentieth century and the many ways his land ethic idea continues to be applied all over the world today. Join the Land Trust to watch the film and learn about Leopold's influential ideas and how it relates to our conservation work in the region.

· Salida - July 14th, 7pm, Salida Community Center, 305 F Street

· Buena Vista - July 21st, 7pm, State Highway Building Roadhouse, 402 East Main Street

· August 11th - Leadville, 7pm, Climax Room, Colorado Mountain College - Timberline Campus

· August 24th - Canon City, 7pm, Benedict Room, The Abby Event Center

$3 per person; under 12 free

Please pass this email on to other individuals that might be interested in Aldo Leopold's life and legacy!

Guiding for Conservation

Show your support for land and water conservation in central Colorado by booking a fly fishing, whitewater rafting or mountain biking trip in the Upper Arkansas River valley through the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas on August 15, 2011, the second annual Guiding For Conservation day. Guides from several local fishing, rafting and biking outfitters will donate their guide fee to LTUA in recognition of the conservation work the Trust undertakes to protect riparian habitat, wildlife habitat, water quality, open space and to enhance access to the river and existing trail systems. In a show of support, participating outfitters will match their guides' contribution.

The Upper Arkansas River, from its headwaters near Leadville to the Pueblo Reservoir, has played an important part in the natural and cultural history of the State of Colorado. The River is the lifeblood of the area, important for agricultural water needs, public recreation, biological diversity, and tourism. As one of the major river systems in the State, the Arkansas is the focus of cooperative efforts to promote public recreation and conservation.

Starting in the early 1990's, various interest groups and organizations joined together out of cooperation and mutual respect to reach a balance in the various water needs and uses on the Arkansas, thus providing additional recreational opportunities. That spirit of cooperation lives on, and is embodied in the second annual Guiding For Conservation day on August 15, 2011.

The event is the brainchild of Greg Felt, owner of ArkAnglers Guide Service in Salida, and Hayden Mellsop, guide and board president of the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas.

"The really great thing about this event is that it is guide driven. These guides are committed to protecting the resource that sustains them. They recognize the importance of nurturing the goose that lays the golden egg" said Mellsop. Added Felt, "From an outfitter's perspective, it makes sound business sense for us to be supporting what the Land Trust does. Our goals for a healthy, sustainable river are very much aligned with theirs."

The event is a fun way for people to get out and show their support, both for these guides and owners who care so much, for the communities along the river that depend on it for their economic and social well-being, and for the important work the Land Trust undertakes to help protect this fragile resource.

This is your opportunity to have a fanatic guided trip while contributing to conservation. We need you to book your trip for August 15th and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Here is a list of current companies participating in Guiding For Conservation. For an up-to-date list, click here.

When making your reservation make sure to mention Guiding for Conservation.

• ArkAnglers, www.arkanglers.com, 719-539-4223
• Absolute Bikes Adventures, www.absolutebikes.com, 719-539-9295
• The Adventure Company, www.theadventurecompany.com, 1-800-497-RAFT (7238)
• Canyon Marine Whitewater Expeditions, www.canyonmarine.com, 1-800-539-4447
• Echo Canyon River Expeditions, www.raftecho.com, 1-800-755-ECHO (3246)
• Kokopelli Rafting Adventures, www.kracolorado.com, 1-800-879-9035
• Raft Masters, www.raftmasters.com, 1-800-568-7238
• Rock-N-Row, www.rocknrow.com, 719-942-4125 or 1-877-487-2494
• Royal Gorge Anglers, www.royalgorgeanglers.com, 1-888-994-6743