Preserving Our Water Field Day Set for Oct. 18 in Las Animas

Description: Ogallala Commons and Southern Plains Land Trust will host a free Preserving Our Water Field Day Oct. 18 at the Bent County Community Center in Las Animas...

Preserving Our Water Field Day in Las Animas, CO on October 18, 2026

For More Information: Contact Maria Yanez, Regional Coordinator, Ogallala Commons

832-524-9448    maria@ogallalacommons.org 

Farmers, ranchers, students, agency personnel, educators, and the interested public are invited to attend a Preserving Our Water Field Day presented by Ogallala Commons (www.ogallalacommons.org) and Southern Plains Land Trust (SPLT) on Sunday, October 18th from 1:20pm-4:00pm Mountain Time, at the Bent County Community Center (1214 Ambassador Thompson Blvd) in Las Animas, CO.  

The purpose of the field day is: 1) to shift the public conversation about surface water depletion toward a more hopeful narrative built on a wide range of innovative solutions, and 2) to expand the stakeholder coalition focused on improving the water realities we live with and leave for future generations on the High Plains.  

Doors will open at 1:00pm Mountain Time at the Bent County Community Center for registration and catered lunch from local Las Animas restaurant Taco Tony’s.  After a welcome and introductions, a presentation of “History of the Boggsville Historic Site” will be given at by Anita Pointon, Bent County Historical Society, Las Animas, CO.  Immediately following will be a presentation entitled “Native Plants & Seeds” given by Jameson Crumpler, Texas Native Seeds Program, Lubbock, TX.  

After the break, another presentation on “A Community Vision for the Purgatoire River Preserve” by SPLT’s Executive Director, Henry Pollock.  SPLT is based in Lamar, CO and purchased the Preserve, a 493-acre property along the Purgatoire River, in January 2025 to create a public outdoor recreation resource for the residents of Bent County and Las Animas.  The final presentation entitled, “Youth Corps Build a Foundation of Stewardship in SE Colorado” will be offered by Tara Castaneda, Eastern Plains Youth Corps, La Junta, CO.

At 2:55pm, attendees will depart on a field excursion to the Boggsville Site and the Purgatoire River Preserve.  The event will be adjourned at 4:00pm.

There is no registration fee for the event.   Those who wish to attend do need to sign up by October 16th at this link: https://events.humanitix.com/seco-water-field-day

Otherwise, please sign up by contacting Maria Yanez, Ogallala Commons Regional Coordinator (maria@ogallalacommons.org or by phone at 832-524-9448). 

The field day is part of the Stewarding Our Water Future Project being conducted around southeastern Colorado by Ogallala Commons and is made possible by grant support from the Gates Family Foundation.

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