Show us how you’re getting creative during quarantine!

Create something that tells a story about your experience of the natural world.

PURPOSE:

Hosted by the WSCC Outreach Committee, the purpose of this exercise is to engage volunteers and members in creative activity to promote the protection and enhancement of the Lower Gunnison Watershed. While the COVID 19 pandemic may limit our physical connection with nature, we hope to inspire artistic interpretations of your experiences outdoors, and we want you to share them with us! (See guidelines below.)

​This is a family friendly exercise – we encourage all submissions by June 1st. Submissions will be displayed at the WSCC office in Paonia and images/ files will be shared in an email to our members as well as on our website.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submissions can be: poem, letter, essay, painting, drawings, graphic designs, collage, etc.

Highlight your favorite place in nature or a recent experience in nature, Western Slope stories a plus!

Please submit no more than a two-page PDF or JPG document to [email protected].

Subject line: Story Submission

Please include the title, and the author/artist in your submission. Example: “RiverWatch_WSCC.jpg : This piece is titled River Watch and was written by WSCC volunteers.”

By submitting your piece, you allow the WSCC to publish them as our outreach committee deems appropriate. Submissions do not have any copyright protection.

Want to see an example?

Here’s a letter that one of our volunteers wrote to her granddaughter. The sensory language is so powerful that it takes you right along the walk with her! In the original letter, drawings were included to accompany the story, but those are for Emmery’s eyes only.

“Dear Emmery,

I am the luckiest Grandma in the world to have you in my life!  The only thing better would be if you lived next door. 

The first walk you and I would take would be to Jumbo.  It’s just a short walk from our house on Third Street and when you get there it’s like our own private nature wonder-mountain! The nice Bureau of Land Management has made it so we can go there and walk, for free!

When Grandpa and Luna and I walked to Jumbo yesterday, we followed the foot prints of deer, dogs and a few people.  We found wild sage bushes with new leaves — when you rub them they smell soooo nice! 

Luna found some old deer bones.  Sometimes old deer just get tired and lie down on a lovely starry night on Jumbo.  Their lives have been full and productive, so now they can give their nourishment to nature again. 

​We climbed a ridge and discovered we could see Uncle Alex’ and Uncle Pete’s farm, and called out to them, and to the crows above.  ‘Ca-cahhh, Ca-cahh!’ 

Soon Jumbo will be bursting with Spring flowers.  My favorites are the cacti with their pinks and purples — pretty to see but ouchy for Luna, if her paws get too close.

We stay on the main trails so we don’t bother the plants and animals on the mountainside or gullies.  We are happy to pick up any dog poo, but most people are doing their part to keep Jumbo clean. It’s really fun to find the skat (poo) from the wild critters like fox, coyotes and of course, deer.  (No armadillos like at your house in Arkansas.)

So now Grandpa and I are being smart grandparents and staying home, except to walk Luna, because we want to let this goofy virus pass over.  Then we can come to see you again, and you can come visit us in Paonia.

Big hugs and kisses. 

Grandma”