Art, culture, community & conservation—see what’s coming up this season at Canyons of the Ancients.
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Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance fosters awareness and appreciation of the landscape and cultural heritage of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument through collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management.
Dear Friends,
Summer is in full swing, and there’s no better time to experience everything Canyons of the Ancients has to offer. From vibrant cultural events to hands-on volunteer opportunities, your support helps make it all possible—and there are so many exciting ways to get involved this season!
🎨 Four Corners Indigenous Art Market On Saturday, June 28, the Four Corners Indigenous Art Market returns to the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum. This free, family-friendly event features regional Indigenous artists, music, and performances that celebrate the living cultures of the Four Corners. Don’t miss it!
📚 Four Corners Lecture Series The Four Corners Lecture Series is underway, bringing you thought-provoking talks that deepen our connection to the land and cultures of the Southwest. You won’t want to miss these engaging evenings hosted by SCCA and CANM. Free to the public and no registration needed.
Tuesday, July 8: Three Years of Archaeofaunal Analyses at the Haynie Site (5MT1905) with Jonathan Dombrosky, PhD
Wednesday, August 20: Intro to Night Sky Photography with Kurt Hillman
🌄 National Public Lands Day Save the date for Saturday, September 27! We’ll be hosting a fire ring removal at Big Point for National Public Lands Day. We'll meet at Sand Canyon Pueblo at 9 am and caravan It's a great chance to give back, enjoy the outdoors, and meet fellow supporters of public lands. Register HERE.
Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center NEEDS Garden Volunteers! Love plants and spending time outdoors? The garden at the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum needs volunteer caretakers! No experience necessary—just a willingness to pull weeds, water, and help keep this special space looking great for visitors. Volunteers typically meet Thursday mornings at 9 a.m., Spring, Summer and Fall. Whether you are new to gardening and looking to expand your knowledge or a seasoned vet, this volunteer opportunity is open to all! It’s a great way to connect with others while supporting the Monument.
If you would like to learn more about volunteering, please inquire with Jennifer Humphreys via phone or email. Jennifer can be reached at (970) 882-5600 or Jmhumphreys@blm.gov.
🌞 Support Our Summer Campaign This summer, we’re raising critical funds to support our stewardship programs and cultural initiatives. Every donation helps us protect what makes this place so special.
👕 Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of CANM We’re proud to celebrate 25 years of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument! Support our work and show your love for the Monument with a limited-edition 25th Anniversary t-shirt, available now in our online shop. All proceeds help fund our educational programs, cultural events, and volunteer activities.
The June solstice has passed, marking the longest day of the year north of the equator. I know many of you went out to your favorite Canyons of the Ancients National Monument archaeological sites to experience unique alignments of site features with the rising or setting sun. It’s pretty amazing what ancestral people were able to calculate and build without the “tools” that we have nowadays. It’s also pretty amazing that we all have the opportunity to live and explore in a location that has these special public lands so close at hand, both within and outside of the monument boundaries. Two thoughts come to mind as I reflect on this:
Do you have talents or experience with the resources that abound on the monument that you can share with others? Are you willing to share those with others in our “community”? Perhaps you can lead a hike to explore geology, wildflowers, archaeology, wildlife, wilderness values, or something else that you have a passion for. Or perhaps you can share your past experience and knowledge by putting on a lecture or online presentation as part of our outreach programs. If you have a desire to expand your existing volunteering for SCCA, and help out the Board or share your skills, please get in touch with myself, other Board members, or Markleigh Swanson, our Executive Director.
Secondly, in addition to being a non-profit, the Canyons Alliance is a non-political, non-partisan organization. We do our best to support the Bureau of Land Management and the monument staff, and that typically involves supporting the hired or elected leadership at higher levels. However, the current process being pushed by the administration to sell-off public lands is a proposal that I find unacceptable. There are lands that have been identified through analysis and land management planning processes that are appropriate for “disposal” by the agency. However, indiscriminately proposing huge acreages of other lands for sale could make many of your favorite places outside the monument unavailable for your use. I totally support Keeping Public Lands in Public Hands.
Thank you for your support, Don Hoffheins SCCA Board Chair
Consider making a lasting impact on the preservation of the Canyons of the Ancients by including Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance in your will or estate planning. Your bequest, whether large or small, will help protect these treasured landscapes and their cultural heritage for future generations.
If you haven’t created a will or are thinking of updating it, now is a great time to consult with your attorney or financial advisor to ensure your wishes are clearly expressed.
If you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to reach out.
Follow the directions on the page and select Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance either by name or use this code, WM546;
Don’t have a City Market loyalty card? No worries. New Users can easily create an account! This just requires some basic information, a valid email address and a loyalty card number or phone number.
REMEMBER, you must scan your registered City Market loyalty card or use the phone number that is related to your registered City Market loyalty card when you checkout for each purchase to count. Thank-you!
Help Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance Raise Much-Needed Funds for free!
Every time you shop at any of the 1,800+ online stores in the iGive network, a portion of the money you spend benefits Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance. It’s a free service, and you’ll never pay more when you reach a store through iGive. To get started, just create your free iGive account.
Looking for another way to give? Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance is proud to partner with ShopRaise. From groceries and apparel to technology and travel – a percentage of almost everything you buy using the ShopRaise app goes to support our cause. Click to download and start supporting us with every purchase: https://ShopRaise.com/support/swcocanyons
Thank you for supporting Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument!
Thank you for your support!*
Thank you to our members and supporters who donated between April 1 and April 30, 2025.
We appreciate your support!
Conservation Lands Foundation The Dolores State Bank Don & Nancy Hoffheins City Market Community Rewards National Trust for Historic Preservation David Snee, Jr Southwest Health Systems Richard & Janet Wheeler B.C. and B.P. Williams
Deep Gratitude to our Sustaining Members
Thank you for providing SCCA with a steady stream of support!
Steve Barker Melissa Blackwell Ken Boucher Caroline Brown & Tom Ferrell Chris & Lou Burkett Tris & Bruce Downer Terri Helm Erik Hendrickson Don & Nancy Hoffheins Diane McBride Vincent Miller Gregory Munson Marcie Ryan Cynthia Sadler Cynthia Sadler Michael Stillman Markleigh Swanson Carol Taylor & Cliff Giffen John Thyfault David & KD Umbarger
Thank You to our current Corporate Sponsors and Grant Funders!
Sincere thanks to all our supporters!
*SCCA processed contributions from new and renewing annual and sustaining members and donors named in this newsletter between April 1, 2025 and April 30, 2025. Corporate support and grants listed in this newsletter were given between April 1, 2024 and April 1, 2025. Please accept our sincerest apologies if your name or company is not listed here or if we have not yet processed your donation.
Visit Canyons of the Ancients National Monument For more information about visiting CANM go to this link.
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