Forces unite at
wilderness rendezvous

By Clare Bastable

It may have been the weekend before Thanksgiving, but turkey was not the main topic of conversation at the Colorado Wilderness Network’s Wilderness Rendezvous. On November 16–18, citizen activists, volunteers, and staff from all over Colorado gathered in Ouray to share information and craft strategies for the future of wilderness efforts in Colorado. The weekend was packed with panel discussions, local organizing sessions, and multi-media presentations on various wilderness-related issues. Oh, and there was also a little bit of merry-making and meteor shower-gazing in there as well.

The Wilderness Rendezvous was an incredible success. About ninety participants were present throughout the weekend, including over ten members of the Colorado Mountain Club: We were perhaps the best-represented group at the entire conference. The weekend began with an intense three-hour strategy session on Friday afternoon attended by key volunteers and staff of the Colorado Wilderness Network. This was an opportunity to gather feedback from long-time wilderness activists and plan for the future of the campaign for the Citizens’ Wilderness Proposal. Friday night continued with a more informal “happy hour,” with speeches given by business owners who are active wilderness advocates.

The rest of the weekend was jam-packed with panel discussions and breakout sessions. One of the highlights was a panel presentation given by representatives of groups who are not traditionally part of the wilderness effort, including the Colorado Outfitters Association and the mountain bike community. Another fruitful session focused on local organizing efforts, where participants separated into regional groups and drafted plans on how to get individual communities and counties more involved in wilderness advocacy.

I left the meeting feeling more knowledgeable about wilderness issues and more enthusiastic than ever. It is amazing how much power a group of people who are passionate about wilderness can have. Hopefully, all participants will take advantage of the contacts they made and the organizational strategies they developed, moving ahead in the wilderness campaign with even more fervor than ever.

If you were unable to attend the Wilderness Rendezvous but would like to find out more information about the weekend, please contact Vera Smith (smithv@cmc.org) or Clare Bastable (bastac@cmc.org). For more general information about wilderness and the Citizens’ Wilderness Proposal, see the Colorado Wilderness Network’s website at www.cowildernessnetwork.org.