Dear Editor:

There are so many reasons to be grateful for Aspen Skiing Co. – for the miracles its groundskeepers worked in December with so little snow, for the patrollers’ dedication to balancing safety with getting terrain open now that we’ve got snow, for another thrilling X Games – that one might overlook the extraordinary work it does year-round in this community, including through its Environment Foundation, a nonprofit employee organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the regional environment.

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers recently received a grant from the Environment Foundation toward its Young Stewards Initiative, a new program that will get hundreds of kids from throughout the greater Roaring Fork Valley involved in conservation projects.

Our kids are the future stewards of our public lands – we believe that getting them outside, inspiring them and having them experience firsthand what a difference they can make is the best way to ensure this landscape will be taken care of for years to come.

We are grateful to Skico, its employees, and its partner the Aspen Community Foundation for believing in our kids, too, and for helping Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers take care of this beautiful place we are lucky enough to call home.

Karin Teague

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers

Basalt