HCCA Receives Local Hero Award

High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA) would like to thank RMBL for inviting us to speak to the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS) conference which was held in Gothic on Sept. 17th. We were asked to tell the story of how Mt. Emmons (aka Red Lady) was saved from an industrial mine threat—a story we know all too well! It was our pleasure to spend the evening recounting and reminiscing with the large group from all over the world. Some of the OBFS participants also face threats from mining to their local research areas, so they were very interested in how our community worked together to Save Red Lady and the strategies that worked to extinguish the potential for a new mine.

To our surprise, after our talk, the OBFS presented HCCA with a special honor—the Mary Hufty Local Hero Award. This heightened the honor we felt in speaking to this esteemed group of people who are dedicated to science the world over.

Thank you to OBFS, RMBL, and Dr. Mary Hufty for their gesture of generosity and recognition. We will continue to devote ourselves to the conservation of the Gunnison Country’s public lands, waters, and wildlife as we enjoy the thoughtful award.