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Welcome to Springs and Things, the podcast where two close friends spill the tea on all things Colorado Springs! From culture and community to hidden gems and neighborhood lore, we’ve got it covered. Join us as we sip our coffee (or maybe something stronger) and dive into the stories and secrets that make this city so unique. Whether you're a local or just passing through, our fun, light-hearted, and always entertaining take on the quirks, hot topics, and insider tips will keep you coming back for more. Discover what’s really happening in the Springs—beyond the mountains and parks!
Did you know there's an organization right here in Colorado Springs that has quietly protected nearly a 150,000 acres of the land and views we all love? From the iconic backdrop behind Garden Of The Gods to the trails of Red Rock Canyon, the Palmer Land Conservancy, our local protector of land and water, has been working behind the scenes for almost fifty years to make sure these places stay exactly as they are. In this episode, we sit down to talk about the surprising history behind the organization, the massive conservation quarters you drive past without ever realizing, a local food guide connects you to farms nearby, and an ambitious plan to protect 60,000 more acres and 25 miles of waterways. Plus, you'll find out how you can get involved this summer. If you've ever taken a deep breath on a trail and thought, I'm so glad this is still here, then keep listening.
Astrid Monar:And this episode is brought to you by Vanguard Aesthetics. While you're out enjoying these beautiful open spaces, don't forget to wear your sunscreen.
Lauren Ferrara:Hey, everyone. I'm Carly. And I'm Lauren.
Astrid Monar:We're two Colorado Springs locals who love uncovering everything that makes the city special.
Lauren Ferrara:If you're the kind of person who wants to know where to go, what's happening, and the stories behind it all, then you're in the right place. Welcome to Springs and Things, your insider's path to hidden gems, local flavor,
Lauren Ferrara:and unexpected moments that make
Lauren Ferrara:The Springs one of a kind. From secret spots and can't miss events to arts, eats, and those you've gotta hear about at Local Stories.
Astrid Monar:We've got you covered.
Lauren Ferrara:So grab your coffee, settle in, and get ready to fall a little more in love with Colorado Springs.
Astrid Monar:Let's dive in to Springs and Things. Ashard, what were the odds of us sitting here together early May and it we're calling for a snowstorm tomorrow? This is the most random May ever. What is happening?
Lauren Ferrara:It's Miracle May. We're getting our final water of the winter season. So let's hope that lines us up for a wonderful, wonderful summer.
Astrid Monar:Well, I told you offline that this is my fault because I already planted the flowers. So I'm so sorry listeners. This will be a few days after the storm has come. But if you also planted your flowers, this is all on us, so apologies. But I am so excited today to talk about the Palmer Land Conservancy because you guys do so much.
Astrid Monar:But most people don't realize that the that the Palmer Land Conservancy started back in the seventies, like 1977. Right? Yes. As the William J Palmer Parks Foundation. And back then, was basically a volunteer squad helping Parks and Rec buy land.
Astrid Monar:So what was the spark that got those first volunteers fired up? And is there a cool founding story that would surprise people, you think?
Lauren Ferrara:Palmer Lane Conservancy was founded out of a group of volunteers. We were founded out of the Parks and Recs department. A small group of folks got together. These are folks that loved living in Colorado Springs because of the access to the outdoors. And even back then, it's been almost fifty years since Palmer's been around, but back then, Colorado Springs was growing at a fast clip.
Lauren Ferrara:So this volunteer group got together and started what would become Palmer Land Conservancy. They started with working with the city to protect small parcels of land, which has really grown to, now we've helped protect 150, almost 100,000 acres, which is over a 100 or 200 square miles, which is a lot of land. What I often say is that when conservation is done right, everything kind of looks the same because it is not, it is not torn down. The habitat wildlife habitat, the open spaces that were there are still there. That's because of conservation efforts.
Astrid Monar:And I think some people just kinda take it for granted. Like, well, we live in the mountains. Of course, the mountains are gonna just be there and there's not gonna be anything on it. And no, that's not true. Like, you guys really work hard at what you do.
Astrid Monar:But you guys have also gone through two name changes. So it was from it was the Palmer Parks Foundation and then the Palmerland Trust, And now it's a Palmerland Conservancy. What made you feel like what made you specifically? What made the the organization feel like land trust wasn't big enough anymore? And what does Conservancy specifically let you do that you don't that the old names may not have?
Lauren Ferrara:So about six years ago, it was actually prior to when I was here, the Palmer Land Trust turned into Palmer Land Conservancy, and they did that because Palmer Land Conservancy better represented the breadth of work that Palmer, that we do. Typical land trusts, they protect land through easements, their own land, but the types of projects that Palmer has been working on are more regional, bigger than just protecting lands through conservation easements. So that's why the name Palmer Land Conservancy better represents the work that we do.
Astrid Monar:Well, so let's talk about one of our more iconic areas in the city, Garden Of The Gods. You guys helped protect the backdrop behind Garden Of Gods back in the eighties. So what do you think that view would look like today if those deals hadn't happened?
Lauren Ferrara:Like, would there be houses? Would there be a strip mall? Would there be a Costco? What do you
Astrid Monar:what would that nightmare scenario look like? I mean, can you imagine if it didn't look the way it did right now?
Lauren Ferrara:If Palmer and a lot of other folks didn't get involved to help protect that backdrop, it would have looked very different. Who knows what to say? Could have had houses. It's hard to imagine a scenario in which there were big Sky scribers, but I guess there is a possibility. Palmer worked with a number of individuals and groups to protect that backdrop and we're really proud of the work that we have done with Guard and the Gods, the John Blair Bridge project which is just off of 30th which is kind of near the visitor center and a lot of the other public spaces that Palmer had a hand in.
Lauren Ferrara:Currently Palmer has helped to protect 20 public parks and open These are spaces that people know and love. It's open space. It's Valley Open Space. It's Stratton Valley Open Space. It's some parts of the paint mines.
Lauren Ferrara:It's many. So we are really proud of that work because we wanna help ensure that public open space is accessible.
Astrid Monar:You know what I love about Red Rock Canyon open space? It's literally where I go to unwind because I don't have any cell service there. Oh. So I'm, like, not even tempted. It literally feels like like you can just go and enjoy being in nature, which you can't say that about I mean, we have the best trails I think ever.
Astrid Monar:I was in Denver over the weekend, I was like, oh, you guys don't know what you're talking about being a mountain.
Lauren Ferrara:No. That's one of the best things about Colorado Springs is the accessibility. Think, well, I always feel that no matter where you are in the Springs, you're only about, I don't know, ten to fifteen minutes away from a trailhead. That's what it feels like.
Astrid Monar:I know. And I love bragging about it. Okay. So we're talking about all of our local trails and maybe some people think of you guys as the hiking trails and pretty
Lauren Ferrara:views
Astrid Monar:organization. But you have a whole local food guide connecting people to farms and ranches, which I think is just incredible. Can you talk about that? And then also, how many people do you think are eating locally that have no idea?
Lauren Ferrara:At Palmer, protecting land for local food is one of our top conservation priorities. And you're right. You talk about people in Colorado Springs. We have the local trails that we absolutely love, but there's also an opportunity for more people to know about and eat local food, which is why Palmer created the Southern local the Southern Colorado Local Food Guide to tell people where they can have access to local food, where they can get it, where they can eat it. And a lot of this local food is coming South Of Colorado Springs from Pueblo, from Rocky Ford, from that area, which is often called the breadbasket basket of Colorado because so much local food is produced there.
Lauren Ferrara:We created this local food guide so people from The Springs could better connect with that food. I'll where can you find this guide? They can find it online at our website or if they swing by our office, they can get a physical copy.
Astrid Monar:Oh, you mean like the one I'm gonna walk out
Lauren Ferrara:of here with today? Exactly that one. Well,
Astrid Monar:okay. So again, you guys just have so much going on. And your five year plan calls for protecting 60,000 additional acres and 25 miles of waterways. Like, my brain breaks even trying to compute that to give people a sense of scale. What does 60,000 acres even look like Compared to something we all recognize like is that bigger than Colorado Springs?
Astrid Monar:How many football fields is that what give me a have you
Lauren Ferrara:ever been to Manhattan? I have the Manhattan Islands about 15,000 acres. So it's four of Manhattan four Manhattans. That's a lot of land. Yeah.
Lauren Ferrara:We're well on our way to protecting and to reaching our goals of the strategic plan. One thing about conservation is conservation projects often take a very long time but once they are done, at least with Palmer, they are permanent. Which is real exciting. We work with the landowner to put a conservation easement on a property. That's a legal agreement between us and the land owner that's tied to the land.
Lauren Ferrara:So even if that land owner decides they want to sell the property, the easement stays. And Palmer works with the land owner to ensure that the conservation values of that property, whether it was protected for to be public open space, to be land, to produce local food, or maybe it's beautiful view, or maybe that's land where wildlife live, make sure those protections are in place. Okay.
Astrid Monar:So for the person listening right now who drives past open spaces every day, maybe they're doing that as they're listening to this, and they never think about it. What is the one thing do you want them to know that might completely change how they see the landscape at their
Lauren Ferrara:car window? I wanna make sure that, or I would want people to know that if land, that land shouldn't be taken for granted, especially the beautiful views and the access that we have here in Colorado Springs, that it takes communities of people to want that access and ensure that there's beautiful views to to make that happen.
Astrid Monar:Great. Okay. Well, so again, there you I mean, I don't know how many times I can say this in a lot of episodes, but you guys do just do so much. Are there any other interesting stories that many locals wouldn't know about the Palmer Lane conservancy that you like sharing with people? Okay.
Astrid Monar:So before we hear her answer, let's give a quick shout out to our amazing sponsors. So if you've been following the show, you know that Lauren and I have been on a bit of a skincare journey together. And we have to give a big shout out to our friends at Vanguard Aesthetics for making that happen. I just had my second IPL treatment and full transparency, everyone's results are going to be different, but mine have been really noticeable. Like, people are asking what I'm doing noticeable.
Astrid Monar:Their team takes the time to understand your skin, your goals, and what actually makes sense for you. So if you've been curious about leveling up your skincare, check out Vanguard Aesthetics. Their link is in our show notes. And then, of course, we have to give a quick shout out to a CORE Collective Pilates who's been with us since the beginning. Here's what we love about them.
Astrid Monar:It is so easy to make Core Collective part of your routine. You go once, you feel amazing, book the next class, and suddenly it's just part of your week, and it just is a part of you. That's what happened to us, and I hear the same thing from so many of our listeners. Whether you're brand new to Pilates or have been at it for years, their studio just has this energy that keeps you coming back. Use code Springs and Things, all caps, no spaces at checkout to get three classes for just $30.
Astrid Monar:That's just $10 a class, which is unheard of. Their link is in our show notes as well. And you guys, Lauren's company, Why Wait Stories, creates legacy films and brand films that capture the stories that matter most, whether that's your family's history, a milestone in your life, or the story behind your business. The whole idea is simple. Do not wait.
Astrid Monar:The best time to preserve these moments and these voices is right now. If you have been thinking about it, just go to
Lauren Ferrara:whywaitstories.com and start the conversation. Trust me, future you will be so glad you did. One of my favorite legacy projects that Palmer Land Conservancy has worked on is what we call the Pikes Peak Conservation Corridor. If you're ever headed west on 24 past Woodland Park, before you get divide, you're going down to 24 and all of a sudden you see these beautiful sweeping views of the side of Pikes Peak. That's what we call the Pikes Peak Conservation Corridor.
Lauren Ferrara:It's made out of it's it was helped form starting in the eighties, I believe going to the nineties Palmer were individual land owners to protect that beautiful corridor. It was seven land owners that protected their ranches and what's awesome to see the impact of conservation is when you're looking toward Pikes Peak, see these beautiful views of these sweeping meadows and forests and eventually the mountain And then you look on to your right side, you see a lot of housing development. And that just shows you the power of conservation because because of those easements, because those landowners and because Palmer worked with those landowners, that those views will always be there.
Astrid Monar:Yeah. Absolutely. Well, what are you most excited to be working on right now?
Lauren Ferrara:There's so much that Palmer is working on, but I am partial to trails and having more open space because that's, I'm a runner, I'm a biker, that really just speaks to me. We're working with the Teller Trail Team and the City of Woodland Park to put a conservation easement on a newly purchased property by the city of Woodland park called Avenger Open Space. And that is a, I think it was 120 something acres that was privately owned before the city of Woodland park purchased it. Now that the city purchased it, they are gonna make it an open space. That will have trails that connect to other public public land.
Lauren Ferrara:Oh my gosh. Oh, I'm so excited just to hear about what's going next. And speaking of which,
Astrid Monar:is there anything that we haven't discussed today that you want people to know about? One
Lauren Ferrara:thing we haven't talked about is how this work happens. And I want people to know that people make this work happen. It's landowners deciding that they wanna conserve their property. It's community advocating for open space for local food. It's people who help do the work, help write the easements.
Lauren Ferrara:It's people supporting organizations that are conservation organizations that are doing the work. So people make conservation. How can people support what you guys are doing? There's lots of ways people can support. Number one is join our e news.
Lauren Ferrara:That's the best way to stay informed about local conservation happenings. And another way people can support is come to our events. We host a number of events throughout the summer, hikes, happy hours that connect people with the conservation work happening here locally. And probably the number one way people can support conservation work is to make a donation because people make this work happen. So, speaking of some
Astrid Monar:more events coming up, what are some of these events that people can look forward to?
Lauren Ferrara:Yes, we have a few events coming up I'll tell you about too. One of which is if you're new to Palmer, you're just hearing about Palmer Land Conservancy for the first time, I really encourage you to come to our Tints with Palmer night. Oh, yeah. Goat Patch on Wednesday, June 25. This is a great way to learn a little bit more about the work that Palmer is doing and connect with other land lovers that are here in Colorado Springs.
Astrid Monar:Oh my gosh. So fun. Any, anything else happening that you want to talk about? Yes.
Lauren Ferrara:We also, I talk about how donors help power this work. As a thank you to our donors, we are hosting a private guided hike of Avenger Open Space, is going to eventually be conserved with Palmer that the Teller Trail team has played a huge role and the City Of Woodland Park has played a huge role in making an open space. We are doing a hike with them that are just for donors on May 19. So if you wanna come, I encourage you to reach out to me. I'm Astrid at Palm Online Conservancy.
Astrid Monar:Okay. So you guys do so much for this city and the Pegs Peak region. So I have to ask you personally, we ask all of our guests this question. What is your pick of the week? What is your favorite thing happening?
Astrid Monar:Favorite dish? Favorite restaurant? Attraction? Whatever they're loving in the Springs right now.
Lauren Ferrara:Oh, there's so much to love in the spring. I know. One of my favorite things right now is Lolly's ice cream. Have you
Astrid Monar:ever Oh, seen So the shout out to Lolly's that I want to give is one of my daughter's friends has celiac and can never have waffle cones. And she can have them at Lolly's because the whole thing's gluten free. So it has a special place in my heart for my daughter's friend.
Lauren Ferrara:Well, we love Walt Lolly's. They are a supporter of Palmer. They also opened a new location downtown, so not too far from Palmer's office, and they're awesome. They support local conservation and are just really great partners.
Astrid Monar:Oh, great. And if it wasn't raining right now, I would go down the street
Lauren Ferrara:and get some. It's not quite ice cream on it, but it will be.
Astrid Monar:It will be soon enough. Well, Ashford, thank you so much. I so I interviewed, I told you Steve Harris for Meadow Grass about a month ago, and I'm so glad I did because it really I kinda went down the rabbit hole of everything you guys do after that interview. And I I've I'd heard about you guys before. I knew I, like, had an inkling of of everything you guys did, but I just now truly appreciate and respect everything you all do for the city.
Astrid Monar:So just thank you personally, but thank you to your entire team and everything you guys stand for.
Lauren Ferrara:Thank you. Thank you for having us. And yeah, with it for a long time, Palmer's been called Colorado Springs best kept secret, and we don't wanna be that anymore. Everybody needs to know about conservation work that's happening here.
Astrid Monar:It's wonderful. Well, thank you again. And listeners, as always, thank you so much for tuning in. Please leave that five star review. So share this episode with a friend who they who you think needs to hear about Palm Harlan Conservancy, and subscribe to the show on Apple or Spotify, and we'll see you next week on Springs and Things.