Mission

Fly Marble Charter School students over their incredible backyard landscape to see it from a new perspective! We flew over the Crystal Valley; some of the students saw places you like to hike, bike, or explore and others saw their homes.

We followed the Crystal River from Carbondale toward Marble and the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. The Crystal is one of the last undammed and undiverted rivers in Colorado. It is a major tributary of the Roaring Fork River, which provides between 6-12% of the Colorado River's annual flow. The river is home to wildlife like deer, bears, bighorn sheep, bald eagles, and cutthroat trout. Beyond ecosystem values, the Crystal boasts amazing recreational opportunities like kayaking and fishing. The river also provides drinking water for 7,000 people and is crucial to the region's rich ranching and agricultural heritage.

A group of local citizens and organizations has come together to advocate for the protection of the Crystal River. This group, the Crystal River Wild and Scenic and Other Alternatives Feasibility Collaborative, was formed in 2022 with the goal of identifying shared community values and the best approach to achieve durable protections for the Crystal River, which would prevent dams or out-of-basin diversions. This included consideration of a federal Wild and Scenic River designation. EcoFlight has been an active participant in this group since its inception, and EcoFlight's Conservation Policy Director Lea Linse-Hirro co-chairs the Wild and Scenic Feasibility Subcommittee. Stay tuned for updates in the Crystal Valley Echo on the Committee's progress, learn more at the Committee's website, and feel free to reach out to EcoFlight.

It was inspiring to meet these students and learn how we can all help to protect wild spaces, clean water, and a healthy climate.

Photos from the flights.