Bringing People Together to Celebrate Land, Wildlife, and Community
Photo Credit: Frances Maskus
Karval Community Alliance is a non-profit organization that brings together landowners and local community members to sustain rural economies and encourage community-based collaborative conservation, which benefits wildlife and contributes to generational succession of ranch lands.
The Karval Community Alliance was formed in 2006 to promote the small, rural community of Karval, Colorado. One of the first innovative actions was to establish a bird festival in their community. The private land that surrounds Karval is home to a special shorebird, the Mountain Plover. The Karval Mountain Plover Festival began when Karval community members decided to “bring the bird lovers to the bird.” The weekend festival, with a hometown character, is full of bird watching and wildlife viewing tours, entertainment, history, arts and crafts, and delicious home cooked meals. Highlights for participants include the opportunity to visit with local landowners, see the habitat restoration and enhancement projects that have been completed on working cattle ranches, and learn about the rural way of life. In addition to the festival, the Karval Community Alliance is engaged with ongoing research, monitoring, and habitat improvement projects with organizations, agencies, and universities. Some of the key, long-term partners include Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, and the University of Colorado – Denver.
