The Adams State University Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center received additional funding to support its mission to advance the conservation of the San Luis Valley’s water, land, and cultural resources. In past years, the Conejos Water Conservancy District, the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, and the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District played an instrumental role in maintaining the Center’s operations. This partnership continues in 2025 as each district earmarked funds to move the Center’s work forward.
“The Salazar Center is very fortunate to work with people like Nathan Coombs, Heather Dutton, Amber Pacheco, and Senator Cleave Simpson whose leadership at the districts makes the Center’s work possible,” explains Center director Paul Formisano, Ph.D. “They understand the importance of education and its role in navigating the various challenges our resources face. I look forward to continued collaboration with them and providing impactful programming throughout the year and into the future.”
The Salazar Center also received a generous donation from Patricia St. Germain, who passed away in 2024. She always introduced herself by saying, “my friends call me Saint,” recalls close friend Laura Metz-Velasquez. St. Germain was a long-time supporter of water education and was involved in a number of conservation projects throughout the Valley. “She was an artist, scientist, and teacher with a strong passion for being in nature and protecting our environment,” said Metz-Velasquez. “As a Colorado native, she was very proud of Ken Salazar and his family’s work in the San Luis Valley. It was her dream to share a legacy that would have a positive impact on water conversation in the San Luis Valley.”
Former Salazar Center Director Rio de la Vista, who assisted in facilitating this gift, was overjoyed to hear about St. Germain’s donation: “It’s such a special feeling, when unexpected support arises from surprise sources. Saint’s generous donation to the work of the Salazar Center is one such example. I hope it will inspire others to know that when one works toward the good of the community, for the environment, for the water that sustains us all, and to provide the next generation with the knowledge and information they need to care for these values, there is support that will come forward and make even more possible. Patricia St. Germain is one such person, whose gift will surely inspire much good work and new opportunities ahead.”
Finally, the Salazar Center will receive two Water Plan grants beginning later this year from the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The first, totaling over $200,000, will provide funding for three years, to enhance Adams State’s water curriculum, support student internships with local water organizations, build up the Salazar Center Speaker Series, and establish the Rio Grande Collection at Nielsen Library by purchasing books and equipment, digitizing water documents, and conducting oral histories with the Valley’s water leaders.
For the second grant, the Salazar Center teamed up with the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust (RiGHT) and the Rio Grande Watershed Conservation and Education Initiative for the “Rio Grande Basin Water Education Mural Project.” This one-year project brings together K-12 students, water educators, community members, and local artists to design and create large water-themed murals on buildings in Alamosa and Del Norte. The goal is to extend this pilot project to other communities along the Rio Grande to showcase their relationships with water and further beautify downtown areas. “I’m excited to launch this mural project, which will bring together art, education, and community in a visible, lasting way,” says Jocelyn Catterson, project lead and RiGHT Community Engagement Director. “Through this work, we hope to inspire awareness, connection, and stewardship of the waters in the Rio Grande Basin for people of all ages.”
Formisano said the Salazar Center is deeply grateful for the contributions and their impact on supporting future university and community education initiatives. Anyone interested in supporting the Salazar Center and local water education may contact the Adams State University Foundation at 719-587-7609.
