SCHEDULE overview

Monday, April 27th

1:00 - 2:15 pm                Conference Welcome and Keynote Speaker (Gemara Gifford)
2:30 - 3:45 pm                Breakout Sessions #1
3:45 - 5:30 pm                Free Time, Sponsor Expo, and Optional Activities (Indigenous Cultural Event from 4:30-5:30)
5:30 - 6:30 pm                Reception and Poster Session
6:30 - 7:30 pm                Dinner

Tuesday, April 28th

6:30 - 7:45 am                Optional Morning Meetups
6:30 - 8:00 am                Breakfast
8:00 - 9:15 am                Breakout Sessions #2
9:30 - 10:45 am Breakout Sessions #3
11:00 - 12:00 pm Plenary Remarks and Keynote Speaker (Patt Dorsey)
12:00 - 1:15 pm Lunch
1:15 - 2:30 pm                Breakout Sessions #4
3:00 - 5:30 pm                Free Time, Sponsor Expo, and Field Trips
5:30 - 6:30 pm                Reception and Student Poster Session
6:30 - 7:30 pm                Dinner
8:00 - 9:30 pm                Evening Meetup

Wednesday, April 29th

6:30 - 7:45 am                Optional Morning Meetups
6:30 - 8:30 am                Breakfast
8:30 - 9:45 am                Breakout Sessions #5
10:00 - 11:15 am Closing Remarks and Keynote Speaker (Dacher Keltner)
11:15 - 12:15 pm Lunch
12:15 - 4:00 pm Field Trips

Schedule at a Glance

A more detailed schedule will be available in the conference app in mid March.

Monday, April 27th

Tuesday, April 28th

Wednesday, April 29th

4/27/26, 10:30 AM — 4/27/26, 11:30 AM

Optional Affinity Space - Allyship Amplified: Standing Steady in Uncertain Times

4/27/26, 1:00 PM — 4/27/26, 1:25 PM

Conference Welcome

4/27/26, 1:25 PM — 4/27/26, 2:10 PM

Opening Keynote - Gemara Gifford

Gemara Gifford

4/27/26, 2:30 PM — 4/27/26, 3:45 PM

Breakout Sessions #1

Beyond Binoculars: The Untapped Potential of Wildlife Viewing for Conservation and Community in Colorado (Colorado Parks & Wildlife)
Bison as Agents of Ecological & Cultural Resilience - Presented by Denver Mountain Parks
Building Capacity for Meaningful and Long-Term Tribal Engagement - Presented by Colorado Parks & Wildlife
Connecting the 4 Ws: Wildfire, Water, Wildlife, Recreation & Ways of Life - Presented by Keystone Policy Center
From Restoration to Rematriation: Shared Stewardship on the Mancos River - Presented by Montezuma Land Conservancy and Trees, Water & People

4/27/26, 4:30 PM — 4/27/26, 5:30 PM

Indigenous Cultural Event

4/27/26, 5:30 PM — 4/27/26, 6:30 PM

Opening Reception

4/27/26, 5:30 PM — 4/27/26, 6:30 PM

Poster Session

4/27/26, 6:30 PM

Dinner

4/28/26, 6:30 AM — 4/28/26, 7:45 AM

Optional Morning Activities

4/28/26, 6:30 AM — 4/28/26, 8:00 AM

Breakfast

4/28/26, 8:00 AM — 4/28/26, 9:15 AM

Breakout Sessions #2

Lightning Talks
- Building Independence Through Horses: Outdoor Equity in Action (Bits of Freedom)
- The Mayfly Project: Mentoring Youth in Foster Care (The Mayfly Project)
- Where Tech Meets Trails: Powering Outdoor Access Through Partnership (Flexion)
- Flash Talk on the Water: Wildfire Nexus (Walton Family Foundation)
- Bears and People: Shared Landscapes (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
Youth and Families from the Backyard to the Backcountry (Great Outdoors Colorado)
The Ecosystem Effect: Strengthening Colorado’s Web of Outdoor Access Ecosystem (Rising Routes Alliance)
Outdoor COLAB: Lessons from a Regional Leadership Laboratory for the Future - (Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance)
Connecting Biome-Scale Grassland Conservation to Local Action: The Central Grasslands Roadmap and the Eastern Colorado Grassland Coalition (Bird Conservancy of the Rockies)
How Belonging Initiatives Drive Sustainable Outdoor Recreation (Colorado Mountain Club)
Bringing Digitization to Stewardship: An Intro to Trailfunds (Trailfunds)

4/28/26, 9:30 AM — 4/28/26, 10:45 AM

Breakout Sessions #3

Using Outdoor Learning Data to Guide Conservation and Stewardship Outreach Efforts (Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education)
Collaborative Strategies for Sustainable Outdoor Recreation & Tourism Economies (Colorado Tourism Office)
"Finally, somebody gets me!” - Building Partnerships to Get Kids Outdoors (Friends of Youth and Nature)
Everyone Outdoors Colorado Mentorship Program (Everyone Outdoors Colorado)
E-bikes and Accessibility: What's All the Confusion About? (Every Body Outside Consulting, LLC)
Taking Action: Recreation for Conservation (Suffer Better)
From the GPLI to the GORP Act: How extensive collaboration led to the most broadly supported public lands legislation in years (The Wilderness Society)
Forty Years of Fishing is Fun in Colorado (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

4/27/26, 11:15 AM — 4/27/26, 12:00 PM

Plenary Remarks and Keynote Speaker - Patt Dorsey

Patt Dorsey

4/28/26, 12:00 PM — 4/28/26, 1:15 PM

Lunch

4/28/26, 12:00 PM — 4/28/26, 1:00 PM

Optional Affinity Space - Everyone Outdoors Colorado BIPOC Affinity Group

4/28/26, 1:15 PM — 4/28/26, 2:30 PM

Breakout Sessions #4

Natural Resilience: The Healing Bond Between Veterans and the Outdoors (Trailhead Strategies Group)
Conservation wins that support exceptional and sustainable recreation (Colorado Wildlife Federation)
Collaborative Stewardship and Education: Response to Federal Funding Cuts (Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers)
RESTORE CO: Leveraging Statewide Planning to Scale Up Wildlife Conservation (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation)
Therapeutic Mentorship: Modality for Expanding Outdoor Access (La Plata Youth Services)
Why We Hunt (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
Privately Funded Trail Crew Partners with Federal Land Managers (Trails Preservation Alliance)
Art in Shared Landscapes: Deepening Connection to Nature and Community (Alpine Artist Collective)

4/28/26, 3:30 PM — 4/28/26, 5:30 PM

Field Trips, Sponsor Expo, Activities, and Free Time

4/28/26, 5:30 PM — 4/28/26, 6:30 PM

Reception

4/28/26, 5:30 PM — 4/28/26, 6:30 PM

Student Poster Session

4/28/26, 6:30 PM

Dinner

4/29/26, 6:30 AM — 4/29/26, 7:45 AM

Optional Morning Activities

4/29/26, 6:30 AM — 4/29/26, 8:30 AM

Breakfast

4/29/26, 8:30 AM — 4/29/26, 9:45 AM

Breakout Sessions #5

Lightning Talks
- Creation of the Colorado MTB coalition: History, motivation, vision (Colorado Mountain Bike Coalition)
- Get it Gone: A Roadmap of Barbed Wire Removal Through Collaboration and Dedicated Nonprofit Volunteers (Wild Aware)
- Colorado’s Statewide Natural Heritage Survey- what has happened in two years, and how can you get involved? (Colorado Natural Heritage Program, CSU)
- The Mental Health Benefits of Connecting with Nature: Leveraging Colorado’s Outdoors for Well-Being (Behavioral Health Administration)
- Unlocking Impact Through Partnership: Creative and Practical Ways to Collaborate (Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado)
Roadmap for Species in Need: 2025 Colorado State Wildlife Action Plan (Colorado Wildlife Federation)
State Land Board Conservation & Recreation Working Group Update (Colorado State Land Board)
Advancing Accessible and Equitable Trail Information Across Colorado - Breaking Down Barriers to Collecting and Sharing Your Accessible Trails (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
From Fear to Freedom: Embracing the Outdoors (Orophile Outdoor Adventures)
Collective Strength: Supporting a Future-Ready Outdoor Recreation Workforce (Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals)
The Commons Revisited: Lessons from the Timber Barons, Trail Builders, and Wilderness Philosophers (Human Potential LLC)
A Conversation on Recreation and Conservation (Trails & Open Space Coalition and Sportspersons Roundtable)

4/29/26, 10:00 AM — 4/29/26, 11:15 AM

Closing Remarks and Keynote Speaker - Dacher Keltner

Dacher Keltner

4/29/26, 11:15 AM — 4/29/26, 12:15 PM

Lunch

4/29/26, 11:15 AM — 4/29/26, 12:15 PM

Optional Affinity Space - LGBTQIA2S+ Affinity Group Lunch

4/29/26, 1:00 PM — 4/29/26, 4:00 PM

Field Trips