Members of the Rocky Mountain Ranger Association (RMRA) made a strong showing at this year’s Colorado Open Space Alliance (COSA) annual conference as a bronze-level sponsor. Held Oct. 11 to 13 at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Vail, CO, the event saw several firsts for RMRA, including the first RMRA awards presentation and the first time the Association organized the content for a dedicated ranger learning track.
RMRA Awards Committee Chair Billy Hall took the stage after the COSA Blue Grama Awards to present the first-ever RMRA Ranger Awards. Hall presented Dan Hammond from City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) for providing life-saving care to a park visitor who had fallen off a cliff. Sam Kilburn and Scott Wilkey, also from City of Boulder OSMP, received the Valor Award for their courageous service as first responders during the mass shooting that occurred at a Boulder King Soopers store in March, 2021. Finally, Lindsay Gillis, from the City of Lakewood, received the Distinguished Service Award for piloting a successful outreach program for low-income families.
All RMRA awards come from the nominations of RMRA members. Any Association member can nominate a group or individual for recognition, and the Awards Committee selects the final recipients. To learn more about the awards and how to nominate exceptional rangers to receive them, visit the RMRA website.
Association members from numerous agencies presented five sessions about a wide range of topics pertinent to the Ranger field. These sessions provided attendees with a valuable opportunity to network and learn about the successes and challenges of peer agencies. The sessions and presenters included:
Collaborating with Local Law Enforcement and First Responders, presented by Sarah Andrews (Caribou Ranch Resident Ranger, Boulder County Parks and Open Space), Candice Bott (deputy, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office), Conor McCormick (Ranger Naturalist, City of Louisville), Drew Sprafke (Open Space Park Supervisor, City of Lakewood), Rick Norman (Ranger Supervisor, Pitkin County), and Zach Cook (Senior Ranger, Larimer County Department of Natural Resources).
Ranger Safety and Situational Awareness, presented by Travis Bernstein (Chief Ranger Supervisor, Adams County Open Space).
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Ranger Involvement, presented by Maggie Krause (Park Ranger, Jefferson County Open Space) and Melanie Garlin (Park Ranger, Jefferson County Open Space).
Seasonals for Success, presented by Dave Kaiser (Boulder County Sheriff’s Office).
Body Cameras for Non-Commissioned Rangers, presented by Benjamin White-Patarino (Ranger
Naturalist, City of Louisville) and Conor McCormick (Ranger Naturalist, City of Louisville).
Slides from the presentations will be available for on the RMRA website for members to access.
Perhaps most importantly, the conference brought RMRA members together for the first time since the Association’s annual member meeting, and the first in-person event since the Association’s initial organizing meeting in 2020.
“After more than a year of online conference calls, it was wonderful to finally meet many of our members in 3D,” said Pryce Hadley, RMRA Chair.
Association members joined other conference attendees at several social events, including an expo social, a networking dinner at Bôl Vail, a local bowling alley, and field trips to local open spaces and areas of interest.
RMRA members also staffed a booth around the main conference auditorium where people could mingle, learn more about the Association, and help themselves to some candy.
If you missed seeing RMRA at this year’s COSA Conference, the Association will return for the 2022 conference. Make plans to attend this important networking event and support your fellow RMRA members! For information about the 2022 COSA conference, visit the COSA website.