{"id":2129,"date":"2022-03-01T07:15:41","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T14:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/?p=2129"},"modified":"2022-03-01T07:33:41","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T14:33:41","slug":"letters-of-promise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/land-management\/letters-of-promise\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters of Promise"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Many years ago, an eastern Oregon plant monitoring crew I worked on was desperately trying to catch a lizard. In the frenzy, one of my crewmates stomped her foot down as she tried to catch it, causing the lizard to drop its tail. Being a conservation biology major still in college, I knew how energy intensive it would be for that lizard to grow its tail back, and that this loss posed a significant detriment to its life. Lizards do that only when fleeing for their lives. I was so saddened that my teammate was willing to cause this animal harm just for a fleeting closer look. In that moment, I promised myself I would never again try to catch wildlife just for the sake of catching it. More than 10 years later, I\u2019ve kept that promise. At this point in my career, I think it\u2019s safe to say that I\u2019ve doubled down on it. It\u2019s my life\u2019s work to protect nature and help make it better every chance I can.<\/p>\n<p>We make promises to friends, our families and to ourselves all the time, but how often do we make promises to that one \u201cGiving Tree\u201d that helped us through a hard time? How often do we promise to take care of the river we love to fish in, or the rock wall we love to climb? How often do we actually give thanks and praise to the ecosystems and critters that sustain our lives and give us joy? Perhaps this is something you do regularly. Perhaps you\u2019ve done this once or twice. Or perhaps you\u2019ve never thought about it that way before.<\/p>\n<h2>Keeping Promises<\/h2>\n<p>Promises are not made to be broken. In today\u2019s world though, keeping promises can sometimes feel hard to do. There are so many things vying for our time and attention. We are often tired, stressed, or spread too thin. For so many of us, moments in nature help us clear our minds, gain perspective, and fill us with joy. The earth gives us food, clothing, and shelter. She gives us awe, inspiration, and solace. Nature gives us so much, time and time again. Our relationship with nature is deep rooted and rich, but like all (non-parasitic) relationships, this bond must be reciprocal for all to thrive.<\/p>\n<p>If nature gives us so much, how can we give back to nature? We can give back to nature through active restoration, composting, or buying products from companies that cause as little harm as possible. Another way to give back is to make a promise\u2014and to keep it.<\/p>\n<p>Boulder County Parks &amp; Open Space (BCPOS) is trying to get at just that\u2014a promise full of heart! This \u201cLetters of Promise\u201d project started in 2021.We worked with the Boulder Watershed School to make homemade paper sown with locally collected native seeds using recycled paper from the administrative office at BCPOS headquarters. After the paper was made, the students joined me for a field trip to a recently completed stream restoration project. Standing by the stream, we discussed riparian ecosystems, interconnected relationships, and reciprocity. The students spent time reflecting on their relationship with nature and then wrote a \u201cLetter of Promise\u201d to their favorite plant, animal, trail, rock wall, creek, or to the earth as a whole, making a promise to take care of it with specific action. Then we planted these letters, sown with native seeds and love, into the earth.<\/p>\n<p>This small action carries a lot of meaning by literally and figuratively sowing seeds of reciprocity and gratitude into the hearts and minds of students and into the landscape at the same time. Like feeding two birds with one worm!<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s an emerging body of scientific research that suggests a deep connectedness to nature can increase one\u2019s happiness, health, and well-being. Although the body of research is emerging, this concept has been in practice for millennia across the entire planet. In fact, it\u2019s only in recent history that humans have created a significant distance between us and nature. This new type of distanced-relationship takes its toll on us humans, as well as the ecosystems that we need\u2014not only for natural resources, but for all the intangibles this wonderful earth offers.<\/p>\n<p>Rebuilding a broken relationship can be hard. It can be a long road full of twists and turns, ups and downs, detours, and back tracking. But all good relationships require work, diligence, care, and compassion. The \u201cLetters of Promise\u201d project is just one step on this road, and although it\u2019s a marathon, not a sprint, it all starts with that first step.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2131\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2131\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/seed-project.jpg\" data-lbwps-width=\"1920\" data-lbwps-height=\"1440\" data-lbwps-srcsmall=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/seed-project-300x225.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2131\" src=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/seed-project-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"A class making the seed paper that will be planted\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/seed-project-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/seed-project-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/seed-project-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/seed-project-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/seed-project.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2131\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A class making the seed paper that will be planted<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2132\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2132\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/student-writing-in-nature.jpg\" data-lbwps-width=\"1440\" data-lbwps-height=\"1920\" data-lbwps-srcsmall=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/student-writing-in-nature-225x300.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2132\" src=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/student-writing-in-nature-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Student writing in nature\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/student-writing-in-nature-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/student-writing-in-nature-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/student-writing-in-nature-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/student-writing-in-nature.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2132\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A student composes a letter of promise<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2130\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2130\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/heart-leaves.jpg\" data-lbwps-width=\"1920\" data-lbwps-height=\"1152\" data-lbwps-srcsmall=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/heart-leaves-300x180.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2130 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/heart-leaves-1024x614.jpg\" alt=\"Heart made out of leaves\" width=\"640\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/heart-leaves-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/heart-leaves-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/heart-leaves-768x461.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/heart-leaves-1536x922.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/heart-leaves.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2130\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A letter placed in the earth surrounded by leaves laid out as a heart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many years ago, an eastern Oregon plant monitoring crew I worked on was desperately trying to catch a lizard. In the frenzy, one of my crewmates stomped her foot down as she tried to catch it, causing the lizard to drop its tail. Being a conservation biology major still in college, I knew how energy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2130,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[64],"class_list":["post-2129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-land-management","tag-spring-2022"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Letters of Promise - Images<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/land-management\/letters-of-promise\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Letters of Promise - Images\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Many years ago, an eastern Oregon plant monitoring crew I worked on was desperately trying to catch a lizard. 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Mapping of Hibernacula","author":"Staff","date":"08\/26\/2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department offers grants for research on county open space lands each year. 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The following is a summary of a 2015 study\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Research&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Research","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/research\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Bull Snake at Sunrise","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Young-Bull-Snake-at-Sunrise-Rabbit-Mountain.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Young-Bull-Snake-at-Sunrise-Rabbit-Mountain.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Young-Bull-Snake-at-Sunrise-Rabbit-Mountain.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Young-Bull-Snake-at-Sunrise-Rabbit-Mountain.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Young-Bull-Snake-at-Sunrise-Rabbit-Mountain.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Young-Bull-Snake-at-Sunrise-Rabbit-Mountain.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1416,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/nature-detectives\/bats\/","url_meta":{"origin":2129,"position":1},"title":"Bats Are Super Flyers and the Only Flying Mammal","author":"Staff","date":"08\/30\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Little Brown Bat stretched her wings then fluttered into the air as more bats began to stir around her in their roost. She woke up thirsty as usual. She and other little brown bats headed for the pond. Most evenings she flew the same route, dodging branches through a stand\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Nature Detectives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Nature Detectives","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/nature-detectives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Nature Detectives Bats","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/nd-bats.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/nd-bats.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/nd-bats.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/nd-bats.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/nd-bats.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1983,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wildlife\/river-otters-swim-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":2129,"position":2},"title":"River Otters Swim Home","author":"Staff","date":"06\/01\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Although survival is the main focus for many species of wildlife, some animals enjoy being playful, and probably none of them beats out the mischievous spirit of the river otter. Otters can be seen sliding down snowbanks, pestering ducks and anglers, or even lying on their back waving a paw\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Wildlife&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Wildlife","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/wildlife\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"River otter on log","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/river-otter-log.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/river-otter-log.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/river-otter-log.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/river-otter-log.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":508,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/learning-to-like-lichens\/","url_meta":{"origin":2129,"position":3},"title":"Learning to Like Lichens","author":"Staff","date":"08\/29\/2014","format":false,"excerpt":"On a recent hike, my three-year-old daughter stopped and pointed to a boulder. \"What's that yucky stuff?\" She was pointing to a large, light green patch of lichen. How do you explain lichens to a three-year-old? I wanted her to realize that they are not yucky at all, but actually\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Science&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Science","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/science\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lizard and lichen","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/lichen.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/lichen.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/lichen.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/lichen.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/lichen.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/lichen.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":996,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wildlife\/elusive-enchanting-fox\/","url_meta":{"origin":2129,"position":4},"title":"The Elusive &#038; Enchanting Fox","author":"Staff","date":"08\/26\/2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Among the most handsome and clever of Boulder County mammals is the fox. We are apt to see the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) more often than the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). Red foxes look similar to a small, slender dog, with pointed erect ears and weigh up to 15 pounds.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Wildlife&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Wildlife","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/wildlife\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red fox","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/red-fox.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/red-fox.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/red-fox.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/red-fox.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1103,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/nature-detectives\/muskrat-swims-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":2129,"position":5},"title":"Muskrat Swims Home","author":"Staff","date":"03\/03\/2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Perhaps the first thing you notice is a small, v-shaped wave and ripples on top of the water. At the tip of the wave you detect a dark body paddling across the pond, creating those ripples. Beaver? Then you get a glimpse of its tail. You might remember beavers have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Nature Detectives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Nature Detectives","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/nature-detectives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Nature Detectives Muskrat","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/nature-detective.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/nature-detective.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/nature-detective.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/nature-detective.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/nature-detective.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2129"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2129\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2134,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2129\/revisions\/2134"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}