Forever Protected: Catamount Center’s Mountain Campus

This fall, Palmer Land Conservancy, alongside a conservation‑minded landowner and a generous community of supporters, is proud to announce the permanent protection of the 145-acre Catamount Center’s Mountain Campus on the northwest flank of Pikes Peak.

On a bright mountain morning, a student stands at the edge of a small pond and goes still. A mother duck skims the water, her six ducklings glide behind her swift wake across the glassy surface. Behind them, Pikes Peak holds its quiet vigil. In that moment—so simple it might be missed—the student receives a fleeting glimpse of what this place can teach. This living classroom will keep doing what it does best—inviting students of every age outdoors to know, and care for, the land.

Where Students Become Stewards

K–12 field days turn questions about tracks in the mud into stories about elk and fox. College students, once immersed in the TREE Semester, spent a season deeply rooted in the land, conducting research and expanding their understanding of the natural world. Many of those alumni now work in conservation and natural resource management, their lives marked by what they learned here. The work of the hand, turning a rock, dipping a net, measuring a current, joins the work of the heart. Curiosity becomes care; care becomes commitment. In this way, the Mountain Campus grows not only enormous aspen and blankets of wildflowers, but also stewards.

Palmer’s Role: A Trusted Conservation Partner 

Protection of a place like this does not happen by accident. It takes a committed partnership and a community willing to invest in permanence. Palmer Land Conservancy brought the legal expertise and the donor-powered resolve to secure a conservation easement that safeguards Catamount’s future. The easement also protects essential water rights, serving campus structures and two small ponds, so the campus can continue its educational mission and the land and water can continue to support wildlife. We’re grateful to the landowner whose vision made this possible, and to every donor whose generosity helped carry it through.

Land for People: A Living Classroom, Accessible and Inspiring 

For nearly 30 years, Catamount has welcomed learners to its dining hall, dorms, and academic building, all humble structures fitted to the surrounding landscape. Though only 145 acres, the property connects to more than 200,000 acres of adjacent public land and conserved lands, and the network of trails and thick forest provide an intimate connection to the mountainous landscape. With the Catamount Institute set to continue environmental education on site, the tradition of students arriving with eyes wide open, equipped for an adventure, will continue.

Land for Nature: Water, Wetlands, and Wildlife Connectivity 

Nature’s curriculum is written in water. Nearly a mile stretch of Crystola Creek threads through the campus, feeding two small lakes and a mosaic of wetlands that store floods, clean water, and harbor life. According to the National Wetlands Inventory, the property holds four wetland types: freshwater emergent (5.22 acres), forested/shrub (5.38 acres), ponds (6.10 acres), and riverine (5.14 acres). The Colorado Natural Heritage Program recognizes Upper Crystola Creek here as a Priority Conservation Area. By expanding the Pikes Peak Conservation Corridor and linking to the Pike National Forest, this protection gives wildlife room to move and adapt. It also expands the more than 5,000 acres Palmer has already conserved along Highway 24, spanning from the outskirts of Woodland Park to Divide. This conservation legacy keeps working lands working and viewsheds intact, so biodiversity and beauty may endure together.

Why It Matters Now

At a time when Colorado’s land and water face increased pressures from a growing population, when wildlife range is reduced, and outdoor access becomes increasingly precious, permanent protection of this teaching ground matters. It is a gift to students today and a promise to the Colorado they will soon inherit.

If you believe such places should endure, help us carry this crucial work forward. Your donation to Palmer makes conservation possible, now and forever. Donate today to protect more places like the Catamount Mountain Campus, so future generations can learn, explore, and thrive.