Why Private Land Conservation Matters

Join BCAS for social time with light refreshments before this program! Doors open at 6:30.

This program will feature a discussion about the importance of protecting and conserving privately owned land in Colorado for the benefit of people and wildlife. Colorado is a state with a large amount of public land. Land trusts serve to protect private lands, and this talk will show how these lands play a significant role in wildlife survival, and how and why organizations like Colorado Open Lands work to protect both landscapes and our beloved wildlife. This talk will leave you feeling good about the work being done to protect these private lands for posterity.

Tony Caligiuri is President and CEO of Colorado Open Lands (COI), Colorado’s premier state-wide land conservation organization, where he leads a team to protect and conserve Colorado’s most important working landscapes, rivers and open spaces.
Prior to joining COL, Tony served as Senior Vice President, Conservation and Education at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), America’s largest member-based conservation organization. In this role, he provided direction for NWF’s Conservation & Education Department, which included eight regional offices and over 200 professional staff around the nation. Prior to joining NWF, he served for eighteen years as Chief of Staff for U.S. Congressman Wayne T. Gilchrest of Maryland.
Tony grew up on a farm in Southeastern Pennsylvania, is an avid hiker, birder and lover of the outdoors. He received his B.A. in Political Science from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland.