Partners

The Old Fort has served as the Southwest Conservation Corps' base camp since 2010. From April through November, they utilize the space for crew and member training, tool storage, and rigging/de-rigging for their hitches. In return, they provide work crews to assist with on-site projects throughout the year.

Learn to graft apple trees at our annual workshops, held in partnership with Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project (MORP) each Spring at Old Fort at Hesperus. Discover the rich history of our orchard, dating back to the early 1900s. It boasts nearly eighty 100+ year-old apple trees of rare and unknown varieties, meticulously grafted and identified through collaboration with MORP and USDA-ARS.

Read more about orchard restoration

The Mesa Verde Interagency Helitack crew is a Wildland fire crew that consists of firefighters specially trained in wildland fire suppression, search and rescue, and helicopter operations. The Old Fort serves as a training area for crews. The crew covers over 8 million acres, including Mesa Verde National Park, San Juan National Forest, San Juan District Bureau of Land Management, Southern Ute, Ute Mountain Indian Reservations, and state and private lands.

Fort Lewis College's Liberal Arts education prepares students to tackle complex challenges at the Old Fort, a hub for interdisciplinary research and community partnerships in sustainable agriculture and cultural stewardship. Students develop critical thinking skills through experiential learning and engagement with diverse ecosystems and historical resources and contribute to responsible stewardship practices.

Read more about academic use