VALLEY — The Colorado Field Institute (CFI) invites members to a sight-seeing trip to Indian Spring on the morning of Saturday, July 28.

Access to the site is over a four-wheel drive road. If you do not have a four-wheel drive, there should be opportunity to ride with other field trip participants. This trip is limited to CFI members. If you have not purchased a 2018 CFI membership, please go to the CFI website at www.coloradofieldinstitute.org. Follow the links to register as a member, then sign up for the current CFI event.

Indian Spring is a unique and rarely seen part of the San Luis Valley. This area provides source water for Big Spring Creek, which forms as water flows out of the sand at the western edge of Great Sand Dunes and continues through the historic Medano Ranch. Big Spring Creek is an example of a gaining stream, a once-common phenomenon in the San Luis Valley that has mostly disappeared due to a decrease in groundwater. The steady water supply at Indian Spring creates an area rich in archeology, wildlife, hydrology, and geology.

Indian Spring is a protected area with restricted access. The Colorado Field Institute has received permission from the National Park Service to lead a field trip to Indian Spring, offering participants a singular opportunity to visit this site. The scheduled speakers are Fred Bunch, Dewane Mosher, and Andrew Valdez—who comprise the scientific staff at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Come join the Colorado Field Institute for a half-day of adventure and learning at Indian Spring!

The Colorado Field Institute is a nonprofit corporation organized in 2005 to promote greater stewardship of the natural and cultural resources within the San Luis Valley. For more information on this event, email us at [email protected] or visit our website at www.coloradofieldinstitute.org

Join the Colorado Field Institute on an exclusive tour of Indian Spring./Courtesy photos