An inaugural series, Voices of the Valley: A community conversation about our future, will commence at the Platte Valley Community Center (PVCC) next Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. These talks are free to the public.

The focus of the conversations will concentrate on the natural resources found in the Platte Valley and how those resources define the character and culture of the Saratoga, Encampment and Riverside communities. The topics will range from livestock to energy development, rangeland to forests, as well as water and land conservation. Questions of: What do we care about?, How we adapt to change?, How can we determine our future?, will be posed during the series of discussions.

The opening night will feature youth of the Platte Valley and the essays they have written around the theme, “What you like most about growing up in the Platte Valley”. Winning essays will be announced by Saratoga Elementary Principal Dave Rangitsch, and celebrated local author, Chuck Box.

On Feb. 24, the following Wednesday, Utah State Professor Fred Provenza,  a world authority on understanding the behavior of grazing livestock, how these animals interact with their environment and management of that interaction, will speak. This workshop will examine the role of agriculture production in maintaining biodiversity and discuss the importance of grazing for the local landscape.

The series will continue to run every second and fourth Wednesday of each month until June 23, which will be the culmination of the series with a community celebration.

The conversations will provide a forum for community members to learn more about, and discuss the issues that might affect the futures of Saratoga, Encampment, Riverside and the Platte Valley as a whole. The events will include a large and diverse group of panelists, and the audience is highly encouraged to ask questions or stimulate conversation.

In March, beetles, wildfire and wildlife will be discussed, while April’s topics will encompass sage grouse and the Endangered Species Act as well as energy development. In May, the conversations will steer towards Wyoming water and conservation options for working ranches. The month of June will wrap up the conversations with a community workshop and a community celebration.

The series is being produced through a cooperative effort by the following organizations: the PVCC, Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce, Saratoga-Encampment-Rawlins Conservation District, Audubon Wyoming, Platte Valley Chapter Trout Unlimited, Rawlins BLM Field Office, Sonoran Institute, Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust, Wyoming Wildlife Federation, and Carbon County Higher Education, with financial support from the George B. Storer Foundation.

Childcare will also be provided at the Big Brothers Big Sisters Hub, one block north of the PVCC at 106 W. Bridge Avenue. To ensure a spot for your child call Sarah or Ed at 326-3222.