Press Release
La Junta, CO – The Canyons & Plains of Southeast Colorado Regional Heritage Taskforce (C&P) received a grant in the amount of $15,537 to partner with Factor Earth, a new computer application that provides the ability to virtually visit heritage areas through 360-degree views of sites. The application also provides interpretive and educational content about each site including lesson plans for teachers.
C&P will be working with Factor Earth, which is a subsidiary of Metcalf Archaeological Consultants of Lakewood, Colorado over the course of the next six months to produce Factor Earth “adventures” for over a dozen heritage sites in seven counties in southeast Colorado. Some of the locations included in the program are Amache, Trinidad History Museum, Ludlow, Dust Bowl sites, Fort Lyon, Crowley County lakes, Sand Creek Massacre site, Santa Fe Trail sites, and John Martin, Trinidad Lake, and Fisher’s Peak State Parks.
“Besides better publicizing each of these sites to attract potential travelers, this project will also provide those unable to travel to our area with an opportunity to virtually experience the significant heritage of our region of Colorado,” according to Rick Wallner, C&P Board President. “The interpretive and educational components will also help us tell the stories of southeast Colorado to a much wider audience.”
The Colorado Tourism Office’s Tourism Management Grant provides funding for tourism-related projects that develop, enhance, or manage visitor experience in Colorado. The maximum grant amount is $20,000 and the required match is 4:1. For every $1 the qualifying grantee allocates to the proposed project, the Colorado Tourism Office provides $4 in matching funds. Projects must be completed within the 12-month period between May 1, 2022, and May 1, 2023.
To learn more about Factor Earth, the new application to allow people to virtually explore heritage sites, go to www.factorearth.com. For more information on Canyons & Plains, visit www.canyonsandplains.org.
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Canyons & Plains is a heritage tourism development organization. Formed in 2003, C&P serves seven counties—Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero, and Prowers. The non-profit group promotes visitation to and stewardship of the unique historical, natural, and cultural assets of southeast Colorado among resident, state, national and international audiences.