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Cortez, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is pleased to announce Marian and Peter Rohman as co-recipients of BLM Colorado’s Volunteer of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to a volunteer in Colorado who has made significant contributions to the BLM’s mission.

The Rohmans are experienced botanists who, in retirement, have been leading a botanical inventory of the Monument since February 2018. Their goal is to produce a comprehensive list of all the plant species and varieties within the Monument, supported by voucher specimens and photographs of each taxon. Every year, the couple contributes upwards of 1,000 volunteer hours. In the past year alone, the Rohmans conducted 42 field trips to various parts of the Monument. During the 2022 field season, they collected 249 plant specimens and took over 2,350 photographs. 

“BLM Colorado has been presenting the Volunteer of the Year Award since 2006,” said Southwest District Manager Stephanie Connolly. “This year we are thrilled to recognize two outstanding recipients, Marian and Peter Rohman, for their significant contributions to our botanical understanding of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.”

The couple also focuses on visiting seeps and springs in the Monument to record riparian species. They create monthly slide shows of wildflowers in bloom that run on a continuous loop in the Visitor Center, concentrating on highly visited areas of the Monument such as Lower Sand Canyon and Sand Canyon and Lowry pueblos. The slide shows are accompanied by a plant photo book, which has been a huge hit with visitors. The BLM plans to make the photo book available as a brochure.

In addition, the Rohmans document populations of Colorado state-tracked species within the Monument. They recently completed field work for three species that will be submitted to the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. The Rohmans identified 510 plant taxa within the Monument. Twenty-four new taxa were added following the 2021 field season, with additional taxa still to be added.

“Marian and Peter go above and beyond every year, and we're delighted to recognize them for their hard work and dedication,” said Supervisory Park Ranger Amala Posey-Monk. “They are true stewards of this landscape, monitoring the McElmo Natural Area in the Rare Snake and Lizard Wilderness Study Area and other remote WSAs, often reaching areas of the Monument most visitors never see. They are our eyes and ears and often report back their findings, which helps law enforcement and recreation.” 

Every year thousands of volunteers offer their time, skills, and service to help care for BLM public lands and resources. Volunteers contribute countless hours to a variety of BLM program areas, including recreation, wild horses and burros, and environmental education. The work of BLM volunteers is critical in helping protect the valuable resources in the diverse communities we serve.

For more information on how you can get involved in volunteering for the BLM, please visit https://www.blm.gov/get-involved/volunteers.

BLM Southwest District Manager Stephanie Connolly presents the BLM Colorado Volunteer of the Year Award to Peter and Marian Rohman, alongside Canyons of the Ancients park rangers Amala Posey-Monk and Anna Arsic.