Amorina came to Montezuma Land Conservancy’s Next Generation Advisory Board (NGAB) with a background researching watershed management of the Dolores River. She grew up in Mancos and now lives in Cortez.

Amorina is fascinated by the human processes at local, state, and federal levels that create land and water management as we know it today. Amorina has a PhD in Environmental Studies from CU Boulder where she delved into historical patterns of Indigenous homelands, and European-American colonialism of those lands to understand the context for the Dolores Project, which includes McPhee Dam on the Dolores River.

From her research, she concluded that consistent and inclusive local engagement and support is critical for long-term natural resource conservation. Participating in NGAB is a positive way for her to practice local engagement with other young community members for long-term human and landscape well-being in southwest Colorado