Coldharbour Institute's Creation Story

​Butch and Judy Clark were living in Europe while Butch was completing his graduate degree. At that time they were living on a farm, called Coldharbour, whose landscape had been intact for over 600 years. After completing his degree Butch and Judy came back to the United States to create their own Coldharbour. They purchased a 300+ acre property with historic structures on it in Gunnison County and called it Coldharbour Ranch.  During this time Butch was working with members of the ENVS Department at Western Colorado University with hopes of creating his vision. Coldharbour Institute started in 2015 from a merger between the Coldharbour Sustainable Living Center and the Office of Resource Efficiency.  The same year Butch and Judy Clark donated the 343-acre Coldharbour Ranch to be a center for sustainable education, innovation, and research and demonstration. Funding was also provided to build foundational ties with Western Colorado University and the Master of Environmental Management program. 

“I have several visions for Coldharbour – some very long term and others shorter.
When I was studying at the University of London for a PhD in Environmental Planning,
we lived in a place called Coldharbour Farm that was a part of a large dairy farm owned by close friends.
For perhaps over 600 years this place and its ecosystems have remained virtually intact.
This inspired us to a broad vision for what became our own Coldharbour in Gunnison County.
​This principal vision was to restore and protect the character of this place and its ecosystems.”
– Butch Clark