An Evolution in SLVEC’s Brand
- Kaitlyn Fletcher
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Healthy ecosystems must continue to evolve to remain resilient amid change. The San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council (SLVEC) did the same with its brand.
After more than 25 years, the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council (SLVEC) evolved its brand to strengthen its resilience against future obstacles. While many original components remain, SLVEC realigned some elements to reach a broader audience, particularly through the newly designed website.
Our Brand
A nonprofit’s mission is the foundation of its brand. Our aim was to refine, not redefine, SLVEC’s brand to better reflect our current efforts to preserve, protect, and restore the Valley’s ecosystems.
SLVEC’s mission was distilled: “To steward Colorado’s Rio Grande region through collective public actions.” These actions include educating communities about wild landscapes, mobilizing citizens to use their voices, and guiding environmental public health initiatives.
We envision: “A community conserving the habitat, heritage, and health of the San Luis Valley for its current and future inhabitants.” Inhabitants include humans, along with all plants and animals that call this Valley home.
These efforts are rooted in our values of science, stories, and a sense of place.
Our Logo
SLVEC’s logo has evolved over the last 25 years, while maintaining its original elements: earth, water, and life.
Since 2021, our logo has stayed true to its core, featuring artwork by Rowan Lyford that captures the Valley’s wild landscapes. In its most recent evolution, we modernized the topography to improve its symmetry and accessibility for our audience.
Our Colors
Our new color scheme was inspired by the diverse ecosystems scattered across the San Luis Valley, with a majority on public lands. Although influenced by a single element, these five colors appear in many places around the Rio Grande region.
Green
The Rio Grande National Forest encompasses the San Luis Valley, with over 1.8 million acres of the wildest terrain in the Southern Rockies. These forested landscapes provide numerous ecosystem services. This green also highlights the wetlands and riparian zones, which are also vital to the Valley’s environment.
Blue
The San Luis Valley is home to the headwaters of the Rio Grande. Our blue symbolizes these vital waters that sustain the Valley’s way of life. These shades of blue stretch into the expansive skies of the Valley — another iconic feature of the region.
Sage
The sagebrush steppe dominates the San Luis Valley’s foothills and fringe areas around its agricultural basin. This neutral hue was taken from the San Luis Hills, near the Rio Grande. A majority of this endangered ecosystem is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Tan
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve features the tallest dunes in North America, serving as the centerpiece of the wild landscape. This neutral tan is also found across the Valley, in riverbanks, among agricultural soils, and more.
Gold
The sunrise often takes on a golden hue that spreads across the Valley’s skyscape, signifying another cycle around the sun. A renewed sense of action. Other pops of gold include aspen leaves and wildflowers, both of which also symbolize cyclical actions in the Valley. This is why we selected gold for our Call-To-Action (CTA).
