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Growing up in Ohio, Don Brown (’89) had never heard of natural resources law, let alone the critical importance of water law to the American west.

“My second year of law school, I took a class called Public Lands taught by Charles Wilkinson,” Brown said. “He spent the first three days reading poetry about the grandeur of the West. I didn’t know what natural resources law was, but I enjoyed the class so much, I took Water Law with Charles. It was the only time in law school I got the top grade in a class."

Brown went on to take Wilkinson’s Advanced Natural Resources seminar during his third year of law school, which culminated in an unforgettable field trip to study the Yellowstone ecosystem and how the legal constructs affect it. From that class, he developed lifelong friendships and a deep appreciation for the West.

Brown and his wife, Karen, a 1984 ���������� graduate, hope their $150,000 gift to support the Advanced Natural Resources seminar and $50,000 gift to support the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment (GWC) at Colorado Law will ensure more law students will have the same opportunity to learn directly from the places and people they study in the classroom.

Initiated by Wilkinson in 1988, the Advanced Natural Resources seminar examines issues facing a specific geographic area from several legal and cultural perspectives and culminates with a field trip to that area. Past seminars have studied important watersheds across the Southwest, the Colorado Plateau, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon.

“We didn’t just learn about Indian law or water law or natural resources law, but about how they are all tied together,” Brown said. “That experience taught me to look at things in a holistic way. There are so many other places in the West where that concept applies.”

In 2019—30 years after Brown was a student in Wilkinson’s seminar—an opportunity arose for him and Karen to relive the experience. The Browns, who sponsored two students’ participation on the field trip, audited the class, taught by Professor Sarah Krakoff, and attended the two-week rafting trip through the Grand Canyon alongside 15 law students. The best part, they said, was attending the weekly classes and getting to understand what the students had been learning. Once back home, they knew they wanted to make the trip feasible for more students.

“Every person who has been lucky enough to participate in this place-based learning opportunity would agree, it is among the top educational experiences you could ever hope for,” said Alice Madden (’89), executive director of the GWC. “These on-the-ground, experiential lessons are invaluable. With their generous gift, Don and Karen have assured the seminar will continue for years to come and be accessible to all.”

By supporting the GWC, the Browns are proud to honor the legacy of the center’s namesakes—Wilkinson and David Getches—“two amazing humans,” Karen said.

“The GWC is on the forefront of critical issues,” said Brown, who serves on the GWC’s advisory board. “Programs like the GWC Water Fellows, the Acequia Project, and the Advanced Natural Resources seminar help keep that community together and help keep CU top of mind when anyone thinks of natural resources law.”