The document discusses the history of Fort Collins, Colorado over the past 12,000 years. It explains that various peoples have been drawn to the area due to both opportunities and challenges presented by the landscape, which includes mountains, plains, rivers, and a climate that requires stewardship of the land. Through constantly adapting to their environment, the people who have lived in Fort Collins have found sustainable ways of life, from indigenous practices to modern green energy industries. The dynamic interplay between the people and the natural surroundings shapes both the past and future of Fort Collins.

1. The heartbeat of Fort Collins of people and the landscape is a dynamic crossroads

2. The Fort Collins Crossing Interpretive Trail

3. Welcome to Fort Collins … the way we were. People have come to this area for over 12,000 years. Ever since the close of the last Ice Age, many people have made their homes here.

4. Why? Why do people come, why do they stay, why do they keep coming back?

5. … it’s a difficult environment in many ways, dry, even harsh. At first blush, it’s a bit of a mystery. This area is not blessed with obvious abundance …

6. are what shaped the community we see today. Yet … the very challenges and opportunities afforded by this place where mountains, plains, and river come together

7. Throughout this long period of time, people have found ways to solve the puzzle of challenge and opportunity …

8. … in many different ways …

9. … but always with a knack for changing with the times, working with what we have, and finding new ways forward.

10. This is the dynamic crossroads of Fort Collins: where people and landscape meet, shaping our past and calling us into the future.