youth education programs update
In July, the Youth In Nature students spent four days at Margy's Hut to learn about the environment, develop a sense of place, learn important outdoor travel skills, and complete a stewardship project. They created art, had campfires, cooked delicious food and more! These 11 high school students from Parachute to Aspen bonded quickly. Their support for one another, along with the combination of education, exploration, team building, and service, made this a rewarding and impactful trip for all. Our team at RFOV is looking forward to an awesome year ahead!
In the final session of Adventure Stewards this year, students spent the week in Rifle Mountain Park, maintaining climbing access trails, exploring the park's limestone canyon, caves and riparian trails, and honing their climbing skills. Throughout the week, students' curiosity, positive energy and enthusiasm made for a great conclusion to another year of Adventure Stewards! And many thanks to Glenwood Climbing Guides for all your support.
spotlight on 2024 project season
Believe it or not, we're starting to plan next year's project season. This process includes sending out an RFP - requests for project proposal - to our land management and non-profit partners; and recruiting a project selection committee of 10-15 volunteers, staff, and board members from different areas of the valley. RFOV staff collates the information received in RFP responses and establishes a meeting schedule for the committee to review the responses, complete scoring rubrics, host discussion, and assemble a final slate before the end of the calendar year.
For Community Projects, our goal is to build a diverse schedule that appeals to our extensive volunteer community and is balanced 1) across RFOV’s Sustainable Recreation, Fire, and Restoration project categories and 2) geographically within our service area of Independence Pass to Parachute, Glenwood Canyon to Marble. We also strive for a mix of easy, moderate, and strenuous projects with funding already secured. Hosting a community project typically costs RFOV $4-6,000.
Once a project is selected, RFOV recruits and mobilizes professional staff and volunteers to accomplish the specific project objectives and scope of work. RFOV coordinates volunteer registration, logistics, and food/beverages; supplies a fleet of tools; and highlights the project in print and digital media. RFOV also helps with project planning itself, including needs assessment, mapping, quantifying proposed work, creating site plans, staging, acquiring materials, and serving as technical advisor.
For backcountry wilderness trail projects, our professional Trail Crew works from late-June to mid-September independent of volunteer programming to complete projects that are long-term, technical, or otherwise not an ideal fit for volunteer projects. The cost of the 4/5-person trail crew for a 40-hour week (four 10-hour days) is estimated at $6,500.
For all RFOV projects, we ask land manager partners to clearly articulate their goals and objectives for the project and schedule at least one site visit with our staff to help us prioritize projects that have measurable benefits and impact to our community. Please feel free to send questions in this regard to RFOV's Program Director, Melissa Daniels.
upcoming community projects
NANCY'S PATH AT GLASSIER TRAIL — TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 8
We're building a trail for equestrians and hikers that will connect Nancy's Path to Glassier Open Space's existing equestrian trail. Come join from 4-8 pm on Tuesday, August 8. We seek volunteers to clear trail corridor and use various trail tools for the finishing details. Please sign up!
CATHEDRAL LAKE — SUNDAY, AUGUST 13
Did you know that over 100,000 people visit the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness every year? Please help care for a well-loved slice of this Wilderness Area by working on the Cathedral Lake Trail with ACRA and RFOV - Sunday, August 13.
BRING YOUR KIDS TO COFFMAN RANCH — 8/26
Bring kids ages 4-8 to the Little Explorers program! Coffman Ranch features 141 acres of productive ranch land, native wildlife habitat, and deep agricultural roots. Join us to build a welcoming place for our community and connections with land, wildlife, and water.
SUTEY RANCH — SUNDAY AUGUST 26
Barbed wire fences can injure wildlife and limit their migration. Join us on Sunday, August 27 in removing old, disused barbed wire fencing from Sutey Ranch to support local wildlife and continue restoring this important landscape.
volunteer of the month
Ryan Nicolo is an RFOV Volunteer Crew Leader who has so far worked on 5 projects this season. In addition to his support of our shared public lands, Ryan is Director of Engineering & Deployment at Skyhook Solar in Carbondale and holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Cornell University. Thanks Ryan for all you do for your community!
easy ways to SUPPORT RFOV
LINK YOUR REWARDS CARD
Every dollar you spend benefits RFOV!
Go to citymarketrewards.com
Login or create an account
When asked to "Link your card", enroll in "Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteer" from the list of organizations
TAKE THE ASPEN PLEDGE
By simply signing the Aspen Pledge, you can help RFOV unlock up to $50,000 in donations from the Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) and continue to spread stewardship in our communities.
