“Unity is strength … when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” This quote by Mattie Stephanek was used in 2015 by the Headwaters Trail Alliance to describe National Public Lands Day, an annual event where hundreds gather to work hard, have fun, and achieve so much for Public Lands, and it epitomizes the meaning of her words.
This is your chance to give back to the trails you love by getting together, working hard — whether it is in the field manning a shovel or helping with registration or food preparation — having fun with like-minded participants, comparing stories and solving problems. Together you can achieve more in one day than the U.S. Forest Service could accomplish in three years.
Join us at 7 a.m. Sept. 28 at the Inn at SilverCreek for a day filled with breakfast, project registration, buses or vans to the projects and hard work followed by a Volunteer Thank You party. The mission of National Public Lands Day is to promote volunteer awareness in protecting and sustaining public lands through an annual event of trail education, maintenance, and construction, thereby building advocacy and ownership for our public lands, and strengthening cooperation and communication among public agencies, communities and businesses.
You don’t have to be an athlete to participate in NPLD. There are less physical jobs, both out in the field or just helping get out coffee or breakfast, or registering people for projects, or handing out T-shirts. The physically disabled and those not in trail-building shape are more than welcome.
For those who can’t be there the day of NPLD, there are preparations for projects and publicity to get out, arrangements to be made for thank you gift certificates for the drawings at the Volunteer Party, and even party decorations to do and music to arrange for. It takes a lot of helpers to make a huge operation like this a success. Let us know if you want to join our team.
Projects for this year include:
• East Shore/CDNST Trail (NPS): Work will include minor tread work, corridor clearing, brush/slash removal and possible finishing tasks along boardwalks. Skill rating: easy to difficult.
• Serendipity Trail (HTA/USFS): Completing finishing touches on a large turnpike and approaches. Skill rating: moderate to difficult.
• Sherman Creek Trail (USFS): Project will be constructing a turnpike or bridge on a motorized trail in the Stillwater Pass Area. Work may consist of hammering, shoveling, brushing, lopping, clearing, and installing water/erosion controls. Skill rating: Moderate to diffuclt.
• Strawberry Fruit Loop Trail (BLM/HTA): Rerouting trail, removing nearby trespass trail then restoring site to agency standards and constructing erosion control measures. Site is kid friendly. Skill Rating: easy to difficult.
• Upper Colorado River Cleanup (BLM): Join the BLM in the 10th Annual River Cleanup, clearing trash and debris along a 19 mile stretch of the Colorado River in three sections, beginning at Pumphouse Recreation Area to Two Rivers. All work is accessed by floating the river. Pre-registration is highly recommended. If you are providing your own boat, then pre-registration is not necessary. Volunteers can meet at Pumphouse Recreation Area. This is a family-friendly work site. Participants are encouraged to bring their own boats, PFDs, and/or paddles. For more information or to pre-register, contact John Monkouski at (970) 724-3040. Skill rating: Easy to moderate.
Sign up ahead of time — especially if you plan to do the river cleanup and don’t own a boat — or just show up by 7 a.m. Sept. 28 at the Inn at SilverCreek to sign up for the project of your choice and pick up your free commemorative T-shirt and various goodies. For more information, stop by the US Forest Service in Granby or call 970-887-4120. You can also contact Headwaters Trails Alliance Executive Director Meara McQuain or Field Coordinator Erica Bean at 970-726-1013, or visit the Grand County National Public Lands Day Facebook page and add yourself to our team. People registering in advance will receive a volunteer packet filled with information about event day if time allows. Hope to see you at the Inn at SilverCreek!