Wildlands Restoration Volunteers

BUILDING DIVERSE COMMUNITIES THAT CARE FOR THE LAND.

SUSTAINABLE TRAILS - AT WRV, WE BELIEVE IN REROUTING UNSUSTAINABLE TRAILS AWAY FROM SENSITIVE WILDLIFE AND CULTURAL SITES TO AVOID HARMING VALUABLE RESOURCES. OUR APPROACH INVOLVES SETTING A PRECEDENT BY STOPPING OFF- HIGHWAY VEHICLE (OHV) TRESPASS WHILE PERMITTING PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC. EFFORTS INCLUDE CLOSING AND RESTORING OLD TRAILS, CREATING NEW SECTIONS, AND IMPLEMENTING EROSION PREVENTION METHODS. WRV ORGANIZES GROUPS OF TRAINED VOLUNTEERS, KNOWN AS CROSSCUT SAWYERS, WHO CLEAR WILDERNESS TRAIL CORRIDORS TO ENSURE THEY REMAIN ACCESSIBLE AND SAFE FOR VISITORS. IN 2023, THEY BUCKED AND REMOVED 1,003 DOWNED TREES FROM 16 MILES OF TRAILS. OVER OUR 25 YEARS OF OPERATIONS, VOLUNTEERS HAVE COMPLETED OVER 214 MILES OF TRAIL WORK, INCLUDING AN IMPRESSIVE 20 MILES OF TRAILS IN 2023.

HEALTHY FORESTS -COLORADO'S FORESTS HAVE FACED CATASTROPHIC FIRES DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND DECADES OF FIRE SUPPRESSION. HOWEVER, WRV IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN PREVENTING FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES AND RESTORING THE FUNCTION OF THE NATURAL SYSTEM IN BURN SCARS. WE EMPLOY METHODS SUCH AS SEEDING, MULCHING, AND CREATING EROSION BARRIERS IN THE STEEP UPPER SLOPES OF THE WATERSHED. ADDITIONALLY, TRAINED VOLUNTEERS USE CHAINSAWS TO REDUCE FIRE RISK IN THE WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE AND REMOVE INVASIVE TREE SPECIES LIKE RUSSIAN OLIVE. IN 2023, WRV VOLUNTEERS MADE A DIFFERENCE BY STABILIZING THREE ACRES OF SEVERELY BURNED SLOPES. OUR DEDICATED SAWYERS THINNED EIGHT ACRES OF FOREST. THESE EFFORTS CONTRIBUTE TO THE RESTORATION OF HEALTHY FORESTS, THE RETURN OF NATIVE SPECIES, AND THE MITIGATION OF FIRE-RELATED RISKS 2023 EXPENSE 77,315 REVENUE 0 VITAL RIVERS - WATERWAYS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND SUPPORT OVER 75% OF COLORADO'S WILDLIFE. THEY PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS TO ENJOY ACTIVITIES LIKE FISHING, RAFTING, AND BIRD WATCHING. MOREOVER, CLEAN DRINKING WATER IS CRUCIAL. OVER WRV'S 25-YEAR HISTORY, OUR DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY RESTORED OVER 66 MILES OF STREAM CHANNEL AND SHORELINE, ALONG WITH OVER 89 ACRES OF WETLANDS. RECENT EFFORTS HAVE USED BEAVER MIMICRY TO JUMP-START THE RECOVERY OF STREAMS THROUGH NATURAL PROCESSES THAT REQUIRE LESS INTENSIVE ENGINEERING AND RELY MORE ON THE SYSTEM TO GUIDE ITS RETURN TO HEALTH. THIS WORK CAN BE PAIRED WITH FOREST THINNING, WHICH IN TURN PROVIDES THE MATERIALS FOR THE INSTREAM RESTORATION. IN 2023 ALONE, WRV VOLUNTEERS RESTORED 8,675 FEET OF STREAM CHANNEL AND SHORELINE, MAKING A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF VITAL WATERWAYS. 2023 EXPENSES 102,037 REVENUE COMMUNITY BUILDING AND TRAINING- IN 2023, WRV ESTABLISHED AND NURTURED A DEDICATED AND HIGHLY SKILLED COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTEERS AND DONORS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO CARING FOR PUBLIC, PROTECTED, AND ECOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT LANDS. THROUGH THEIR IN-KIND LABOR VALUED AT OVER 947,800, THIS GROUP COMPLETED AN IMPRESSIVE 190 RESTORATION PROJECTS. THESE EFFORTS POSITIVELY IMPACTED 773 ACRES OF HABITAT IN 2023. IN 2023, WRV HOSTED 29 COURSES, TRAINING 415 VOLUNTEERS IN SKILLS INCLUDING RESTORATION DESIGN, CREW LEADERSHIP, TRAIL MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION, AND MORE. MOREOVER, IN 2023, WRV CONDUCTED ITS THIRD YEAR OF SPANISH/ENGLISH BILINGUAL LEADERSHIP TRAINING, RESULTING IN THE ENGAGEMENT OF 412 VOLUNTEERS USING SPANISH. THIS INITIATIVE HAS FOSTERED GREATER INCLUSION AND PARTICIPATION WITHIN OUR VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY, FURTHER EXPANDING OUR IMPACT. 2023 EXPENSES 128,465 REVENUE 17,356 NATIVE SEEDS - RESTORATION PROJECTS RELY ON A DIVERSE SUPPLY OF NATIVE TREES, SHRUBS, GRASSES, AND WILDFLOWERS WELL-SUITED TO THRIVE IN OUR REGION. PEOPLE FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS JOIN US TO COLLECT, CLEAN, AND CULTIVATE THE NATIVE SEEDS FOR THIS PURPOSE. VOLUNTEERS ALSO ASSIST IN NURTURING PLANTS IN OUR GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. THROUGHOUT WRV'S 25-YEAR HISTORY, DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED AN INCREDIBLE 45,806 HOURS TO NATIVE SEED COLLECTION AND SPREAD UNTOLD MILLIONS OF SEEDS IN 2023, VOLUNTEERS DEVOTED OVER 1,958 HOURS TO COLLECTING NATIVE SEEDS, WHICH WILL BE GROWN AND UTILIZED IN FUTURE PROJECTS. IN 2023, VOLUNTEERS CONTINUED PONDEROSA PINECONE COLLECTION, ADDRESSING THE RECENT SCARCITY OF PONDEROSA SEEDLINGS FOR POST-FIRE PLANTING IN OUR REGION. THIS INITIATIVE HIGHLIGHTS OUR COMMITMENT TO RESPONDING TO ARISING RESTORATION NEEDS. 2023 EXPENSES 61,217 REVENUE 33,413 INVASIVE WEEDS - INVASIVE WEEDS POSE A THREAT BY DISPLACING NATIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS AND DISRUPTING NATURAL SYSTEMS. AT WRV, OUR FOCUS IS ON ERADICATING WEEDS THAT ARE LEGALLY MANDATED FOR REMOVAL. THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY, WRV'S DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY WEEDED A REMARKABLE 7,530 ACRES. VOLUNTEERS' HARD WORK SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE POPULATION OF MEDITERRANEAN SAGE BY MORE THAN 95% ACROSS HUNDREDS OF ACRES. IN ADDITION, WRV'S INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS HAS EFFECTIVELY ADDRESSED THE MYRTLE SPURGE POPULATIONS ON THOUSANDS OF ACRES THAT BORDER PUBLIC LANDS. THANKS TO THESE AND MANY OTHER PROJECTS, THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS ARE NOW EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE TO IDENTIFY AND SAFELY REMOVE THESE NOXIOUS WEEDS, PREVENTING FURTHER DAMAGE TO NATIVE HABITATS. IN 2023 ALONE, VOLUNTEERS WEEDED A TOTAL OF 453 ACRES, MAKING A SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT. 2023 EXPENSES 43,475, REVENUE 35,421

YOUTH & FAMILIES - WRV PROVIDES DIVERSE YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION SERVICE LEARNING. THE PROGRAM STARTS WITH BUILDING KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS CLOSE TO HOME AND PROGRESSES TO CRITICAL THINKING, PROBLEM-SOLVING, AND DECISION-MAKING IN THE FIELD. MONTHLY LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES ARE FOCUSED ON CULTURALLY RELEVANT SUBJECTS INCLUDING RESTORATION, OUTDOOR SKILLS, AND CAREERS IN NATURAL RESOURCES. WRV OFFERS A PAID YOUTH CORPS PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE, WHERE YOUTH LEARN RESTORATION TECHNIQUES, NATURAL SCIENCE, TEAMWORK, AND LEADERSHIP. MOST OF WRV'S YOUTH & FAMILIES PROGRAMMING IS OFFERED IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH. IN 2023, OVER 550 YOUTH ENGAGED IN RESTORATION AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, CREATING VALUABLE EXPERIENCES.

NATURAL HABITATS - WRV'S PRIMARY RESTORATION PROGRAM ADDRESSES A WIDE RANGE OF NEEDS ACROSS OUR REGION, INCLUDING DESIGNATED WILDERNESS AREAS, URBAN NATURAL SPACES, MOUNTAINS, AND PLAINS. WE STRIVE FOR INNOVATION BY EXPLORING NEW RESTORATION TECHNIQUES, WITH A RECENT FOCUS ON NATURAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS LIKE ZEEDYK STRUCTURES. WE COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL FARMS TO ENHANCE HABITAT DIVERSITY AND IMPLEMENT CLIMATE-SMART SOLUTIONS IN AREAS THAT TYPICALLY LACK HABITAT VALUE BUT OFFER SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL. IN 2023, OUR DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS PLANTED OVER 11,262 PLANTS, SHRUBS, AND TREES TO REBUILD SOIL AND PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR NATIVE SPECIES. VOLUNTEERS ALSO INSTALLED 164 SEDIMENT AND MOISTURE-RETAINING STRUCTURES IN WATERWAYS TO MITIGATE EROSION AND PRESERVE CRITICAL RESOURCES.