Wildlands Restoration Volunteers

TO FOSTER A COMMUNITY SPIRIT OF SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE STEWARDSHIP AND RESTORATION OF PUBLIC, PROTECTED, AND ECOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT LANDS ACROSS COLORADO AND BEYOND.

SUSTAINABLE TRAILS -WRV'S PHILOSOPHY WITH TRAIL WORK IS TO RE-ROUTE UNSUSTAINABLE TRAILS AWAY FROM AREAS THAT CONTAIN SENSITIVE WILDLIFE OR CULTURAL SITES TO AVOID RESOURCE DAMAGE. WE ESTABLISH NEW PRECEDENT TO STOP OHV TRESPASS WHILE STILL ALLOWING FOOT TRAFFIC. WE CLOSE AND RECLAIM OLD TRAILS, CONSTRUCT NEW SEGMENTS AND CONNECTIONS, AND PREVENT EROSION BY MAINTAINING TRAILS. WE EVEN REBUILD TRAILS THAT HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY FIRE, FLOOD, OR BARK BEETLES, IN MORE SUSTAINABLE WAYS. GROUPS OF TRAINED VOLUNTEER CROSSCUT SAWYERS CLEAR TRAIL CORRIDOR AFTER BARK BEETLE DEADFALL IN WILDERNESS AREAS. OVER WRV'S 22 YEARS, WE HAVE COMPLETED 157 MILES OF TRAIL WORK, AND IN 2021 ALONE WE COMPLETED 35 MILES.

NATURAL HABITATS - WRV'S CORE RESTORATION PROGRAM RESPONDS TO DIVERSE NEEDS IN OUR AREA. THE LAND AGENCIES WITH WHICH WE WORK EXPRESS GREAT SATISFACTION, REPEATEDLY ASK FOR OUR HELP, AND RECOMMEND US TO OTHER AGENCIES. WRV IS ALSO INVOLVED IN TESTING NEW RESTORATION TECHNIQUES. IN 2021, WRV VOLUNTEERS PLANTED OVER 11,400 PLANTS, SHRUBS, AND TREES, WHICH REBUILD SOIL AND CREATE FOOD, FORAGE, STRUCTURE, AND SHADE FOR NATIVE SPECIES.

HEALTHY FORESTS - COLORADO FORESTS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY CATASTROPHIC FIRES THANKS TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND DECADES OF FIRE SUPPRESSION, BUT WE CAN PREVENT FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES, HELP RARE NATIVE SPECIES RETURN, AND RESTORE ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION BY SEEDING, MULCHING, AND CREATING EROSION BARRIERS IN THE STEEP UPPER REACHES OF THE WATERSHED. TRAINED VOLUNTEERS USE CHAINSAWS TO REDUCE FIRE RISK IN THE WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE, AND REMOVE INVASIVE TREE SPECIES SUCH AS RUSSIAN OLIVE. IN 2021, WRV VOLUNTEERS STABILIZED TEN ACRES OF STEEP, INTENSELY BURNED SLOPES, AND VOLUNTEER SAWYERS THINNED 75 ACRES.

YOUTH & FAMILIES - TIME SPENT IN NATURE PROVIDES DEMONSTRATED MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN. WRV PROVIDES DIVERSE YOUTH WITH BROAD ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EXPERIENCES, BEGINNING WITH KNOWLEDGE & AWARENESS; LEADING TO CRITICAL THINKING, PROBLEM SOLVING & DECISION-MAKING; AND CONCLUDING WITH SERVICE AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP IN ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP. STUDENTS LEARN RESTORATION TECHNIQUES, ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE, AND TEAMWORK; SCHOOLS AND YOUTH GROUPS PARTICIPATE IN ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES WITH MONTHLY LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES BASED AROUND RESTORATION CYCLES. WRV ALSO ENGAGES YOUTH IN OUR YEAR-ROUND LEADERSHIP PROGRAM, WHERE THEY CONNECT WITH PEERS AND LEARN TECHNICAL AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS FOR LEADING CREWS OF YOUTH AND ADULTS IN THE FIELD. WRV AND OUR PARTNERS ALSO HOST YOUTH EXPLORING STEWARDSHIP, A TWO-DAY ANNUAL CONFERENCE FOR YOUTH LEADERS FROM A BROAD ARRAY OF REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS WHICH YOUTH ARE HELPING TO FACILITATE AND RUN. IN 2021, WRV ENGAGED OVER 600 YOUTH IN RESTORATION & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. EXPENSES 162,294, REVENUE 36,400 NATIVE SEEDS - RESTORATION PROJECTS REQUIRE A DIVERSE SUPPLY OF NATIVE TREES, SHRUBS, GRASSES, AND WILDFLOWERS THAT ARE GENETICALLY ADAPTED TO THRIVE IN THIS AREA. PEOPLE OF ALL AGES JOIN US TO COLLECT, CLEAN, AND GROW-OUT NATIVE SEEDS. VOLUNTEERS ALSO HELP TEND PLANTS IN A GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. OVER WRV'S 22-YEAR HISTORY, VOLUNTEERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED OVER 41,600 PERSON-HOURS OF NATIVE SEED COLLECTION, PLANTED OVER 422,000 NATIVE TREES, SHRUBS AND PLANTS, AND SPREAD UNTOLD MILLIONS OF SEEDS IN 2021, VOLUNTEERS SPENT OVER 2,180 HOURS COLLECTING NATIVE SEEDS TO BE GROWN-OUT AND USED ON FUTURE PROJECTS. EXPENSES 68,263 REVENUE 38,503 VITAL RIVERS - WATERWAYS ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OVER 80% OF COLORADO WILDLIFE DEPENDS ON THEM RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS ALIKE ENJOY FISHING, RAFTING, WATER SCENERY, AND DRINKING CLEAN WATER. OVER WRV'S 22 YEARS, VOLUNTEERS HAVE RESTORED 63 MILES OF STREAM CHANNEL & SHORELINE AND OVER 89 ACRES OF WETLAND. MUCH OF THIS WORK IN THE PAST SIX YEARS HAS FOCUSED ON STABILIZING STREAMBANKS AFTER POST-FLOOD ROAD CONSTRUCTION EFFORTS DESTROYED THEM, AND ON REMOVING THE NOXIOUS WEEDS THAT FLOODING INTRODUCED. IN 2021, WRV VOLUNTEERS RESTORED 2,740 FEET OF STREAM CHANNEL & SHORELINE. EXPENSES 51,647, REVENUE 56,562 COMMUNITY BUILDING AND TRAINING- IN 2021, WRV BUILT AND MAINTAINED A PASSIONATE, HIGHLY SKILLED VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY THAT CARES FOR PUBLIC, PROTECTED, AND ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT LANDS. WRV WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE 202 RESTORATION PROJECTS BECAUSE THIS GROUP CONTRIBUTED OVER 924,696-WORTH OF LABOR AND EXPERTISE. THESE VOLUNTEERS BENEFITTED 2,402 ACRES OF WILDLIFE HABITAT IN 2021. THIS IS ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE DEDICATION OF DONORS, VOLUNTEERS, AND VOLUNTEER LEADERS. IN 2021, WRV HELD 30 COURSES AND TRAINED 260 VOLUNTEERS IN TECHNICAL, LEADERSHIP AND SAFETY SKILLS. SINCE 2003, WRV HAS TRAINED MORE THAN 3,700 VOLUNTEER LEADERS IN SKILLS INCLUDING RESTORATION DESIGN, CREW LEADERSHIP, TRAIL MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION. EXPENSES 50,696 REVENUE 9,760 INVASIVE WEEDS - INVASIVE WEEDS THREATEN TO OVERTAKE OUR NATURAL LANDS, CROWDING OUT NATIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS AND WEAKENING THE ECOSYSTEM. WRV FOCUSES OUR EFFORTS MOSTLY ON WEEDS WHICH ARE LEGALLY MANDATED FOR ERADICATION. OVER WRV'S HISTORY, OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE WEEDED 6,934 ACRES FOR MEDITERRANEAN SAGE, A TUMBLEWEED LEGALLY MANDATED FOR ERADICATION, VOLUNTEERS' HARD WORK OVER 20 YEARS REDUCED THE POPULATION BY MORE THAN 95% OVER HUNDREDS OF ACRES, TO THE POINT WHERE VOLUNTEER ASSISTANCE IS NO LONGER NEEDED. FOR MYRTLE SPURGE, WRV'S INNOVATIVE PRIVATE LANDOWNER PARTNERSHIP HAS HELPED TO ADDRESS THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF PROBLEM POPULATIONS ON LANDS THAT BORDER PUBLIC LANDS. AS A RESULT OF THESE PROJECTS AND MANY OTHERS, THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS NOW CAN IDENTIFY AND SAFELY REMOVE THESE INVASIVE SPECIES, PREVENTING THE DAMAGE THEY DO TO NATIVE HABITAT. IN 2021, VOLUNTEERS WEEDED 88 ACRES. EXPENSES 40,861, REVENUE 24,500