Where you’ll be:
The project will take place on one of Southern Plains Land Trust’s (SPLT) reserves, called Heartland Ranch, in Bent County near Lamar, Colorado. This 43,000-acre preserve is a unique area that functions as a refuge for wildlife such as bison, elk, pronghorns, prairie dogs, coyotes, and even endangered species such as the black-footed ferret. The location of the fieldwork would be approximately 10 miles from SPLT’s main office in an open landscape with intermittent streams.
What you’ll do:
Volunteers will help build structures that prevent further erosion of the stream beds, which will help the watershed to flourish again. The structures that we want to put in the streams are man-made and only use natural materials such as rocks and logs. The structures will prevent further soil erosion, catch sediment during floods, and create a new habitat for aquatic plants and invertebrates. Work will consist of collecting rocks, logs, and tree trunks from SPLT’s property and creating One Rock Dams, leveling stream bed topography with shovels, and making log jams and beaver dam analogs.
Why it’s important:
This project is all about improving wildlife habitat by restoring riparian vegetation, optimizing carbon sequestration, and reversing damage from cattle grazing. Improving the health of these stream beds will also help to preserve a very scarce resource in this region – water.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Ages 18+
Project Difficulty:
This project is moderate to difficult in nature. Please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details.
Accessibility Factors:
Vehicle Accessibility: 2WD Accessible
Other notes: This area will most likely not have cell service.
Join us in making a positive impact while reducing your carbon footprint! Register yourself for our upcoming project and take the eco-friendly route by carpooling with fellow volunteers.
Click here to sign up for the carpool (please do this after registering for the project).
