2013-Challenge Middle School Youth SWAT at the Plains Conservation Center

Start Date-End Date: 10/24/2013-10/24/2013 Land Manager Office: Plains Conservation Center Land Manager Contact: Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: 26 students and 5 adults from Challenge Middle School will spend the day at the Plains Conservation Center helping with a variety and land and site maintenance tasks. Description: 26 students and 5 adults from Challenge Middle School will spend the day at the Plains Conservation Center helping with a variety and land and site maintenance tasks. Latitude/Longitude: 39.656006, -104.736973 Additional Information: Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: Easy, Moderate High Altitude Project: No Desired Number of Volunteers: 35 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 4 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 25 Total Volunteer Days: 29 Total Unique Volunteers: 29 Total Volunteer Hours: 145 Staff Hours: 8 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Successes and Challenges: Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: The morning at the education building, students learned about WHY we have trails, why water is the enemy, and how to prep and lay crusher fine. They also learned about the high plains, a bit about the history of Denver, and the overall organization of the Plains Conservation Center. Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Great location, great staff, easily accessible - would recommend using them annually for SWATs Description of Accidents/Incidents: One finger gash - treated by washing and applying a bandaid. Description of Work Completed: 25 students and 4 adults from Challenge Middle School arrived at the Plains Conservation Center in Aurora on the morning Thursday, October 24th to learn more about the importance of trails, protecting habitat, and our high plains. After learning about the importance of the work they were set out to achieve that day, students prepped, shoveled, laid, and tamped 300 feet worth of improved crusher fine trail in the Plains Conservation Center's Homestead area. With beautiful weather, these hard working students achieved the goal set for the day as well as impressed their teachers and peers with their physical strength of shoveling and hauling heavy wheel barrows! The Challenge School contributed over 100 hours of service, greatly improving the heavily used trails!