2016-Boulder Brands SWAT at Ranson Edwards

Start Date-End Date: 05/11/2016-05/11/2016 Land Manager Office: Jefferson County Open Space Land Manager Contact: Matt Martinez Funding Partner: Boulder Brands, Inc Programmatic Partner: Summary: Volunteers will work to thin Ponderosa Pine in order to help establish a healthier forest ecosystem. Currently the trees are growing too close together and are crowding out the under-story, creating an unhealthy vegetation mix in the area. Description: The project will go from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and involve mainly cutting Ponderosa Pine no more than 3" DBH with loppers and bow saws. Material will be stacked for chipping or other purposes later on in the season. VOC will provide coffee and bagels, but lunch will be supplied by the group. Latitude/Longitude: 39.887686, -105.324301 Additional Information: Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: Easy, Moderate High Altitude Project: No Desired Number of Volunteers: 50 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 32 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0 Total Volunteer Days: 32 Total Unique Volunteers: 32 Total Volunteer Hours: 192 Staff Hours: 25 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Volunteers from Boulder Brands participated in a corporate SWAT workday at Ranson Edwards Park, a part of Jefferson County Open Space. Volunteers thinned Ponderosa Pine regrowth over a 5 acre area. 32 volunteers contributed around 192 hours to the project. Weather was great and volunteers had a good time despite the repetitive nature of the work. Successes and Challenges: Lots of work done by the group, food and tool logistics went well. Communication was straightforward and there were no issues. JeffCo staff were easy to work with, although the point person for the day of the project was changed a few times before being finalized. Lessons Learned: Although work was fairly tedious, volunteers were happy to be out of the office on a beautiful day. Where volunteers are coming from (i.e. they were excited to spend the day outside doing anything) is just as important as what they're doing. Special Notes: None Stewardship Education: Volunteers recieved an orientation to the area and the work from Jim Lile. They learned about natural fire cycles and the effect of fire on various species and forest ecology. Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: None Description of Accidents/Incidents: None Description of Work Completed: Volunteers completed thinning of around 5 acres of mixed density Ponderosa Pine.