Description
Start Date-End Date: 08/08/2017-08/08/2017
Land Manager Office: Jefferson County Open Space
Land Manager Contact: Matt Martinez
Funding Partner: Quest Software
Programmatic Partner:
Summary: Quest software volunteers will assist in the deployment of 15 tons of crusher fine to fill in areas on the trail/fire line around the Lookout Mountain Nature Preserve. A second group will pull weeds around the garden near the building. The last group will hike the 1 mile trail near the Nature Center and pull invasive mullein and some thistle. The project is set to run from 2pm-5pm.
Description: Corportate SWAT
Latitude/Longitude: 39.730794, -105.248147
Additional Information:
Camping Available: No
Physical Difficulty: Easy
High Altitude Project: No
Desired Number of Volunteers: 50
Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 37
Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0
Total Volunteer Days: 37
Total Unique Volunteers: 37
Total Volunteer Hours: 85.5
Staff Hours: 25
Stipend Hours: 0
Project Summary: 36 Quest software volunteers and 1 VOC crew leader 85.5 hours of work. We went to Lookout Mountain Nature Center and Preserve in Golden for the Quest Software SWAT. We had three tasks: pulling weeds from the garden around the Nature Center, adding crusher fine to existing trails, and pulling the invasive mullein. Overall, we pulled a garbage bin (homeowner size) of weeds from around the Nature Center. We spread over 13 tons of crusher fine out on the trail, and we pulled 33 garbage bags of mullein and thistle.
Successes and Challenges: Successes
Most volunteers were very eager to work and were able to get far on three different projects. Kyle Carstens was very helpful in getting volunteers extra raincoats from the staff supply at the visitor's center. Taylor was extremely helpful to run her own crew pulling mullein.
Challenges
The event was set to go from 2-5 but the volunteer bus arrrived at 2:15p and left at 4:30p. It also took quite awhile to get everyone to sign both the VOC waiver and the longer JeffCo one. About half of the volunteers weren't prepared for the weather (rain) and had to borrow raincoats from the JeffCo staff supply. I overhead some people not wanting to drink from the water fountain (which was clean and operational). It was difficult to get crew leaders for a weekday project.
Lessons Learned: Bring flat ended shovels to help with scraping the last bits of crusher fines piles, and also bring leaf rakes to help spread out the crusher fine on the trail.
Special Notes: What was most exciting for me was that this group had come from all across the country and world. They are in Denver this week for a training. I was also excited that we were able to get lots done despite the frequent stints of rain.
Stewardship Education: Kyle talked briefly on behalf of the Nature Center and the importance of invasive species removal (mullein).
Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: I overheard some of the volunteers saying that they were not going to drink out of the water fountain (which had nothing wrong with it.). Luckily the project was short enough that they probably had enough water for themselves.
Description of Accidents/Incidents: None (Yahoo!)
Description of Work Completed:
Details
| 18 and older |
