2021-Beaver Habitat Sawyer Project @ Signature Bluffs Natural Area

Start Date-End Date: 10/09/2021-10/09/2021 Land Manager Office: City of Greeley - Natural Areas & Trails Land Manager Contact: Justin Scharton Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: Help address and manage some of the trees local beavers have felled! Description: Read Before You Register! Need-to-Know Details: We greatly appreciate you volunteering your time and energy to care for Colorado's outdoor places during COVID-19. To help provide a fun and safe experience for all, there are a few temporary changes to be prepared for: You may only register yourself. Every volunteer must sign our digital COVID-specific forms ahead of time to be able to attend. You must provide your own food. VOC will not be providing meals at this time. You must bring a face mask and work gloves. Please click here for our full packing list of required and recommended items. All volunteers must keep a mask within reach at all times.We will ask you to wear a mask when working closely together (within arm's reach) on a task, such as moving a large rock. If you are not vaccinated,we encourage you to reconsider your participation at this time due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. People who are unvaccinated are more at risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and death. If you choose to volunteer while unvaccinated, you must wear a mask for the duration of the project. Cancellation & Waitlists: Due to limited spots on this year's projects, we expect projects to fill quickly with waitlists. If you need to cancel, please email outreach@voc.org as soon as possible so we can free your spot for another volunteer and have a full workforce. If you are waitlisted for multiple projects, please call us at 303-715-1010 ext. 116 and we can help you find an open project, if available. Where You'll Be: Situated along the Cache La Poudre River in Greeley, the Signature Bluffs Natural Area is a mecca for Weld County residents, offering top-notch fishing, hiking, and biking opportunities. In addition, the area is home to large swath of natural river habitat and, of course, the "signature bluffs". This significant geological system was carved by the river over millions of years and is a distinctive feature along the river's edge. What You'll Do: Spend a short Fall Saturday along the Cache la Poudre River as you work to improve the habitat for local beaver residents and other wildlife. You'll spend the day at the beaver pond to address any downed trees from the beavers by taking a chainsaw to the trees and strategically moving them to create natural habitat for other critters. Learn more about beavers, often called "nature's engineers!" Why It Matters: The health of the riparian corridor in the Signature Bluffs Nature Area has improved over the past several years and is now able to support a beaver colony! This is great for the ecosystem, and volunteers' efforts will help this change go smoothly. About Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) is the state's oldest, largest, and leading outdoor stewardship nonprofit organization. Founded in 1984 to motivate and enable people to become active stewards of Colorado's natural resources, VOC has engaged nearly 126,000 people in more than 1,000 volunteer projects for a donated labor value of $25 million. Through award-winning youth and volunteer programs, leadership training, capacity-building programs, and collaborative efforts with nonprofits and land management agencies, VOC is an invaluable resource in Colorado, especially as our outdoor stewardship needs are approaching near-crisis levels. For more information, visit www.voc.org or call 303-715-1010. Latitude/Longitude: 40.441022, -104.81316 Additional Information: We greatly appreciate you volunteering your time and energy to care for Colorado's outdoor places during COVID-19. To help provide a fun and safe experience for all, there are a few temporary changes to be prepared for: You must provide your own food.VOC will not be providing meals at this time. You must bring a face mask and work gloves.Pleaseclick herefor our full packing list of required and recommended items. Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: Moderate, Difficult High Altitude Project: No Desired Number of Volunteers: 15 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 15 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0 Total Volunteer Days: 15 Total Unique Volunteers: 15 Total Volunteer Hours: 84 Staff Hours: 12 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Four sawyers and 11 swampers tackled Russian Olives, Siberian Elm, and dead trees in an area of high beaver activity. Successes and Challenges: Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: