2021-CANCELLED: Cameron Peak Fire Restoration @ Shambhala Mountain Center

Start Date-End Date: 04/17/2021-04/18/2021 Land Manager Office: Drala Mountain Center (formerly Shambhala Mountain Center) Land Manager Contact: Mac McGoldrick Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: THIS PROJECT & WAITLIST ARE FULL. Help restore a riparian area damaged by wildfires at this ecologically-minded health and wellness retreat center. 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 sign up for one or all days of this project, though we encourage multi-day registration to limit the number of interactions and potential exposure. You may only register yourself. Every volunteer must sign our digital COVID-specific forms ahead of time to be able to attend. You must pack your own lunches. Please see below for more information on meals. You must bring a face mask and work gloves. Please click here for our full packing list of required and recommended items. 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: Located about an hour outside of Fort Collins, the Shambhala Mountain Center (SMC) hosts roughly 300 programs that bring people from all over the world. 40 people live on the SMC campus year-round while over 13,000 people visit each year to enjoy the serene campus, network of hiking trails, and the Great Stupa, a one-of-a-kind example of sacred architecture in North America. In 2017, SMC decided to take a regenerative development approach to any ecological or environmental work on the land. Awarded an environmental stewardship award from Larimer County recognizing initial ecological efforts, SMC is committed to actively committing to ecological health, capacity, and resilience. What You'll Do: Volunteers ages 14+ are invited to join us at the peaceful Shambhala Mountain Center for this important restoration project. The 2020 Cameron Peak Fire destroyed the creek that flows through the property and into Elkhorn Creek, burning all of the willows, plants, and even a beaver dam. Without the plants and dam to hold sediment at bay, the spring thaw could lead to a major widening of the creek along with a massive amount of ash being swept into Elkhorn Creek, which was previously unaffected by the fire. Over the course of the weekend, you'll work to restore the area by seeding, planting willows and other plants, installing log structures to reduce the flow of water, and dispersing ash away from the river. Camping is available Friday and Saturday night; VOC's volunteer Crew Chefs will provide breakfast on Saturday and Sunday as well as dinner on Saturday night. Why It Matters: This is an important and urgent project for the Shambhala Mountain Center and for the environment in general. If the water runoff is not slowed and the streambank not stabilized, the creek could grow significantly this Spring and harmful byproducts of the Cameron Peak Fire would wash into the previously unaffected Elkhorn Creek. Your efforts will help prevent or lessen these harmful impacts and restore the area after this devastating fire. 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: 40.7353644, -105.5435353 Additional Information: To help provide a fun and safe experience for all, there are a few temporary changes to be prepared for: You must pack your own lunches.Please see below for more information on meals. You must bring a face mask and work gloves.Pleaseclick herefor our full packing list of required and recommended items. Camping is available on both Friday and Saturday night. Please note that VOC doesnotprovide any camping equipment (tents, sleeping bags, etc.) but will providebreakfast on Saturday and Sunday as well as dinner on Saturday night. More information about camping will be sent via email approximately two weeks before the project. Camping Available: Yes Physical Difficulty: Moderate High Altitude Project: Yes Desired Number of Volunteers: 20 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: Total Youth Volunteers Attended: Total Volunteer Days: Total Unique Volunteers: Total Volunteer Hours: 0 Staff Hours: 0 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: 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: