2022-SWAT: Viasat @Staunton State Park

Start Date-End Date: 06/29/2022-06/29/2022 Land Manager Office: CPW - Staunton State Park Land Manager Contact: Jessica King Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: Help the native/non-invasive flora thrive! Join your colleague in this important task to improve the overall health of the forest by removing the invasive Musk Thistle. Description: Where You'll Be: In 2013, Staunton State Park became the newest place to earn Colorado State Park designation. Frances Hornbrook Staunton donated the first 1,720-acre parcel of land in 1986, and subsequent acquisitions allowed Colorado Parks & Wildlife to create the park that exists today just 40 miles southeast of Denver. With an area of 3,828 acres, Staunton boasts geologic features including soaring granite cliffs, unique soil composition and impressive water features, setting the backdrop for a range of recreational opportunities. What You'll Do: Help the native/non-invasiveflora thrive! Join your colleague in this important task to improve the overall health of the forest by removing the invasive Musk Thistle. Why It Matters: Invasive plants have a negative impact on water quality, biodiversity, fish and wildlife habitat, fire risk and costs. By removing them from this ecosystem, we reduce competitivity between plants and increase the available area for native/non-invasive flora to grow and thrive! Latitude/Longitude: 39.6332466, 105.4657354 Additional Information: Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: Moderate, Difficult High Altitude Project: No Desired Number of Volunteers: 25 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 23 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 1 Total Volunteer Days: 23 Total Unique Volunteers: 24 Total Volunteer Hours: 88 Staff Hours: 9 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: SWAT was scheduled for a Wednesday from 9am to 12pm. VOC staff met with CPW staff at 8am at the visitor center. Both staff drove to the Staunton Ranch Trail head and used the service road to stage tools. VOC truck was parked with all the tools on the road next to the work site. VOC and CPW staff drove to the trail head together to set registration. The registration table was located next to the parking lot and trail head. Volunteers had no problem finding the registration table. We had a total of 21 volunteers. This group was divided in 3 to do a quick orientation about invasive species and how to identify them. The 3 leaders of this orientation were 2 park volunteers and 1 staff. We had 20 shovels and 20 hand pruners. We also had plenty of 30 gallon black trash bags to dispose the seed heads. Viasat volunteers enjoyed the 3-hour project and loved the location. All volunteers had free access to the park and were welcomed to explore the park after the project was over. Successes and Challenges: Successes: Location was beautiful and very accessible. Work site was only 1/4 of a mile from the trail head and volunteers did not have to carry tools. Identification of the invasive species was easy to follow Volunteers enjoyed talking with others while working Communication with our main contact from Viasat was great Challenges: The project started at 9am, which can be a little early considering the 1-hour drive to get there from the office. Ideally, tools would be load the day before. Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: