Opportunities From: Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado

 Why it's Important: Being prepared for the unexpected can save lives. The Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course teaches students the skills to anticipate risks and hazards, identify medical, traumatic, environmental problems, recognize life-threatening issues, initiate basic care and deliver a cohesive report. VOC projects and trainings often take place in remote areas, and participating in this training is a great way to increase the safety of your crew.

What you'll learn: This learning experience forces students to think creatively, adapt to ever changing situations, and learn valuable leadership, decision making, and communication skills. Some topics covered in this course include:

Rescuer, patient and bystander mental health Inclusive and compassionate patient care Prevention of potential problems Performing a basic physical exam, identifying abnormalities and life-threatening problems, obtaining vital signs, patient history, and writing and verbalizing a report for a walk-out evacuation or hand-off Treatment and stabilization of emergencies, improvising splints, bleeding and wound control, management of heat and cold illnesses, hydration problems, drownings, lighting injuries, spinal cord protection, basic patient lifts and transfers Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and special considerations for the wilderness, Epinephrine administration, and first aid kit planning for specific activities and needs

Essential Details:

This training costs $250. Please click here to pay for the course and get more details on the exact location. If you cancel within 2 weeks of the training you will not be reimbursed. This training is on March 14-15. It is required to attend both days of the training. This training will take place in Denver, Colorado. Exact location details will be shared once you have registered and paid for the course. This training is different than the First Aid and CPR courses also offered by VOC. This course is also different than Wilderness First Responder.Cancellations within 2 weeks of the training will not be eligible for a refund.

If you have questions or concerns please contact Benjamin Kromash at ben@voc.org

In this Saturday afternoon workshop, you will receive a universally applicable certification training in Adult CPR, AED, and First Aid to deliver life-saving care in the outdoors. Signs and symptoms of common injuries and illnesses will be demonstrated in sample scenarios and accompanied by the recommended steps to aid the patient while emergency medical services are en route. With a small class size, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and practice your training in a hands-on setting.

Essential Details:

This course takes place on Saturday, March 28 from 1:00PM-5:30PM. This course takes place in Denver, Colorado. The exact location will be emailed to you once you have registered for the training. Cost: $60 to be paid upon arrival in class by cash or checks made payable to Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. If you are a VOC leader there is no cost for this training. Email Kelly Clouse at kclouse@voc.org to ensure you qualify for the VOC Leader rate.

 

For questions please reach out to Benjamin Kromash at ben@voc.org

In this Saturday afternoon workshop, you will receive a universally applicable recertification training in Adult CPR, AED, and First Aid to deliver life-saving care in the outdoors. This course is for folks who have been previously certified in First Aid and CPR. In this course you will review signs and symptoms of common injuries and illnesses will be demonstrated in sample scenarios and accompanied by the recommended steps to aid the patient while emergency medical services are en route. With a small class size, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and practice your training in a hands-on setting.

Essential Details:

This course takes place on Saturday, March 28 from 8:00AM-12:30PM. This course takes place in Denver, Colorado. The exact location will be emailed to you once you have registered for the training. Cost: $60 to be paid upon arrival in class by cash, credit card, or checks made payable to Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. If you are a VOC leader there is no cost for this training. Email Kelly Clouse at kclouse@voc.org to ensure you qualify for the VOC Leader rate.

 

For questions please reach out to Benjamin Kromash at ben@voc.org

Why it's important:

Becoming a chainsaw sawyer is a valuable skill and a critical way to contribute to conservation efforts across Colorado. By attending this course you will gain the skills and certification to be able to safely assist with fire mitigation, trail maintenance and other felling and bucking operations to aid in forest management.

What you'll learn:

Upgrade your outdoor stewardship skills at this exciting 3 day workshop! Whether they're used for thinning fuel loads in forests, removing invasive species, clearing blow downs or much more, chainsaws are an indispensable tool in many different natural resource and trail management applications. The focus of this 3-day workshop will be on saw safety; bucking, limbing, and felling principles and techniques; an overview of the tools of the trade as well as tool care and maintenance; hazard analysis and situational awareness; and did we mention safety (lots on saw safety!). Using the USDA Forest Service National Sawyer Training: Developing Thinking Sawyers, trainees will be recommended for certification up to a "B" skill level for felling and bucking. Please note that certification level is at the discretion of the workshop evaluator based on demonstrated field proficiency and is not guaranteed.  

Where you'll be:

This chainsaw training will take place in the San Luis Valley, which is four hours south of Denver. The classroom portion on Friday will take place in Del Norte, CO. The field portion will take place near South Fork on Forest Service land. VOC will not be hosting a basecamp for this training but dispersed camping options are available near the field site. More information will be provided via email to registered participants. 

Eligibility Requirements:        

Ages 18+  

A valid first aid/CPR certification or higher is required to validate all saw certifications. You must have this certification prior to taking this class. VOC will be hosting first aid/CPR courses in both Denver and the San Luis Valley this spring. Those certification courses can be found on the VOC training calendar. 

Essential details:

This course takes place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 1-3, 2026. It is required to attend all three days of this training. Depending on participants skill level and previous experience, there may be a chance to finish up this training early.

This training costs $150/person. To pay for the course please click here. In an effort to support the local community, this training is free to residents of the San Luis Valley who are engaged in the volunteer program. Contact Katie@voc.org if you would like to request a payment waiver.

Your spot will not be reserved until you have registered and paid for the course.

A detailed email with the exact location, schedule and logistical information will be sent one month prior to the training date. If you have any questions in the meantime, please email Katie at katie@voc.org

If you cancel your registration within 2 weeks of the training date you will not be eligible for a refund. This is because we cannot fill a spot with such short notice.

Want to put these skills to work on project? Check out these opportunities to show off your new skills!

Why it's important:

Becoming a crosscut sawyer is a valuable skill and a critical way to contribute to conservation efforts across Colorado. Trail maintenance in wilderness areas is largely becoming a matter of clearing dead or downed trees from the trail corridor but crosscutting is also a useful skill to harvest raw materials for backcountry trail projects, such as bridge construction. By attending this course, you will gain the skills and certification to safely and effectively utilize wilderness-approved, crosscut saws.

What you'll learn:

Upgrade your outdoor stewardship skills at this exciting 2-day workshop! In this training, you will learn crosscut saw techniques, procedures, and best practices for safely and effectively clearing trails in challenging situations. The course will also cover basic tool care and maintenance and include a mix of classroom learning, and hands-on field experience. Using the USDA Forest Service National Sawyer Training: Developing Thinking Sawyers, trainees will be recommended for certification up to a "B" skill level for bucking. This course does not include felling. Please note that certification level is at the discretion of the workshop evaluator based on demonstrated field proficiency and is not guaranteed.  

Where you'll be:

This crosscut training will take place in the San Luis Valley, which is four hours south of Denver. The classroom portion on Saturday will take place in Del Norte, CO. The field portion will take place near South Fork on Forest Service land. VOC will not be hosting a basecamp for this training but dispersed camping options are available near the field site. More information will be provided via email to registered participants. 

Eligibility requirements:        

Ages 18+  

A valid first aid/CPR certification or higher is required to validate all saw certifications. You must have this certification prior to taking this class. VOC will be hosting first aid/CPR courses in both Denver and the San Luis Valley this spring. Those certification courses can be found on the VOC training calendar. 

Essential details:

This course takes place on Saturday and Sunday, May 16-17, 2026. It is required to attend both days of this training.

This training costs $60/person. To pay for the course please click here. In an effort to support the local community, this training is free to residents of the San Luis Valley who are engaged in the volunteer program. Contact Katie@voc.org if you would like to request a payment waiver.

Your spot will not be reserved until you have registered and paid for the course.

A detailed email with the exact location, schedule and logistical information will be sent one month prior to the training date. If you have any questions in the meantime, please email Katie at katie@voc.org

If you cancel your registration within 2 weeks of the training date you will not be eligible for a refund. This is because we cannot fill a spot with such short notice.

Want to put these skills to work on a project? Check out this opportunity to show off your new skills!