Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado training program is called the Outdoor Stewardship Institute (OSI), and they were excited to pilot a new Alpine Stewardship Training this year. Colorado is home to more than fifty 14,000-foot peaks, nicknamed “14ers” or “Fourteeners”, and they are a huge draw for both tourists and residents. With the most popular peaks seeing upwards of 30,000 hikers each summer and the particularly delicate alpine habitat, this training was a high priority for the state. The curriculum consisted of both classroom and field-based lessons, and was created in partnership with fellow volunteer stewardship organizations Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI), Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI), and Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (WRV), and funded by the National Forest Foundation. The two-day training took place on Pikes Peak with 15 trainees in July 2019. Trainees learned about alpine ecology, how to manage risk above treeline with work crews, and practiced technical skills unique to working on alpine trails.
Check out all the wonderful initiatives going on right this second in Colorado and how you can help at https://www.voc.org/.
