- Wildlands Restoration Volunteers
Transcription
- Wildlands Restoration Volunteers
g n i n ai Healing the land... G Ground d Fall 2009 ...building community. Uniquely Colorado: Restoring Our State’s Last Great Places As Coloradans, everyday we wake up and open our eyes to views that many people only see when they open their mailbox to find a postcard from a friend. Of all the spectacular places in our state, there are a select few that stand out thanks to their distinctive, high-quality natural features. In 1977, rapid oil, gas, and housing development raised concerns about loss or degradation to many of these special areas. Realizing the need to protect our most precious resources, a coalition of environmental and outdoor recreation groups, led by the Audubon Society drafted and helped to pass the Colorado Natural Areas Program (CNAP). Since its inception, the CNAP act has protected 78 designated sites, covering over 140,000 acres. This year, Wildlands Restoration Volunteers began a new partnership with the Colorado Natural Areas Program in the hope that together we are better able to protect and restore Colorado’s great treasures. Our first collaboration was at one of Colorado’s most beautiful and unique sites– the Geneva Basin Iron Fen. uniqueness also attracts a lot of attention and activity, in some cases, an unsustainable amount. The postcards our out-of-state friends find in their mailboxes don’t show the hard work that volunteers are doing just out of frame to protect and restore stunning places like the Geneva Basin. The collaboration between Clear Creek County, Pike National Forest, CNAP, local Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) clubs, and WRV is a perfect partnership of organizations working to bring Geneva Basin back to a sustainable point. Before the August 2009 project, the site had suffered drastic damage from heavy OHV use. It took the combined efforts of all these organizations to begin the process of restoring the fen back to a manageable level. In the arid climate of Colorado, wetlands are a rare and valuable natural resource, especially important because they act as sponges, absorbing water in times of excess and releasing it during dry spells. Unlike many wetlands that receive most of their water from precipitation, fens receive large quantities of nutrients and minerals from groundwater movement. Due to this influx of nutrients, they are able to support more life than bogs. Geneva is also one of seven rare iron fen complexes, which are found in only five places on the globe. In an iron fen, the water flows through minerals, resulting in a pH level approaching 2, akin to that of lemon juice or vinegar. Despite the acidic nature of the site, Geneva basin features a unique diversity of life closely resembling that of the Alaskan tundra. The fen’s amazing biological, ecological, geological, and paleontological features make it one of Colorado’s precious natural gems. However, its What’s Inside By Jarret Roberts and John Giordanengo To ensure the prolonged success of the project, very special care was taken to ensure the survival of the seeding at the site. Restoration efforts started with soil decompaction and slope contouring to erase the physical disturbance of the road. Next, volunteers prepared the seedbed, seeded native species, and covered the bed with a mulch layer of weed-free straw. Finally, stream channels were reconstructed where the roadbed had intercepted the original channel, restoring natural flow regimes. Volunteers planted seeds purchased from a local source mixed with seeds collected on site, as well as some collected at WRV’s Two Million Seed Collection. Species such as fringed brome, alpine blue grass, black tipped groundsel, slender wheatgrass, tufted hair grass, alpine timothy, and shortleaf fescue will bring Geneva Basin back to its natural state. All the hard work produced phenomenal results. “Sitting around with volunteers watching a bubbling spring meander its way up through the limonite and then cascade down into the stream was so mesmerizing; a truly unique moment in time,” recalls Projects Director John Giordanengo. Brian Kurzel, CNAP coordinator explains, “WRV helped to reach the tipping point in this area. The only way to get such extensive restoration done is with hundreds of hands and WRV is the only organization I know that could get it done with this efficiency.” Simply setting aside Colorado’s last great places is not enough to ensure their protection. Where active restoration is needed, partnerships like the one between WRV and CNAP are instrumental in ensuring the integrity of Colorado’s ecological treasures for future generations. These budding partnerships help ensure that we all have the opportunity to experience uniquely Colorado sites, rather than just see them on post cards. Geneva Basin Iron Fen E.D. Corner: Page 2 2009 Project Summary: Page 3 Profile of Sue Percifield: Page 7 Profile of Amy Iwata: Page 2 New Fort Collins Office: Page 5 Welcome to Katie Renga: Page 8 E.D. Corner I’m happy to report that, despite the uncertainties of the economy, WRV has enjoyed another incredibly productive and successful field season. We completed nearly 40 diverse land restoration projects and 15 volunteer leadership/skill trainings. We celebrated our 10th Anniversary and surpassed our 200th project. Thanks to the over 2,000 volunteers and all our volunteer leaders who it happen! See the WRV Project Wildlands Restoration made Summary 2009 on pages 3-5, which Volunteers was the highlights the accomplishments of the season. first group we turned to when we wanted to learn how to plan and run successful stewardship projects. We talk a lot about restoration “projects” at WRV, but every project event is really just a means to an end. The two end results we strive for are 1) a growing thriving community of volunteers, and 2) long-term stewardship of special places. WRV -Michael Rogers, Programs has returned to many places for many Director of Wild Connections years, making dramatic progress, incrementally. I see more of this emphasis in WRV’s future, because that’s what public lands, and the agencies that manage them, need. For instance, we are working with the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) to adopt the section of Boulder Creek that runs near our office in northeast Boulder. We plan to return to this area over and over for years to help OSMP re-establish, and maintain, a healthy native riparian ecosystem, so the creek can function better as an urban wildlife corridor. We want to use this site to engage nearby residents and businesses, and offer educational programs on a variety of ecological topics. Now wait a minute! What are we doing adopting an urban stretch of river, when our organization is named “Wildlands” Restoration Volunteers? Some people associate “wildlands” with “wilderness”–places Gaining Ground Office: 3012 E. Sterling Circle, Suite 201, Boulder, CO 80301 We welcome announcements, articles, letters, artwork, and photos for future editions of the newsletter. Please submit materials to [email protected]. Wild Connections has been working in southern central Colorado since 1995 with the mission of protecting the network of wildlands that will sustain biodiversity, wildlife and wildlife habitat. Wildlands Restoration Volunteers was the first group we turned to when we wanted to learn how to plan and run successful stewardship projects. WRV was our mentor from start to finish; from including our volunteer leaders in WRV trainings, to being our advisor on all aspects of technical and general project planning. Without WRV’s extensive experience and resources, we would not have been able to achieve such success. Our first project area was along the Trout and Eagle Creek drainages just south of Deckers. During five volunteer workdays, we reclaimed 2.25 linear miles and 4.95 acres of critical habitat, involving 62 volunteers, contributing 600 hours. We are excited about expanding our partnership with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers next year. For more info on Wild Connections, please go to www. wildconnections.org. WRV’s partnership with Wild Connections is a manifestation of our desire to help other communities and community groups dramatically expand their volunteer stewardship potential. In this way, we can leverage all we’ve learned over the years, to foster faster and more widely distributed growth of ecological volunteerism, than we could hope to see if we simply kept organizing more projects ourselves. By Jarret Roberts If you scrape away the layers of mud on Amy’s hands, accumulated during volunteering in over 45 projects over the last three years, you will eventually discover a fine layer of clay from one of her side hobbies, pottery. When she is not volunteering or potting, she can be found dirtying her hands in home carpentry and gardening projects. Designer: Claudia Strijek, StrijekDesign.com Web site: www.wlrv.org I am pleased to report on our progress with a new partner, Wild Connections, based in Colorado Springs. Michael Rogers, Programs Director of Wild Connections, describes the exciting things we have accomplished together this year in this way: When I finally met Amy Iwata I had to check to make sure she was not wearing a large red cape with a giant “S” on it. I had heard her name so often in such good context I imagined she had to be a superhero. Among a community of people who all care deeply about healing the land, Amy stands out as an amazingly kind and considerate person. Article Contributors: Jarret Roberts John Giordanengo Ed Self Mary Eldred E-mail: [email protected] way out there somewhere in the boonies. But we use “wildlands” to refer to any place that we can add some wild-ness to, through ecological restoration. Volunteer Profile: Amy Iwata Editor: Erin Mulligan Phone: 303-543-1411 by Ed Self, Executive Director Amy’s fun-loving attitude makes it so you can’t help but smile when you meet her. And this year, acting as a greeter on six seed collections, she was the cause of thousands of WRV smiles. She carries this ability over to any crew she joins, making projects so much fun that one volunteer recalls, “Anyone on her crew will want to come back again and again.” This is no surprise; Amy is known for going above and beyond. It is not unheard of for her to run out to the tool shed for one last tool the night before a project. See why I had to check for the cape? Amy, we cannot thank you enough for all your hard work, your dedication to making sure our hands are filled with the right tools, your friendly greetings, and most of all for just being Amy. Wildlands Restoration Volunteers 2 www.wlrv.org Summary of WRV 2009 Projects This year WRV completed nearly 40 projects, restoring public lands from the banks of prairie streams to the tallest peaks in Colorado. In partnership with numerous organizations we cut miles of new trail, harvested truckloads of native seed and removed hundreds of acres of invasive species. To view details about each project such as dates and number of volunteer attendees, as well as to view thousands of photos, visit our website at www.wlrv.org A Burden Shared is a Burden Halved: Projects with Boulder County Are You From Around Here? Seed Collections and Invasive Species Removal Since WRV’s beginnings, collaboration with Boulder County Parks and Open Space (BCPOS) has been an integral element of every project season. This strong partnership has helped improve the lands surrounding the area where WRV first put down roots. WRV’s first project of the season appropriately took place on the site of the first agricultural property to be restored to native prairie by BCPOS. Our season kicked off on Earth Day 2009 when volunteers planted over 2,300 shrubs, trees, willow stakes, and grasses to increase diversity in a moist drainage area at the Tommy Thompson project. Partnering with BCPOS also allows WRV the unique opportunity to work in pristine areas closed to the public due to their sensitive nature. At Heil Valley Ranch, where the county has been thinning dense unhealthy stands of ponderosa, volunteers spent a day restoring 500 feet of stream and seeding over 500,000 square feet with native grass. There, they enjoyed beautiful views, planted native grasses, trees, and shrubs, and installed erosion control structures. WRV believes in welcoming everyone, and we love our volunteers that have transplanted from across the country and even the world. There are, however, a couple new arrivals that we are not too fond of; we’re talking about invasive species of course. Myrtle Spurge and Mediterranean Sage are two A-listed weeds that are aggressively invading and pushing out native species in grass lands. At the Eldorado Canyon/Mesa Trailhead volunteers continued a four-year hand pulling prescription that has eradicated 95% of the toxic and noxious Myrtle Spurge in this area. In another long term effort, WRVers removed Med Sage from some of Boulder County’s highest priority sites, such as Table Mountain. Sustained actions such as these make state-wide eradication possible. It seems fitting that such a strong partnership would grow and develop in large part thanks to seed collection. In 2009, WRV completed ten seed collections with BCPOS, including one with Cultiva Youth Program at Rabbit Mountain. The term locally grown is very important when it comes to seed. Along with the ten BCPOS-partnered seed collections, WRV completed three additional major seed collections this year. Locally collected seed is vital to restoration efforts; often it is the only viable way to match ecotypes. To make our efforts even more productive many of the collected seeds are grown out agriculturally, potentially yielding thousands of seed for every single seed picked. In the Two Million Seed Collection Challenge at Geneva Basin Iron Fens, volunteers out-did themselves, gathering nearly four million seeds! And in WRV’s first two-day seed collection near Walden, volunteers camped out overnight, surrounded by the majestic mountains of North Park. In another great partnership, with BCPOS and the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance, volunteers worked to mend the county’s Benjamin Betasso property. This newly-purchased property was criss-crossed with over 4.5 miles of highly eroded, steep, hazardous, and completely unsustainable social trails. Working with our local partners, we revegetated over a mile of the most eroded social trails and constructed a single sustainable trail for multiple uses. The Knowledge to Lead: Trainings Developing leaders is one of our highest priorities. In 2009, we conducted 12 trainings, on topics including carpentry, tool management, restoration design, group cooking, trail skills, wilderness first aid, site management, and many more. These trainings provide people with the skills they need to restore the lands they love. Project Summaries cont. on pg. 4 www.wlrv.org 3 Healing the land, building community. Precious Liquid Resources: WRV’s Stream and Wetland Restoration Projects Streams and wetlands have always been a major beneficiary of WRV’s care and attention and this year was no exception. At projects like South Boulder Creek, Tommy Thompson, Carnage Canyon, and many others, we were able to restore ecological integrity and function to miles of shoreline and protect water quality downstream. Volunteers unearthed Easter eggs and a few invasive Russian Olives at the Pawnee National Grassland Riparian Restoration this year, while helping restore areas that had been severely denuded by over a century of grazing. The project restored a half-mile swath of tree and shrub community along Willow Creek. The healthy riparian areas we created are now havens for migratory and resident birds, endangered fish, leopard frogs, and Preble’s meadow jumping mice. If you give a volunteer a riparian shrub they will plant it, but if you teach a volunteer about restoration they will determine the right species, ecotype, and dispersion to restore an entire stream bank. Near the backyard of WRV’s new Fort Collins office, volunteers created a showcase of Colorado’s natives at the Gardens on Spring Creek project. There, volunteers established hundreds of wetland sedges, grasses, and wildflowers, planted select native riparian shrubs and trees, and installed educational signage that will inform visitors of the wonders and benefits of Colorado’s wetlands. Youth are our next generation of stewards and their participation is essential to the long-term cultivation of a caring community. Continuing our partnership with the I Have A Dream Foundation and the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department, the Coot Lake project provided disadvantaged youth with the chance to plant trees and create seed balls used in reseeding. In the process, participants developed leadership skills and learned about restoration work. We celebrated our 200th project and wrapped up a five-year effort by completing a 1,850-foot long handicapped accessible boardwalk at the 25,000-acre Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, near Walden, Colorado. For five days volunteers enjoyed gorgeous panoramic views (complete with elk, moose, and birds), while re-establishing public access, inclusive of persons with disabilities, to this prime wildlife viewing area. At the Carnage Canyon and two South Boulder Creek projects we employed heavy equipment and the hard work of volunteers to restore health to an entire watershed. Working with Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest and Denver Water, we stabilized and revegetated severely eroded stream banks on South Boulder Creek with intensive willow “bioengineering” techniques. At Carnage Canyon, volunteers continued work on an award-winning five-year restoration collaboration with the US Forest Service, James Creek Watershed Initiative, and Walsh Environmental Scientists. This year we recreated and restored almost a mile of stream corridor there, seeding, mulching and transplanting native trees on over 160,000 square feet in the process and preventing thousands of tons of sediment from flowing downstream. Restoration with a View: Trails and Mountain Top Projects When two roads diverge in a wood, it doesn’t take seasoned volunteers long to decide to restore the eroded one and construct a more sustainable path in its place. With over 13 miles of trail work under our belts, we know that building sustainable alternatives is one of the best ways to promote long-term restoration. Working in partnership with Boulder Mountainbike Alliance (BMA), we constructed over 1750 feet of new sustainable multi-use trail at the Brainard Lake Recreation Area to be opened next year as part of the multi-year South St. Vrain Trail project. This was one of WRV’s two major collaborations with BMA (in conjunction with the work done at Betasso) to cross-pollinate restoration skills. It was a great chance for WRVers to continue honing their trail eyes, while at the same time learning to look at things from the mountain bike community’s perspective. Just down the road, on the same Indian Peaks Wilderness Boundary, llamas helped pack food nearly three miles in to support the work of volunteers on the three-day Lake Isabelle project. Volunteers moved enough rock to build a castle in their efforts to construct sustainable rest areas and trails to the shore of this lovely subalpine lake. Wildlands Restoration Volunteers Project Summaries cont. on pg. 5 4 www.wlrv.org Proving their ability to construct and restore trails in the most diverse of locations, this year WRV volunteers found themselves just below 12,000 feet on the Mt. Bross project as well as in the great prairie grass lands of Pawnee Buttes. Working on an island in the sky, surrounded by the towering peaks of Mt. Democrat, Mt. Lincoln, and Mt. Bross, volunteers closed and restored 600 feet of alpine tundra and re-routed 1,000 feet of the Mt. Bross Ascent trail. Joining with Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, the US Forest Service, and the Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative, we created a sustainable route for the 10,000 hikers that visit Mt. Bross each year. At Pawnee Buttes, volunteers performed heavy trail maintenance on over 2,000 feet of trail, to stop extreme erosion on this scenic trail. WRV’s New Fort Collins Office: Growing a Stewardship Community in Northern Colorado By John Giordanengo As I write these words, three Fort Collins WRVers are preparing to meet at Mugs in Fort Collins to plan the Pawnee Buttes Trail and Grassland Restoration project, exchange a misplaced landscape portfolio, and return a very slick coffee mug, that had been left in a trunk for two weeks, to its rightful owners. Dana Leavitt, Mick Syzek and Frank Lilley are just three of the 75 volunteers signed up for our final campout project of the year – Pawnee Buttes. These members of our leadership group represent a growing number of Larimer and Weld County volunteers who have joined the WRV ranks this year as the new Fort Collins Office has taken root. In an effort to open sustainable paths for animals such as the endangered Canada lynx, volunteers rehabilitated an important wildlife movement corridor during the Berthoud Pass Lynx Habitat Restoration. This project saw volunteers working to re-establish the subalpine forest left barren by the now closed Berthoud Pass Ski Area. Partnering with Winter Park Ski Resort, WRV volunteers salvaged and transplanted nearly 600 Englemann spruce, lodge pole pines, and subalpine firs to dramatically jumpstart the restoration process. This head start will translate into expedited recovery on a critical passageway over the Continental Divide. Thanks to Our In-Kind Donors Altitude Steel Amante Coffee Amy (Kumiko) Iwata Anna Northrup Big Daddy Bagels Boulder Wine Merchant Bowman Revex Budhoe Backhoe Caffe Sole Concertos in Chocolate Edward Westhead Einstein’s Bros. Bagels Exedra Spa Fred Damon Gardens at Spring Creek Gibbs Bagels Green Truck Rental Gregg Campbell Hanes Geo Components Hundley’s Gourmet Catering IBM Jack Knaub Java Stop Justin’s Nut Butter Kathy Wandke Kevin & Ellen Galm Left Hand Brewing Company Leisure Time Awards Moe’s Bagels Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery Mugs Coffee Natural Habitat Adventures Outdoor Stewardship Institute Pei Wei Pizza Casbah Ras Kassas REI Rocky Mountain Llama Association Russ Strufing Scott Jonas Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins Silver Star Printing Southern Sun Brewery Stellar Properties Sunbelt Rentals Svenja Knappe The Cupboard The Wine Merchant U-Store-It Vashti Jewelry Zamar Screen Printing www.wlrv.org 5 Since January of 2009, the volunteer base of the Fort Collins office has grown from 94 to 364 volunteers. And what a fun time we’ve had. It has been a pleasure working with our new land management agency partners: The Gardens on Spring Creek, Pawnee National Grasslands, and the Larimer Ranger District. There is an ever- growing passion among our partners and volunteers to restore some of the most disturbed landscapes of northern Colorado and southern Wyoming. Our vision is not one of despair, but of great anticipation and beauty, and of the fun and rewarding work that the stewardship community will accomplish together in the coming years. Restoration is a blast! In addition to the wonderful volunteers that participate in our projects this year, we have nurtured an excellent group of volunteer leaders. This highly trained and fun leadership group allows WRV to take on projects that would not otherwise be feasible, given that we have only one staff person in the Fort Collins office. Thanks to everyone who joined the ranks of the WRV Fort Collins office this year. WRV is proud to have the opportunity to serve volunteers and land managers of Weld County, Larimer County, and Albany County in southern Wyoming. Healing the land, building community. Thank you to everyone who donated in 2008-2009! $25,000 and above Gregg Campbell Colorado State Parks James Creek Watershed Initiative MillerCoors Brewing Company National Forest Foundation Terra Foundation $10,000 and above Alan Carpenter Colorado Division of Wildlife John S. Scurci Foundation Karl Freidman Family Foundation $5,000 and above Community Foundation Serving Boulder County Xcel Energy $2,500 and above Colorado Department of Agriculture Colorado Mountain Club - Boulder Group Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation IBM New Belgium Brewing Company Inc. REI - Boulder Whole Foods Market - Boulder $1,000 and above Dan Blanchard Brad Feld & Amy Batchelor Paul Strasburg & Terry Saracino Loris and Associates Charlton Campbell Hughes Ellen Flanelly & Don Deane Charlton Friedberg Encana Oil and Gas (USA) Inc. Israel Family Foundation Bull Publishing Friendship Fund Prairie Dog Coalition Natural Resource Services Inc. Boulder County Resource Conservation Division Boulder County Left Hand Brewing Company Wells Fargo Bank $500 and above Laura Backus Brian Beitner Jennie Curtis Lloyd Fosdick Joshua Goldstein Debra Hopkins & Stuart Dodd Rob Layton Will Murray Margie Williams Diane Rieck & Jason Nutter Roche Colorado Corp. Alma Foundation Altitude Steel $250 and above Grover Cleveland Neal Anderson Nicole Berzins William Boitano Lora Bulmahn Joseph Carroll Tom Crowley Melinda & Chris Driscoll Victoria Finch Jean-Pierre & Linda Andes Georges Elaine Hill Scott Jonas Robert Kuchta Brian Kurzel Paul Liscom & Kim Pierpoint Nancy Martin Mindy Mohr Ted Pusillo Lawrence Robins David Stahler Bill & Kathy Strathearn Edward Westhead Xilinx Boulder Mountainbike Alliance Stratus Consulting Inc. Cars Helping Charities Inc. Walmart Foundation $100 and above Neal Anderson Alan Cogen John & Sandy Baggenstos Stu & Cathy Barnes Scott Belonger Stacy Blanchard Brock Bowles Randy Buchter Linard Cimermanis Melissa & Owen Cooper Fred Damon Claire DeLeo & Micheal Wand Laura Elliott Ron Fell Bob Finch Mark Flower Kevin & Ellen Galm Eric Gertler Henry Gibb Judy Gould Andrew Haase Pat Japenga Jack Knaub Colleen Knopinski Mary Lahr Sally Laventure Larry Lechner Ann Lezberg Joe Mantione Sara Michl David Moll Marsha Murphy Carol Myers Mary Nakashian Pete Palmer Chris & Linda Paris Jean Parker In memory of Patrick McLaughlin Sina Pierret Susan Raymond Miriam Rosenblum Stephanie Scheffler Frank Shafer Scott Smidt Jonathan Stauffer Lana Stillwell Angela Tirri-Van Do Wildlands Restoration Volunteers Gina Tyler Campbell Matt Wecker-Wintersquash Sara Wold Injoy Productions Inc. Amgen Genentech Tyco Electronics Sun Microsystems Hanes Geo Components $50 and above Perry Abbott Jeneye Abele Tracy Amidon Amy K. & Todd Atkins Saskia Baur Marianne Bergen Jeff & Maureen Berlin Jim & Regina Bock Aaron Brockett John Brooks Jay Browne Matt Bruce David Bushey Brett Campbell Alcarese Bonnie Carol Barry Cartwright Anita Colin Mark Cormier Cat Dailey Cyndra Dietz Susan Donaldson Phil Dougan Ken Dunn Adele Eastman Roger & Eleanore Eldred Fran Enright Naomi Ferguson Cathy Foley Dave Foss Julie Gehring Mark George Tom Glatzel Pamela Guthrie Susann Hannah Susan Haran Graham Harper Tim Henson Sheila Hogan Beth Huffman Susan Hughes Bob Hunter Karen & Doug Hunter Amy (Kumiko) Iwata Steve Johnson Ken Kinder Brad Klafehn Jane Larson Dana Leavitt Shari Leyshon Matthew Loewengart Pedro Lopez & Mary Aldrich Matthew Machado Mary Ann Marszalek Meredith McLean Alcarese Patricia McMahon Virginia Miller Mark Minich Jeff Moline Steve Morgan Marsha Murphy Larry Nygaard Wendy Osterman 6 Your generosity makes it possible to continue volunteer restoration efforts. Mark & Alice Palmer Gary Patton John Petersen Dave & Shelley Petroy Lynelle Phillips Peter Pollock Valerie Potter Jackie Ramaley Rhonda Rankin Jane Rauscher David Riter Vince Rose Martha Shepard Ted Sikora John Slay Ram Sreerangam Michael Stein Walter Stelzer Harriet & T.N. Stern Richard Streeter Russ Strufing Therese & Jay Thompson John Thunen Glenna Thurmes Peter Vail Mike Vujcich Pat Wallace Steve Welter Claudia Wiley Michael & Chris Woods Naropa University Adobe Systems Inc. Up to $50 Holly Abbott Joyce Amundsen Janet Anderson Penny Anderson Beth Andrews Cimarron J. Angell Tyler Archibald Nancy Armstrong Annis Askew Sandi Atencio Stephen Austin Heidi Baruch Pete & Suzanne Birkeland Richard Blitz Keri Bowling Diane Boyle Beth Partin & Todd Bradley Rachael Bray Raymond Bridge Bryan Brown Stan Brown Randy Buchter Cory Bullerman Deirdre & Peter Butler Jeff Carter Jeremy Comeau Rebekah Cook Megan Creegan Arnold Cross Arnold Cross Sandy Cruz Lynn Cudlip Kirk Cunningham Richard Deem Jan Dorsey Carol Dozier Deanna Duell Stewart & Christine Elford Annie Engel www.wlrv.org Susan Flack Stacey Fowler David Fulton-Beale Sarah Gorecki Peter Gowen Elizabeth Hammen Graham Harper Kristy Holland Greg Holman Claudia Horn Brenda Howell-Garby Pamela Hull Eric Jaeckel Mary Jamieson Bruce Johnson Don Kava Betsy Kenaston Gwen Kittel Jason Kravitz Beverly Kurtz Ron LaCoss Debra Lawsing Pam Leland Dee Leverett Paula Malleck Nitsa Marcandonatou Carole Ulyett Marks Beth Marty Lori Mathews Dave McKay Dan McLaughlin Will McMullan Lindsey Messinger Naoki Morita Troy Mossoni Geoff Murphy Kathryn Mutz Nina Norman Ian Oeser Lisa Olsen Patti Olson Chris O’Riley Jessica Parker Lora Parrish James Patchell Lee Patton Jeff Pedelty Gerry Peltzer Gennaro Polverino Rob Pudim James Richardson Lianne Rostad Sarah Scheffler Amy Schlotthauer Vanessa Scurci Margaret Self Steve Setzer James Skipper Jon Sowder Gabe Stalcup Richard Stewart Philip & Judith Straffin Christi Strickland Mick Syzek Karen Talley Laurel Umile Luke Vesely Kathy Wellman Denise Wilson Lindsay Winkler David Wisbey A la Mode Graphique Tangible Results 2009 Her munificent spirit leads her to volunteer at the library, the housing authority, and Meals on Wheels. When her caring nature is not focused on cooking or working in the dirt, it is shining on her grandchildren. Sue, thank you, for your dedication and support, for your amazing meals, and for getting your gloves muddy! We are lucky to have you as a member of the WRV community. 37 217 1,676 276 27,575 $537,130 34% 70 42 29 23 12 12,058 36,190 3,768 8,608 10,413 724 7,640 798,312 365,868 14,500 321,660 308 324 3,037 3,586 h Her generous, organized, and pragmatic character makes Sue a great leader and an even better person to just hang out and pull Med Sage with. Sue has an uncanny ability to get done whatever task she sets her mind to. I almost feel a bit sorry for any invasive species that is at the top of her list. WRV legend has it at, Carnage Canyon last year, she used her determination to move a five-foot-long solid metal piece of equipment called the “dragons teeth” up steep slopes so eroded they towered over her head! Number of projects completed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Number of projects since inception in 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Number of volunteer project attendances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Number of volunteer training attendances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Number of volunteer hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Value of volunteer hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Percentage of volunteers who returned after volunteering in 2008 . . . . . . Number of active crew leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Number of active project cooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Number of active project leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Number of active technical advisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Number of active tool managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feet of stream channel or shoreline restored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feet of stream channel or shoreline benefited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feet of trail constructed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feet of trail closed and/or revegetated to protect sensitive habitat . . . . . . Feet of roadway obliterated and/or revegetated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feet of boardwalk, bridge, fence built or repaired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . # of trees, shrubs or plants planted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Area (ft2) seeded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Area (ft2) planted with container or sod materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Area (ft2) wetland restored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Area (ft2) riparian habitat restored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Area (acres) weeded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Area (acres) of grassland benefited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Area (acres) of wildlife habitat enhanced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Person hours of native seed collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . h Healing is in Sue Percifield’s nature; whether it is manifested through nursing or helping to restore the lands she loves. I met Sue at the Boulder Prairie Restoration Follow Up and could tell immediately that she was a seasoned pro. For someone who was transplanted here less than 20 months ago, Sue is remarkably at home in Boulder’s public lands. This year, she even stepped up to help keep crews smiling and well fed by taking our training and becoming Project Support Cook Leader; one of WRV’s most esteemed roles. h Volunteer Profile: Sue Percifield By Jarret Roberts Trained/mentored Wild Connections to build volunteer stewardship capacity in Colorado Springs. See ED Corner for details. ✂ Yes, I want to help restore and preserve precious natural areas along the Northern Colorado Front Range! MEMBERSHIP Please Become a Member of WRV! A successful membership program is essential to building an organization that endures. A growing membership helps to fund our stewardship projects and demonstrates to other funders and partners that the community supports our work. Member benefits include: priority registration on projects; seasonal newsletter; WRV items at a reduced minimum donation; and more. Thank you for your support! Amount Membership Level How Your Support Helps ❑ $20 ❑ $35 ❑ $50 ❑ $75 ❑ $150 ❑ $250 ❑ $500 ❑ $1,000 ❑ Other Student Friend Family Supporter Patron Sustainer Leader Benefactor $___________ buys ten tree seedlings purchases one tool purchases one roll of erosion control matting plants 35 feet of stream bank vegetation feeds 30 volunteers three meals for a day purchases native seed to plant one acre trains ten volunteer crew leaders helps WRV fund an entire restoration project (Enclose matching gift form.) ❑ I would like my contribution to be anonymous. www.wlrv.org Join online at www.wlrv.org or make checks payable to Wildlands Restoration Volunteers and return to: Wildlands Restoration Volunteers 3012 Sterling Circle, Suite 201 Boulder, CO 80301 ❑ My company will match my gift up to the amount of $___________ Contact Information Name____________________________________________ Address__________________________________________ City_____________________________________________ State_ ________ Zip ________________________________ Phone (home)_____________________________________ Phone (work)_ ____________________________________ E-mail____________________________________________ 7 Healing the land, building community. Thank You to our 2009 Sponsors and Partners National Forest Foundation, Colorado State Trails Program, John S. Scurci Foundation, Friedman Family Foundation, Rocky Mountain Nature Association, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Denver Water, The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County, Xcel Energy, Israel Family Foundation, Friendship Fund, Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation, Miller Coors Brewing Co., Patagonia, REI, Amgen Foundation, Whole Foods Market, Boulder County Drop in the Bucket Fund, Solstice Foundation, U-Store-It Self Storage, New Belgium Brewing Co., Hanes Geo Components, Natural Resource Services, Inc., Loris and Associates, Encana Oil & Gas, Inc., Boulder Associates, Roche of Colorado, Penske Truck Rentals, Hundley’s Gourmet Catering, KneadEd.net, Designed Travel, Vashti Inc., Stellar Properties, IBM, Natural Resource Services, Inc., Altitude Steel, Le Peep Restaurant, Ras Kassas Restaurant, Left Hand Brewing Co., Einstein Bros. Bagels, Big Daddy Bagels, Moe’s Broadway Bagels, Altitude Steel, The Java Stop, Pizza Casbah, Leisure Time Awards, Haikutimes, Zamar Screen Printing Inc., Emergen-C, Concertos in Chocolate, Boulder Wine Merchant, Liquor Mart, Gondolier Restaurant, Amante Coffee, Café Sole, Turley’s Restaurant, and Justin’s Nut Butter. We would like to also thank our partners (some of whom provided funding) for 2009: Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest, Boulder County Parks and Open Space, City of Boulder, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pike - San Isabel National Forest, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, The Gardens on Spring Creek (City of Fort Collins), Pawnee National Grasslands, James Creek Watershed Initiative, NOAA, Colorado Mountain Club-Boulder Group, Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, The Nature Conservancy, Colorado Youth Program, Boulder Mountainbike Alliance, Laramie Rivers Conservation District, Poudre Wilderness Volunteers, Outdoor Stewardship Institute, Colorado Native Plant Society, Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, Jackson County Lions Club, Colorado Youth Corp Association, Growing Gardens-Cultiva, “I Have A Dream” Foundation, Winter Park Recreational Association, Colorado Riparian Association, Wild Connections, City and County of Denver, Laramie Ranger District, Society for Ecological Restoration-Central Rockies Chapter, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, Colorado Youth Program, Carmel Community Living Corp., Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance, Rocky Mountain Llamas, and Sweet Design. Re eason view Ins S ide 09 heck It O 0 ut! 2 C 3012 Sterling Circle, Suite 201 Boulder, CO 80301 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Welcome to Katie Renga: Outreach and Fundraising Coordinator In August WRV welcomed our first AmeriCorps VISTA, Katie Renga, to the team. Katie will be working to recruit a more diverse volunteer base, develop youth programs, and secure program funds. Katie has been working in the field of science education for eight years and it has been in her blood since childhood! Before moving to Colorado to complete her B.S. in Wildlife Biology from CSU, Katie lived her entire life on a farm in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. Her early experiences poking around in the woods and helping in her family’s childcare center led her to pursue a M.Ed. in Field Science Teaching from the Teton Science Schools and Montana State University – Billings. Her thesis examined the early-life experiences that lead people to continue to connect with the environment throughout adulthood. Most recently, Katie taught high school biology and research in her home town of Blacksburg, VA. She is enthusiastic about her return to Colorado and excited about her work with WRV. In her spare time Katie enjoys bird watching, gardening, spending time with her friends and family, and backpacking or home brewing with her husband.