A Day In the Life of A Forest Steward

I am a member of Friends of the Dillon Ranger District (FDRD) and I participate in the Forest Stewards Program as a volunteer trail crew leader. Trail crew leaders work with other groups of volunteers constructing and maintaining national forest trails throughout Summit County.

I first decided to become a crew leader just to give back to the lands that I often hike and bike. I have found that the most rewarding part of this experience is to help volunteers feel a sense of accomplishment, and inspire them to volunteer again.

As a "rookie" trail crew leader, my first summer started with a few training sessions where I met other Forest Stewards, learned safety protocols, brushed up on my leadership skills, and learned how to engage forest visitors. I updated my CPR and First-Aid certifications, and even got to build and maintain some trail. After these trainings, and a few days out with the Dillon Ranger District's professional trail crew, I felt much more confident about leading others.

With the learning phase behind me, I signed up to lead the Summit Seniors Adopt-A-Trail projects on the Spruce Creek Trail, south of Breckenridge. My first task was hiking the trail and completing a trail condition survey - a detailed description of what needed to be fixed to make the trail sustainable and enjoyable for future trail users.

Once I learned that we would have 30 volunteers participating I had to recruit a few other crew leaders to help manage the day. Richard Kish, Kurt Steuer, and Troy Wineland brought a lot of skill and leadership. Before the project, the four of us met at the Forest Service tool cache and loaded all the necessary equipment.

Before a crowd of eager volunteers I discussed tool safety and other project logistics, and then my crew of nine left the trailhead for our assignment: to perform maintenance on 100 feet of trail. Many of my crew where surprised to learn that trails hate water on trails as much as hikers do!

We built drainage structures, using rock and dirt, to move water off the trails. We closed unnecessary trails and reclaimed unneeded campsites by transplanting a few plants and spreading pine needles. Perhaps the most memorable part of the project was when my crew formed a conga line to pack down a newly built drainage dip, singing the tune in unison.

Most of my day was spent teaching volunteers to build drainage structures, identifying good plants to transplant, or "shopping" for a perfect rock. By the end of the project my crew learned so much they needed little supervision. I look forward to seeing the progress on the Spruce Creek Trail during the next three projects this summer.

I invite you to come and join FDRD or another organization that sponsors volunteer trail projects for an exciting workday. You may just decide to become a crew leader yourself and I guarantee you will never look at a trail the same way again.



BOX: MUST!!

This is part three of a series that chronicles the experiences of volunteers in FDRD's Forest Stewards Program. This ongoing program includes volunteer Crew Leaders, Ranger Patrols, Outreach Educators, Youth Stewards, Family Stewards, and Adopt-A-Trail efforts. The program goals are to improve the quality of our local natural resources, and improve the quality of the multiple-use recreationist's experience, both for locals and guests, on our local National Forest lands through education, inventorying and monitoring, and improved trail systems. Fifty-one stewards are participating in the summer of 2007, the program's second season. For more information on the Forest Stewards Program and FDRD, contact Guff Van Vooren at guffvanvooren@msn.com or (970) 389-6058, or visit www.fdrd.org.