Central Colorado Conservancy forms a land stewardship volunteer team
Central Colorado Conservancy seeks volunteers to join an active team working on projects that support our agricultural and public lands, ultimately improving the health of our land and water resources
Volunteers with the organization’s Conservation Stewards team plant trees on riverbanks, remove old fencing to open wildlife migration routes, and clear ditches to increase water flow. The projects allow volunteers to improve the landscape for benefits such as ranching, wildlife, water quality and local food production.
This spring and summer, the group will help local ranchers get ready for irrigation season by clearing ditches, create habitat for Burrowing Owls, restore a wet meadow near Buena Vista, and plant a stream bank along the South Arkansas River near Poncha Springs.
An upcoming project involves digging homes for the grassland-living burrowing owl. These small owls nest and roost in burrows such as those excavated by prairie dogs. Working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to identify appropriate locations for this work, the Conservancy will improve habitat for this gregarious, bright-eyed bird.
Central Colorado Conservancy is committed to conserving the region’s land, water and wildlife by partnering with landowners, agricultural producers and the community. Over the next decade, the organization aims to protect an additional 20,000 acres, restore at least four miles of river, and plant 50,000 native trees and shrubs.
The Conservancy provides the Conservation Stewards volunteers training in local plant ecology, ecosystem services, restoration and planting techniques, and wildlife habitat enhancement to prepare them with the tools needed to make a meaningful contribution to the health of our local landscape. Through projects on private lands, volunteers support working agriculture while gaining knowledge of local ranch operations.
For more information about the Conservancy’s Conservation Stewards volunteer team, contact coordinator Buffy Lenth at [email protected] or 719-539-7700.