Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC)

10/16/2026

Friday Photo Dump!

During the final month of our project season, our volunteers are still hard at work! We have been wrapping up trail maintenance projects and harvesting produce with our partner, Grow Local.

Photos by James Tsui, Heidi Hartman, Henry Gong, and Phil Demosthenes

10/14/2026

Our volunteers continue to impress, especially at high elevations!

Last month, our volunteers joined us on Mount Sneffels to complete 14er trail maintenance. Lifting rocks is already hard work... imagine doing that on a 14er!

Our volunteers built rock steps and constructed over 30 feet of rock wall to maintain the trails that make summiting these iconic peaks possible. While the work was hard, our volunteers enjoyed a beautiful view of the San Juan Mountains and saw some high alpine critters (look for the photo of the pika!).

Thank you to the Gehres Fourteeners Fund and Colorado Mountain Club Foundation, the America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission and its Find Your Own 14er campaign, and the grassroots fundraising campaign Summits for Souls for making this project possible.

And thank you to everyone who braved the weather and elevation with us!

Photos by David Kennedy

10/09/2026

We love a project with a stunning view!

Despite it being officially fall, our volunteers are still hard at work. Last weekend, an amazing group of volunteers joined us at Roxborough State Park to work on the Fountain Valley trail loop. Volunteers worked on improving 68 different drainage structures, making the trail more accessible to all!

A huge thank you to the Colorado Lottery for sponsoring this event and making this project possible!

Photos by Phil Demosthenes.

10/08/2026

Good vibes, big smiles, and a whole lot of work accomplished.

A few weeks ago, an awesome group of volunteers joined us at Hidden Valley Ranch for our 8th annual Celebrating Women in Trails project... and they absolutely crushed it (no surprise there!).

The group finished the original scope of work before lunch, ultimately restoring 1,500 sq ft of trail, constructing 10 check dams, and installing 109 feet of fencing. Just the thought of it makes us tired!

Celebrating Women in Trails has always been about more than what we accomplish on the ground. It’s an opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people, and experience trail work in a collaborative and supportive environment. We loved seeing so many new faces in the field and plenty of smiles throughout the day.

A huge thank you to the City of Boulder for hosting us and providing such great leadership throughout the project. And, of course, thank you to all the volunteers who showed up ready to learn, work hard, and support one another!

Photos by Sharon Menard.

10/03/2026

50 bushels of pine cones + 740 feet of fence = one pretty productive National Public Lands Day, if you ask us!

Last weekend, two groups of VOC volunteers headed out to Colorado’s public lands to take on two very different (but equally important!) projects.

In Jackson County, volunteers collected and cleaned 50 bushels of pine cones to support future reforestation efforts. The seeds will help replenish outdated seed stock with species better suited to the area, with the goal of growing seedlings ready to return to the forest by 2029 - and yes, it takes that long!

Meanwhile, in the San Luis Valley, volunteers spent the weekend at Storm King Campground constructing 740 feet of buck-and-pole fence. The new fence will help keep free-range cattle out of the campground and will keep well-meaning campers from disturbing nearby vegetation, giving native plants a chance to flourish.

All of this happened in celebration of National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands.

Different places and different projects, but both awesome contributions from volunteers willing to commit their weekend to supporting our public lands.

Thank you to everyone who got their hands dirty with us!

Pine Cone photos by Jay Poules. Storm King photos by Sue Daniels Photography.

10/03/2026

Friday Photo Dump 📸

We only have one month left of volunteer projects before the VOC season comes to an end but our volunteers aren’t slowing down! They’re all pretty awesome, would you agree?

Photos by: James Tsui, Phil Demosthenes, Sue Daniels, Heidi Hartman, Jay Poules

10/02/2026

We are beside ourselves.

The creativity, commitment, and drive it took for Zach and Alan of Valor Elite Training to dream up their Summits for Souls fundraiser, and then actually make it happen, is hard to wrap our minds around.

They rallied their community, summited 15 fourteeners in one summer, and blew their original fundraising goal out of the water, raising an incredible $26,875 for VOC! Oh, and did we mention they also joined us for a weekend of volunteering at Mt. Democrat as the cherry on top?

It’s people like Zach and Alan who remind us that individuals can, and do, make a difference every day. Sometimes, you just have to dream up a big idea, give it a try, and see where it takes you.

Zach and Alan, we are so grateful for the energy, enthusiasm, and heart you poured into supporting VOC and Colorado’s outdoors. And to the entire Valor Elite community who rallied behind them: THANK YOU!

Read more about their amazing accomplishment here: https://nocostyle.com/2026/09/30/valor-elite-trainers-turn-15-colorado-summits-into-26875-for-outdoor-stewardship/

Photos by James Tsui

10/01/2026

We are incredibly proud of Lucas for receiving the 2026 Outstanding Young Environmental Leader Award!
His multi-year involvement in VOC’s Cairn Program, and later, his role as a VOC intern supporting the program as an alumnus, was just the tip of the iceberg. We can’t wait to see what he accomplishes next. Whatever it is, we know it will be amazing!
Help us congratulate Lucas on this well-deserved recognition!

10/01/2026

Our volunteers have been out and about, helping keep Denver's local parks 'sparkling'!

A big thank you to Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) for recruiting an amazing group of to gather at Centennial Park to clean up this beautiful hidden gem with Denver Parks and Recreation

Civic Center was able to clear 180 gallons of trash and a literal truck load of weeds from the garden. Centennial Park is designed after traditional French gardens and houses some incredible high-drought, Colorado native plants--some of which we will soon see in Civic Center Park post renovations.

Thank you for your dedication to making Denver Parks thrive!

10/01/2026

It was the second year that VOC volunteers joined the U.S. Forest Service-Rio Grande National Forest to rehabilitate the Platoro Cabins while preserving their historic character. Check out this awesome write-up to learn more about how important this volunteer effort is, why the Platoro Cabins are worth preserving, and the skill it takes to preserve them!

Volunteer power is bringing new life to the historic Platoro Cabins! Skilled volunteers from Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) teamed up with the Rio Grande National Forest to rehabilitate these beloved recreation rentals while preserving their historic character. We’re grateful for everyone who helps care for the places we all love.

Full story at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/riogrande/newsroom/stories

(Photo by Flecher Brown, Curtesy of Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado)