Where You’ll Be: 

Celebrate National Public Lands day by joining us for this three-day volunteer event, hosted in partnership with the BLM San Luis Valley Field Office. This project will focus on improving habitat and breeding conditions for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse, an endangered species found in the San Luis Valley. This year, we’ll work in a new location near Villa Grove, building on the success of similar efforts in previous years. 

Volunteers will camp on BLM land near the project site, enjoying meals prepared by our Crew Chefs, a volunteer appreciation raffle, and a fun and social camp setting. After one of the workdays, you’ll also have the opportunity learn more about the Gunnison Sage-Grouse and the nearby satellite population through an educational presentation. 

What You’ll Do: 

Your weekend will be spent building Zeedyk structures, to improve habitat conditions and breeding grounds for the Gunnison Sage Grouse population in the area. Tasks will include digging and moving large amounts of rock to construct these structures. For those seeking less physically demanding tasks, there will also be opportunities to tag wildlife fences. 

Because you're joining us on National Public Lands Day, you'll receive a voucher for one free entry into a national public land area as a token of appreciation, along with a NPLD t-shirt.

• Breakfast and lunch are provided on Saturday and Sunday, along with dinner on Saturday.
• Bring your own dinner for Friday night and enough snacks for the weekend.
• Free campsites are available on Friday and Saturday nights, and we recommend arriving at base camp before 8 pm on Friday.

Why It Matters: 

The Gunnison Sage-Grouse is a threatened species in Colorado, with a small satellite population on BLM land near Poncha Pass. These populations face growing threats from habitat fragmentation, climate change, and increased off-highway vehicle activity on BLM lands. This project will be focused on wet meadow restoration by installing Zeedyk structures to improve habitat conditions and breeding grounds for the Gunnison Sage Grouse population in the area. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

• Ages 16+
• Sawyers must be 18+

For overnight projects, all youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older. 

On this project, we need 1 B-certified Chainsaw Sawyers, A-certified Sawyers will be able to work under the supervision of B Sawyers. If you are certified, please include this in the Comments of your registration and send your certificate to the project manager. ALL SAWYERS MUST HOLD A CURRENT FIRST AID AND CPR CERTIFICATION IN ORDER TO OPERATE A SAW. Want to get certified? Visit our Training Calendar for upcoming training opportunities.  

Project Difficulty: 

This project has a range of tasks from easy and moderate to difficult. Please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details. 

Physical Considerations:  

Tasks include heavy rock moving for erosion control structures, as well as easier tasks like tagging wildlife fences. 

Access Factors: 

• Vehicle Access: 2WD vehicles can access the campsite, but 4WD vehicles will be required for carpooling to the worksite.
• Other Notes: Tent, car, and small trailer camping are allowed.