What: 2015 Pikes Peak Crew Leader Training
Where: Bear Creek Nature Center, 245 Bear Creek Rd.
When: April 17-19
Why: This 2.5-day training provides you with the tools you need to become a certified crew leader and give back to the parks and open spaces we love so much.

To Register: If you are interested in representing FoRRC please contact friends@redrockcanyonopenspace.org.  General public registration will begin on Monday, March 16 at www.coloradosprings.gov/volunteer.

The City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department is in the midst of planning the 4th installment of the Pikes Peak Region Crew Leader Training (PPRCLT), April 17-19. The training, produced in partnership with Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC), Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI), Friends of the Peak (FOTP), and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC), is the capstone program of the Volunteer Stewardship Project and
openspacevolunteers.org.

In 2010, the Volunteer Stewardship Project was created after severe cuts to City budgets and the Parks Department in particular. In response to these budget cuts, TOSC created the website openspacevolunteers.org with the purpose of supporting area Friends Groups and increasing volunteerism in regional parks and open spaces. The Friends Groups were willing to increase the number and scope of trail maintenance projects, but were met by a challenge of a shortage of skilled crew leaders to lead the projects.

Fast foward to 2012, when the City Parks Department, TOSC, VOC, FoRRC, and RMFI created the Pikes Peak Region Crew Leader Training Program. The program was created with an intention to develop a skilled volunteer crew leader pool that would provide supervision on trail and restoration projects. Crew Leaders work in cooperation with Parks Department staff to implement critical stewardship projects that overworked park rangers cannot commit to. The program empowers Friends Groups to take ownership over the projects they steward and our parks are better off because of it.

In 2013 (the most recent year in which volunteer data is available), almost 3,000 volunteers donated more than 15,000 hours to the betterment of City parks, trails, and open spaces. This generosity of time and labor has reiterated the need for trained crew leaders who can help provide a safe, fun, and effective experience for every volunteer.