ROARING FORK BROADCASTING COMPANY
An alliance of local organizations has launched a program designed to harness visitors to the Roaring Fork Valley to help maintain trails and restore wild places.
The launch of the “voluntourism” plan coincides with Earth Day, which is today. The new program is formally known as Regenerative Roaring Fork. It is the work of the five tourism organizations in the Roaring Fork Valley — known collectively as the Roaring Fork Valley Destination Alliance — in partnership with Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers, which has overseen trail maintenance and restoration projects in the region for the last 29 years.
There is a niche segment of travelers interested in helping out with projects in places where they visit. The Destination Alliance wants to tap into that potential, and Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers is effective at coordinating help.
“It’s a way to get outdoors and get to know an area,” said Becca Schild, RFOV executive director.
She said the organization already sees interest from travelers. Last year, 2.8% of volunteers on RFOV projects were from Colorado’s Front Range, 4.6% were from other places in Colorado, and 6.3% were from out of state, according to Schild. Anecdotally, out-of-area volunteers have expressed an interest in tapping into a different type of experience on the lands they enjoy, she said.
Five projects were selected for the voluntourism effort this spring, summer and fall.
Volunteers in Glenwood Springs will remove old fencing, close off social trails, formalize existing trails and stabile degrading slopes at the Linwood Cemetery/Doc Holliday Cemetery from 4-8 p.m. on May 7, 14 and 21.
In the Basalt area, volunteers will improve two public trails within Rock Bottom Ranch that connect to the Rio Grande Trail. That project will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 1.
In Aspen, the project will focus on routine maintenance for the Smuggler Mountain-Hunter Creek Valley trail system from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on June 8
In Snowmass Village, volunteers will rehab a portion of the Nature Trail. A small sinkhole developed into a large landslide which cut across the trail last year. The town constructed a bridge to span the damaged area but help is needed to rebuild the trail tread in and around the bridge. The project is scheduled from 4-8 p.m. Aug. 6 and Aug. 13.
The work schedule concludes with general upkeep at Coffman Ranch outside of Carbondale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 6.
All projects are open to volunteers from the Roaring Fork Valley as well as out of the area so that there will be mingling.
While RFOV will coordinate and oversee the work, the five tourism organizations will spread the word among visitors about the opportunities. The participating groups are Aspen Chamber Resort Association, Snowmass Village Tourism, Basalt Chamber of Commerce, Carbondale Tourism and Visit Glenwood Springs.
Lisa Langer, director of tourism for the tourism department of the Glenwood Springs Chamber of Commerce, said her staff will start pushing the message on social media platforms today about the voluntourism opportunities. The Linwood Cemetery and Doc Holliday’s grave was selected because it is the most popular trail in the Glenwood area behind Hanging Lake Trail.
She views the program as a natural fit for people who love to visit Glenwood Springs and want to contribute in some way rather than just visit and use public lands. “It’s a good way to give back,” she said.
The entire Roaring Fork Valley — as well as many popular outdoor destinations around the world — felt the stress of an increase in visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic. A residents’ survey in Glenwood showed residents were “a little taxed with too many people,” Langer said.
The Roaring Fork Valley Destination Alliance was created in 2022 as a collaborative way to promote “responsible visitation, champion the Roaring Fork Valley as a wonderful place to live, work and play; and integrate tourism organizations into valley-wide crisis communications strategies,” according to a statement from the group. Regenerative Roaring Fork is one of its biggest initiatives.
Eliza Voss, vice president of destination marketing for ACRA, said the trend for “giving back to the place you are visiting has got legs.” The Hunter Creek Valley was selected for the Aspen project because so many visitors have been on the trails there before, she said.
ACRA will recruit visitors through messages on social media as well as making sure groups are aware when their trips are booked. Visiting groups are often looking for a collective activity their members can undertake, she noted.
The goal will be to continue growing the program in successive years, Voss said.
RFOV has some ideas on how to make the outings engaging so that visitors will return for other projects in future years. Instead of just asking visitors to volunteer hard labor, the outings will feature discussions about public land ownership and the importance of enlisting volunteers for management and restoration, Schild said. The Coffman Ranch presents a perfect chance to discuss how the native wildlife habitat has been intertwined with productive ranching for more than a century.
She hopes the program proves successful and is expanded in future years.
“Our region relies on the outdoor recreation economy and visitors are often unaware of all the work needed to keep our trails and open spaces healthy and resilient,” Schild said in a statement about the program. “By engaging tourists in volunteer trail and restoration projects, we hope to better educate them about the importance of public land stewardship while also providing a more enriching and meaningful visitor experience.”
Visitors and locals can sign up to help on RFOV projects by clicking on the full calendar link on the organization’s website at https://www.rfov.org.