Registration opens June 1. Kayak along the South Platte river and remove invasive weeds on this Friday project.
Dates: 08/20/2021
Time: 08:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Type of Work: Invasive Species Management,Citizen Science,Ecological Restoration
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
Minimum Age: 18
Region: Front Range North
Nearest City: Brighton, CO
County: Weld
Camping: No
Groups Allowed: Yes
Payment Required: No
Read Before You Register! Need-to-Know Details:
We greatly appreciate you volunteering your time and energy to care for Colorado's outdoor places during COVID-19. To help provide a fun and safe experience for all, there are a few temporary changes to be prepared for:
Where You'll Be:
The South Platte River flows 380 miles through Colorado from its headwaters near South Park to the Nebraska border, and eventually drains into the Gulf of Mexico via a series of tributaries. From various Native American tribes and European settlers to modern-day wildlife, recreationists, and urban dwellers, the South Platte River has long been a critical resource for agriculture, drinking water, industry, and numerous other activities. On this project, you'll get up close and personal with this important river as you kayak a stretch of about 7 miles from Brighton to Evans.
What You'll Do:
Spend a Friday exploring nature in the urban Front Range! On this small project, you'll spend the day kayaking up the South Platte River between Brighton and Evans covering about 7 miles, and stopping along the way to identify and remove the invasive weed, purple loosestrife. This project is a great opportunity to experience the river in a new way while making a significant contribution to the health of the river and surrounding plants and animals who rely on it.
Kayaks, life vests, and a shuttle back to your car at the end of the day will be provided.
Why It Matters:
While beautiful, purple loosestrife is an aggressive noxious weed that can rapidly degrade wetlands, diminishing their value for wildlife habitat. When purple loosestrife gets a foothold in an area, the habitat where fish and wildlife feed, seek shelter, reproduce and rear young, quickly deteriorates and can no longer support the number or diversity of living things. Your efforts will be a significant help to the Weld County Weed Department in mitigating this weed and helping wildlife thrive!
About Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC)
Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) is the state's oldest, largest, and leading outdoor stewardship nonprofit organization. Founded in 1984 to motivate and enable people to become active stewards of Colorado's natural resources, VOC has engaged nearly 126,000 people in more than 1,000 volunteer projects for a donated labor value of $25 million. Through award-winning youth and volunteer programs, leadership training, capacity-building programs, and collaborative efforts with nonprofits and land management agencies, VOC is an invaluable resource in Colorado, especially as our outdoor stewardship needs are approaching near-crisis levels. For more information, visit www.voc.org or call 303-715-1010.