2017 Partners in the Outdoors Award Nomination for Friends of Staunton

Not only do we work at the greatest Colorado state park, but we get to work with phenomenal people who help support us. One of the park’s rangers spent his day off writing this nomination below for Friends of Staunton State Park and submitted it to Colorado Parks & Wildlife for the upcoming 2017 Partners in the Outdoors Conference. We are humbled and honored at the appreciation and time the staff puts in to work with us. Thank you to everyone at Staunton State Park!

The nomination letter:

The Friends of Staunton State Park is a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides a high level of support for the staff, volunteers, and most importantly visitors at Staunton State Park by adhering to their mission of “Working in partnership with others to preserve, promote and protect the wildlife, natural beauty and historic legacy of Staunton State Park for present and future generations.”

The six person board is comprised primarily of individuals that have had a vested interest in Staunton, most of which have been park volunteers since prior to the park’s opening to the public in May of 2013. Two of the board members have been recognized as Staunton Volunteers of the Year, from a group of more than 120 volunteers, for their activity in support of the park, outside of their capacity with the Friends of Staunton. This group, as a whole, brings a passion and commitment to Staunton State Park that is unparalleled within the State of Colorado.

In 2014 they were recognized with the Conifer Area Chamber of Commerce Nonprofit of the Year. In 2016 the Friends of Staunton received the Fairplay Flume People’s Choice Award for Best Non-profit. Wayne Parkinson, the president of the Friends of Staunton was selected by the Leadership Evergreen Board, as the 2016 Leader of the Year. Wayne will insist that any individual accolade received is a credit to the entire team of Friends board members, rather than a reflection of the effort of any one person. The Friends of Staunton will also be the recipient of the 2017 Jefferson County Good News Coalition Honoree for exemplifying “Jefferson County – A Community Welcoming All.” The recognition provided the Friends of Staunton State Park is a clear indication of the quality of service that they provide to Staunton State Park, and to the surrounding community as a whole.

Recognizing the need for financial support, the Friends of Staunton have proved incredibly effective in raising funds, through grant application, public and member donation, and annual sales and event participation.
In 2016, the Friends group applied for and received grants from the Colorado Parks Foundation, Partners in Outdoors, and Conifer Rotary, totaling $12,000. The funds acquired from these grants will go to, or have been used to purchase supplies for a proposed archery range at Staunton, the purchase of necessary bear-proof trash cans, the purchase of two attended joy stick controllers for Staunton’s Track Chair program, and to help fund a program to bring individuals with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injuries to Staunton State Park, for a day of hiking, fishing, and picnicking.

In August of 2016, the Friends of Staunton hosted the inaugural Mark Madsen Accessibility Celebration Day and BBQ. This event alone resulted in the donation of more than $40,000, which has in-turn been used to purchase two Track Chairs at $13,000 a piece, a trailer to mobilize the Track Chairs, items in support of Staunton’s Track Chair Program, and the development of promotional brochures for the program. A second Celebration BBQ has been scheduled for August of 2017, with a goal to raise the funds to further their accessibility efforts at Staunton.

The Friends group recognizes the importance of grass-roots based fund raising as well, generating nearly $4000 by selling calendars that promote Staunton State Park, and “adopting” out stuffed marmots to Staunton’s youthful visitors at the Park’s annual “Marmot Fest.” They have also participated in Staunton’s 1st Day Hikes, providing a service to visitor participation that has grown each year.

In addition to their support of Staunton’s Track Chair Program the Friends of Staunton have provided the park with several notable items over the years including an AED, an ice rescue suit, a PA system for park events and interpretive programs, and the development and purchase of the Davis Ponds trail brochure specific to a self-guided interpretive hike at Staunton. In 2016, the Friends group purchased an electric assist “E-bike” for the park’s patrol staff. The bike patrol initiative was a tremendous success, allowing park rangers greater access to the park’s trail system for the purposes of public relations contacts, emergency medical access, and statute and regulation enforcement, all with a low environmental and aesthetic impact.

Recognizing the value of the bike to park staff, the Friends group has agreed to purchase a second bike in 2017. The Friends of Staunton will also be purchasing an all- terrain vehicle to provide park staff. The vehicle will serve a multi-dimensional purpose of trail and facility maintenance, emergency medical access, fire suppression, and winter maintenance operations.

The Friends of Staunton has assisted in the recruitment of contractors for Staunton’s pending visitor center creation project. Steve Sparer, a board member with the Friends group, developed a promotional flyer that was sent to 20 contractors, and posted in numerous locations around the community, as well as on social media outlets. This resulted in enough interest in the project to promote a competitive market, allowing for aspects of the plans that had previously been cut for budgetary considerations, to be fully-funded.
In a budget restrictive climate, the Friends of Staunton State Park effectively works with park staff to identify park needs, while adhering to the group’s mission.

2)a.
The Friends of Staunton has put a substantial amount of effort into engaging new audiences in the field of outdoor recreation through their promotional efforts of Staunton State Park, and most recently, through their endeavor to increase the level of accessibility to Staunton State Park for the disabled communities of Colorado and beyond.

Their efforts into Staunton’s Track Chair Program, scheduled to kick-off for the season in late May of 2017, have created the opportunity for a ground breaking recreational opportunity for members of the disabled community, who may have been limited in the past. The nature of the Track Chair Program is to provide disabled individuals with the opportunity to explore Staunton’s trail system, on trails where use of a traditional wheelchair is extremely limited, via the use of a motorized all-terrain tracked wheelchair. This program, and the efforts of the Friends of Staunton, has received national news coverage. State Park agencies on either side of the country, and certainly within Colorado, are looking to Staunton as the model to duplicate these efforts, and incorporate similar programs to their recreational offerings for the disabled community.

The Friends group has a goal to expand their accessibility program to provide funding for alternatively powered bicycles for the disabled, non-motorized all-terrain wheelchairs, as well as to develop and fund a scholarship program to provide transportation and accommodation to Staunton State Park for disadvantaged individuals.

During the summer of 2016, the Friends of Staunton sponsored an Eagle Scout project on Staunton’s Davis Ponds trail to improve a rocky section of the trail in order to promote access for the disabled, as well as to improve stroller access for families. The creation of a puncheon, a bridge-like structure, improved the only remaining problematic section on Staunton’s most accessible trail, to be able to accommodate the needs of individuals whose access had previously been limited.

The Friends group is in its fourth year of calendar sales to promote Staunton State Park. They were able to gain full sponsorship with an outside partner for the 2017 calendar, allowing for 100% of all proceeds to return to the group. More importantly, the calendar has provided the group with a promotional tool to engage members of the surrounding communities, and to open eyes to the recreational opportunities that Staunton, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife have to offer. Every photo featured in the calendar is taken from within Staunton State Park, with the vast majority of the images taken by Staunton volunteers.

The Friends group has been very active with social media, specifically on the Friends of Staunton State Park Facebook page. As of March 2017, they have over 1,200 “Likes”, providing the public with park updates on conditions, environmental education offerings, and upcoming events. Over the course of one week, the Friends Facebook page reached a group record of over 80,000 people. At a time when social media has become an effective method to engage new audiences in so many aspects of everyday life, the Friends of Staunton have harnessed this opportunity to draw as many people as possible into Colorado’s beautiful outdoors.

2)b.
The Friends of Staunton have collaborated with the HILLS Inc. (Healthy Independent Leisure & Lifestyles), a 501c3 non-profit whose mission is To offer affordable opportunities for people with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injury, that promote health, foster independence and further enable each of our clients to become contributing members of the communities.

In 2016, the Friends of Staunton were the Partners in the Outdoors grant recipient of a $2,000 grant. The Friends of Staunton partnered with the HILLS group to schedule three events at Staunton during the course of summer and fall 2016. Each event ran for four hours, providing participants with lunch, as well as hiking, fishing, and outdoor educational opportunities. By all accounts, the program was a great success, with everyone who participated enjoying themselves tremendously. Each event was hosted by three Friends group board members, with assistance from Staunton volunteers.

The $2,000 grant provided funding for the transportation of the participants from the HILLS group, and the supervision from HILLS staff. Lunch was provided by the Friends of Staunton, and the Friends group coordinated with park staff for fishing equipment. The grant also provided for half of the cost of the trip for the two adult aged groups as well as fully funding the trip expense for the teen aged group.
The Friends of Staunton were thrilled to be able to provide this opportunity for the HILLS group, and have indicated that they are hopeful to be able to identify additional grants that would enable them to maintain this relationship for years to come.

Nomination
The Friends of Staunton State Park have been, and continue to be a tremendous asset to Staunton State Park, to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and to the people of Colorado as a whole. The dedication by the Friends of Staunton board of directors is staggering. Several board members work full-time jobs in addition to their commitment to the Friends group, which has certainly taken on a life of its own since the group’s inception. Their drive and commitment to provide an unparalleled service to their community is second to none, and I wholeheartedly nominate the Friends of Staunton State Park for the awards of NE Region Partner of the Year, Partners in the Outdoors Collaboration of the Year, and CPW Partner of the year.

On behalf of the entire Staunton State Park Staff,
Mark Lehman
Park Ranger