“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” when it comes to the Rocky Mountain Conservancy and the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers (PWV) partnering to make the High School Leadership Corps a positive life-changing experience for some 14 to 17-year-old Colorado students.
The Conservancy’s High School Leadership Corps (HSLC) is an 11-day immersive summer outdoor experience combining adventure, service, education, and personal growth. One of the highlights for the students—or one of their greatest challenges–is venturing into the backcountry with the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers on a multi-day backcountry work hitch.
The first cadre of the HSLC in June hiked into the Roosevelt National Forest on the Fish Creek Trail to establish camp and then worked several days constructing a bridge across the creek. The seasoned PWV mentors guided the students from sourcing the rocks and trees, sizing and milling the wood with hand tools, moving rocks and milled logs to form foundations, and bringing all the elements together to construct a safe and sturdy bridge for hikers.
“This is a totally new experience for the students,” said Sasha Godsil, the Conservancy’s HSLC field coordinator. “They were all out of their comfort zone and for some, this was really their first time out in the mountains. On top of that, there was no cell service up there, no ‘screens,’ so they had to be with themselves and each other.”
“I always told myself I loved the outdoors, but I had never really experienced it,” said Santiago, one of the crew members who is from the Broomfield area. “I stayed home all the time and played games or listened to music.” He admitted he was apprehensive at first about camping and the physical labor, but said the workdays were “honestly awesome” and that he “had a blast learning to chop down trees, organize rocks like a puzzle, and cook his own food and chill at the campsite.”
PWV’s Mike Corbin supervised the Fish Creek bridge project and praised his young trail crew. “Everyone followed directions and were always cooperative,” he reported. “I think everyone had a good time and the bridge came out great!”
Corbin’s enthusiasm for working with volunteers and stewarding public lands is a reflection of the small but highly effective PWV organization, a 501(c)3 nonprofit established in 1996 to support the U.S. Forest Service.
“The driving factor in the creation of PWV was the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) slashing the number of ranger positions in 1995,” said Jeff Randa, a member of the PWV’s board of directors. “PWV began with about 25 people serving as volunteer rangers.” The focus of PWV has expanded from patrolling trails and promoting education and safety in the backcountry to assisting the Canyon Lakes Ranger District with trail maintenance and construction. PWV was critical to wildfire recovery following the High Park fire in 2012 and continues to restore trails following the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire, to date the largest wildfire in Colorado history.
“PWV is the largest all-volunteer organization by headcount serving the USFS and we’re generally not interested in significantly growing the organization,” said Randa. Instead, PWV seeks to maintain a natural ebb and flow of wilderness-loving volunteers who want to give back to the outdoors, as well as a core of highly experienced members with forestry or backcountry skill sets. PWV is proud that their volunteers, who range in age from 18 to 80, come from diverse backgrounds and walks of life.
Like the Conservancy, PWV also works to connect children and young people with nature and foster environmental awareness and respect through fun programs and direct experience. This shared goal of inspiring the next generation of land stewards makes collaboration with the HSLC program a natural fit. Crew member Santiago said the PWV mentors were “really kind and inclusive. You could tell that they have a ton of fun teaching kids how to do the stuff they love.”
By design, there are very few requirements for high school students to apply to the HSLC other than interest in getting out into nature. Participants receive full uniforms from the hats on their heads to the boots on their feet, $400 stipends upon completion, use of gear, and the experience of backpacking and living in a tent. By providing gear and uniforms, the Conservancy removes a major financial barrier to young people in getting outdoors and developing a love for and knowledge of natural places.
Santiago said he’d do the HSLC program all over again if he had the chance.
“It all became an amazing experience. It gave me a different perspective, from being an introverted person to becoming friends with a ton of strangers and living in the woods,” he said.
The High School Leadership Corps is funded by donations, sales of the Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado license plate, and grants from the National Park Foundation, and the WoodNext Foundation. To support the HSLC by purchasing a Rocky Mountain National Park specialty license plate, visit RMConservancy.org/plate. To learn more about or to support the PWV, visit www.pwv.org.
