Big Mother Hill Restoration Project

Hauling mulch bales to the work site

We had a great time joining the Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (WLRV) to help seed and mulch an area of a mountainside north of Boulder, Colorado, that had been severely eroded by off road motor traffic.

 Our crew was assigned to the lower portion of the Big Mother Hill, which was a surprisingly steep work site that was even a little challenging just hiking to the project, especially while carrying our work tools, seed, fertilizer, etc.  Fortunately, most of the bales of mulch had already been placed in position, although we did have to do a bale run at the end of the day.  It didn't seem like hard work at the time, but the next morning my back and neck felt like I'd been run over by a Mack truck.

Getting organized

We prepped the work site with rakes, scattered seed by hand, applied fertilizer, and then covered it all in mulch.  Although some of the spectacular views were shrouded most of the day in a persistent and misty fog, it was actually a blessing in disguise.   The fog helped keep the temperatures down and made the physical work much more comfortable.  Later in the day we transplanted a few small pine trees.  It will be interesting to return to the site in the coming years to watch the progress.  

Steep work site

Over the past six years, WLRV collaborated with the US Forest Service, James Creek Watershed Initiative, Walsh Environmental Services, and Trail Ridge Runners, to complete the first six phases of this award-winning restoration project benefiting hundreds of acres of forest habitat and downstream water quality.

I can't say enough good things about the WLRV projects that I have participated in.  They are always well organized with knowledgeable and friendly crew leaders, and they go out of the way to make sure it is a safe and fun experience for the volunteers.  Following a project they almost always have some sort of after party where they provide food, snacks, and libations for the whole crew.   It really is fun time and a great way to give back to the community, meet new people, and help preserve and restore the wilderness that we all so much enjoy.

More project photos can be found here.

WLRV Volunteers

Volunteering is fun, and WLRV has many projects throughout the season.  They are always open to recruiting new volunteers (all age ranges), and projects range in difficulty from seed collection to high altitude trail building.   For more information on upcoming WLRV projects, check out their website: http://www.wlrv.org.