Each year, thousands of volunteers donate their time to help care for parks, trails, and open spaces in the Pikes Peak Region. This generosity of time and labor is necessary for the upkeep of our local parks but has also created a need for trained volunteer crew leaders who are able to assist land managers and stewardship organizations by leading these critical trail and restoration projects. While in the training, participants will learn how to lead safe, successful trail projects and lead others in basic trail construction and restoration.

Program Fee: A $35 non-refundable program fee is collected upon registration. We strive to keep this program assessable and cost-friendly for our wonderful volunteers. Costs associated with this program go directly to cover program costs. If you are a land management partner looking to register for this program please contact Calla Balliett at calla@rmfi.org prior to registering.

Requirements:

Applicants must have prior trail work experience in order to participate in this training.

In order to be eligible, candidates should:

• Have participated in at least two trail or restoration workdays prior to being enrolled in Crew Leader Training. 
• Must be able to pass a mandatory criminal background check (at no charge to the trainee). The background check will be sent to applicants via email in April.

If you have questions about your eligibility prior to registering and paying the non-refundable fee please contact Calla Balliett, RMFI Volunteer and Partnership Coordinator prior to registering.

In order to become fully certified, trainees must:

• Attend the full 2-day training.
• Complete 2 additional certification workdays as an assistant Crew Leader under the guidance and supervision of either Rocky Mountain Field Institute or a City of Colorado Springs Park Ranger. These certification days must take place within the same calendar year as training. Most days will occur prior to October 1st.
• Once certified, Crew Leaders will maintain their certification by helping to lead, at minimum, one trail or restoration day with any organization of their choosing as a crew lead each field season. Crew Leader's code of conduct must be upheld or certification status will not be granted/renewed at the discretion of the applicable Pikes Peak Region Land Management Agency.

Registration: Registration will close Friday, April 28th at noon as background checks typically take 1 week to process

Contact:    
If you have questions prior to registering and paying the non-refundable fee please contact Calla Balliett, Volunteer & Partnership Coordinator at calla@rmfi.org or 719-471-7736 ext. 4#. Office hours are Monday - Friday.

Agenda:

A full agenda with detailed information will be available shortly.

Saturday, May 6th (DAY 1)

07:30: Registration

08:00-08:15: Welcome, Land Manager and Trainer Introductions, Safety

08:15-08:45: Leave No Trace Presentation

09:00: Leave for Work Site

09:30: Trail Walk and Talk

10:30: Tool Talk

11 am: Lunch

11:30-15:00: Work

15:00-15:30: Wrap-Up / Questions

Sunday, May 7th (DAY 2)

07:30: TOSC Presentation on Leadership

08:00: RMFI Presentation on Restoration

09:00-11:00: Restoration Work

11:00: Lunch

11:30-15:00: Restoration Work 

15:00-15:30: Wrap-Up / What is Next?

Spots are open on a first-come, first-serve basis. Restrictions apply.