Make a Difference
Volunteer with RMFI
We rely on the generous support of volunteer stewards to help make the work we do possible. We offer many different ways to volunteer as a steward and would love to have you join us in whatever capacity makes sense to you and fits your needs!
Community Engagement
Volunteer as an Individual
RMFI runs hundreds of stewardship workdays and mobilizes thousands of stewardship volunteers each year in the healing and restoration of public lands throughout Southern Colorado, with an emphasis on the Pikes Peak region. RMFI provides stewardship opportunities for a variety of volunteers ranging in age, skill level, and interest. Our expert field instructors lead volunteer stewards on days that not only accomplish impressive on-the-ground results, but are also a whole lot of fun. We couldn't do what we do without volunteer stewards and would love for YOU to join us!
Community Engagement
Volunteer as a Team
RMFI stewardship days are great team building activity, a wonderful educational experience, highly rewarding, and a lot of fun. If your school, place of work, or other type of group has multiple people that would like to volunteer together, RMFI provides opportunities to incorporate your group on our community stewardship days posted on our calendar or will work with you to schedule a custom group workday! Custom scheduling is best for group sizes between 10 and 25 and we request a time commitment of between 4-7 hours between the hours of approximately 8am and 3pm. Our preferred days for group scheduling are Tuesdays through Sundays. If your group's size or scheduling don't quite fit within these parameters, please ask us and we will see what we can fit.
Group Stewardship Interest Forms
To successfully submit, download the form that best represents your group, fill it out, and email to Calla Balliett at [email protected]. Please note, these are interest forms only and do not guarantee availability, nor do they fill the place of online registration documents.
Need More Info?
If you're interested in volunteering either as an individual or as a group and need more info, don't hesitate to email Calla Balliett at [email protected].
Other Ways To Volunteer
If you are interested in volunteering with us in the office, please send a message to Calla Balliett at [email protected].
Gear Volunteer
RMFI is happy to welcome our Gear Volunteer, Jill Wohlbach, for the 2022 field season! Gear volunteers are asked to commit 3 to 5 hours a month from February through mid-December to help with equipment maintenance. Some examples of duties include properly sharpening tools, cleaning tools and gear of mud/dirt/rust, applying oil to steel tools, sanding and & re-oiling wooden handles, repairing tents and other camping equipment. If you are interested in learning more about the gear volunteer position, you can read the entire description here!
Contact Otzma Paz, RMFI Program Manager, at [email protected] to learn more.
Photo Volunteer
If you are interested in volunteering as a photo or media volunteer, or if you have additional ideas to contribute to RMFI's mission and story, feel free to reach out to us!
Contact Calla Balliett, RMFI Volunteer & Partnership Coordinator, at [email protected] to learn more.
Have a Question about Volunteering?
FAQs
Please refer to the FAQs at the top of the page for the most accurate information regarding our updated COVID-19 policies and guidelines for volunteering with RMFI. If you have any other questions, please contact Calla Balliett at [email protected].
Most of our volunteer stewardship days are not suitable for children under 8. Minors must be accompanied by an adult if participating in a stewardship day.
RMFI stewardship days are considered moderately strenuous or strenuous depending on project site and location. All workdays involve working in the outdoors for multiple hours with tools and often involve a walk or hike to and from the worksite from the parking area. Stewardship volunteers are encouraged to work at their own pace and breaks for lunch, snacks, and water are taken frequently and encouraged as needed. Those accustomed to a reasonable level of physical activity are able to take part in most of our projects. Certain days that require a longer, more strenuous hike or more physically demanding work tasks on variable terrain are recommended to those accustomed to a higher level of physical activity. Information regarding the physical demands of each project can be found in the workday descriptions on our calendar.
Stewardship volunteers are not required to have any prior experience. Our staff of professional field instructors will start each workday with an orientation, tool usage and safety talk, and provide oversight throughout the day. For this reason, it is required that stewardship volunteers show up on time! If you would like to view the RMFI Trail Terminology Guide to help you prepare for the day, this can be useful but is not required.
Our stewardship days typically run from approximately 8:30am to 2:30pm; although some projects require a longer or shorter day. Custom group stewardship days must run for a minimum of 4 hours.
For our community stewardship days listed on our calendar, stewardship volunteers may sign up through the calendar's online registration system.
First-time users must create a basic account to log-in to the calendar and access the online registration. Once your account is created you may log in at any time and quickly and easily register for the workdays of your choosing. Upon registering, you will receive an email containing additional details you will need for the workday including directions, map links, pack list, and more!
To sign up a group or 10 or more people for either a community stewardship day or a custom group stewardship day, please contact Calla Balliett at [email protected].
Bring a water bottle and plenty of water, sack lunch, rain gear, eye protection (sunglasses or prescription glasses will do), sunscreen, any other personal items needed to spend the day outside, and a backpack to carry your things. Wear sturdy & weather-appropriate clothes (long pants are required), and work shoes or boots (NO open-toe shoes). We have work gloves to loan but we encourage you to bring your own if you have them. For overnight programs, we will provide a packing list. If you have difficulty accessing any of these items, please reach out to Calla Balliett at [email protected] so we can assist you. We want everyone to have an equal opportunity to volunteer as a steward with RMFI!
We run our stewardship days through light rain and other mild weather conditions. Please check the forecast and come prepared.
However, if we have to cancel for hazardous weather, or any other reason, we will notify registered volunteers via email no later than 1.5 hours prior to the start of the workday (sooner if possible) and will also make phone calls to volunteers as needed. If you need to cancel your registration, please let us know as soon as possible. We plan our work tasks, equipment, and staffing based on the number of stewardship volunteers signed up.
Unfortunately, we cannot allow your fluffy friends to join us on our stewardship day. While we love our animals, pets are not permitted at any of our events due to safety concerns, their impacts to wildlife, and other risks involved.
Crew Leaders certified through the Pikes Peak Regional Crew Leader Training are welcome, and at times called upon, to assist us with leading volunteers when we have group sizes larger than our limited field staff can safely and effectively oversee. For more information about becoming a crew leader, visit our page detailing the Pikes Peak Regional Crew Leader Training.
You bet! Groups are welcome on community stewardship days listed on our calendar. If your group consists of 10 or more people available for a minimum of 4 hours, we may also be able to schedule a custom group workday for you. Although RMFI does not require a fee for custom group workdays, donations from corporate groups and welcomed and highly encouraged to help cover our costs associated with running the event.
Yes!
Office Volunteering: During our field season (March-October/November), RMFI is often in need of office volunteers to help with data entry to keep our database up to date. This is a flexible position requiring 5 to 15 hours per week on an ongoing basis. Good computer skills, accuracy, and attention to detail are a must. If you are interested, please contact Calla Balliett at [email protected] or 719-471-7736.
If you have additional questions, please reach out to Calla Balliett at [email protected].
Unfortunately, RMFI does not offer transportation to and from our parks and open spaces. While there are some bus routes that pass by our project locations, these options are limited. We would recommend checking out the Moovit app or the Mountain Metro page to view bus routes in the Colorado Springs area. In addition, don't forget a great local bike-share option, Pike Ride!
A custom group stewardship day is when an organization, company, or school schedules a day of stewardship for their members, employees, or students.
A community stewardship day is when individuals can sign up for a stewardship day with no group affiliation needed.
Yes, When registering online, you will be prompted to sign a RMFI waiver and an additional waiver related to COVID-19.
According to the CDC's new COVID-19 community transmission levels, El Paso County is currently Low (as of March 31, 2023). At all community levels, people can wear a mask based on personal preference, risk and level of comfort. Given our workdays occur outside, the majority of people will not need to wear a mask while volunteering outdoors with RMFI.
RMFI will not permit you to volunteer on a stewardship day if you are feeling sick, no matter the severity or illness.
- Follow recommendations for isolation if you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
- Follow the recommendations for what to do if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19.
If you become ill after registering to volunteer with RMFI, email Calla Balliett, RMFI Volunteer & Partnership Coordinator, at [email protected] immediately to cancel your registration. You are not permitted to volunteer with RMFI if you are feeling sick.