- Annual easement monitoring at Giberson Preserve,
photo credit John Fielder
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are vital to the work of Continental Divide Land Trust. We welcome you to join us in protecting the beautiful open spaces of the conserved lands of Summit County and the surrounding area.
Volunteers help in many ways, including:
- Monitor protected properties
- Lead nature walks and weed pulls
- Send out CDLT newsletters and mailings
- Plan and work at special events
Without our dedicated volunteers, many of CDLT’s successful conservation projects would not be possible. Please assist our efforts in saving mountain landscapes forever. Here are just a few volunteer opportunities…
Land Protection and Stewardship: We are looking for land conservation enthusiasts in Summit County, Colorado and the surrounding area to oversee conservation easements held by CDLT and to help with annual monitoring.
Land Stewards: Each property protected by the Land Trust has a Land Steward, a volunteer who is trained on the conservation values of the property, the property boundaries and areas of special concern, and the specific terms of the conservation easement. The Land Steward visits the property occasionally, and takes the lead in monitoring the conservation easement property, working with other volunteers to take photos, notes, and to answer questions and fill out the Easement Monitoring Form.
Monitoring Volunteers: Conservation Easements held by a Land Trust must be monitored annually to ensure that the conservation values of the land are being preserved and to determine if the terms of the easement are being upheld. Each year, CDLT monitors each of the conservation easements it holds (see Easement Stewardship Day), using staff and trained volunteers. Monitoring volunteers walk the boundaries of the property and check internal areas of interest, taking notes and photos at designated photo points along the way. Using photos from previous years’ monitoring visits, volunteers note any changes to the property.
Easement Stewardship Day: Every year CDLT hosts Easement Stewardship Day, gathering interested monitoring volunteers for a training session in the morning and an actual easement monitoring visit in the afternoon. For information on the next Easement Stewardship Day, click here.
Weed Pulls: Noxious weeds are a growing problem in our mountain communities. The Land Trust has made progress in eradicating weeds on several conservation easement properties thanks to the efforts of our volunteers who join us for our weed pull days.
Trail Work and Construction: We collaborate with other organizations and local governments to provide volunteer opportunities to help build new trails or maintain older trails on or near our conservation easement properties.
Special Events: We are looking for individuals who like to create and organize various events and activities for CDLT members. Volunteer projects may include event help such as taking tickets or selling books, or longer-term projects like collecting silent auction items, marketing, or organizing an aspect of the event.
Office Team: We can use some extra hands in the office to process thank you letters, file, and help with bulk mailings, membership renewals, and drafting newsletter articles.
Awareness and Education / Membership Outreach: We are looking for individuals interested in helping CDLT build its constituency and increase greater participation in programs and events.
Click here to download a printable volunteer form for CDLT (pdf).
You may also copy and paste the completed volunteer form into a Word document and email it to us.