(Photo by Robert Barossi)

by Robert Barossi

As the posts on this blog have demonstrated, volunteers are an essential and integral part of environmental work. The importance of their role cannot be overstated. In many places, they are becoming even more important and are more needed than ever. In this example out of Denver, more and more people are using local areas for backcountry trips. That is putting more stress on the wilderness areas and the wilderness trails, which are maintained by dedicated volunteers. As more and more of the public treks out into the forest, there’s an even greater need for trail stewards who will educate the public about proper trail usage and make sure the trails remain accessible and intact. This type of need for more volunteers is likely to happen in many places as more and more people return to or rediscover nature and the outdoors.

Friends of Mount Evans and Lost Creek Wilderness is just one of the Denver area groups dealing with this issue.