The Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership is very thankful to Ouray resident Mark Anderson and the leadership of the La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church of Scottsdale, Arizona for lending us the youth on their annual summer adventure and service trip in June. For each morning from June 18-20, UWP received the volunteer service of 20 teenagers, who worked on several projects to improve and maintain Rollans Park. The park, which surrounds the Uncompahgre River, is an important water recreation area as well as wildlife habitat.
UWP Board Members supervised the youth as they graveled the park trail, stained the benches in the outdoor classroom and the picnic tables, maintained wire enclosures that protect trees from being eaten by wildlife, took away enclosures around trees that had died, and removed at least 10 bags of invasive mullein plants. The volunteers worked so hard that they finished the Rollans Park projects early, and only 10 were needed on their last day of service. With additional time to spare, they stained tables, benches and gazebos at Hartwell Park and the Athletic Fields, as well as volunteered at the Ouray County Ranch History Museum and Ridgway Elementary School. All in all the groups organized by UWP contributed about 250 hours of service.
