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Outdoor Stewardship Institute and Colorado Outdoor Training Initiative

Outdoor Stewardship Institute is working to improve leadership and training for trails and outdoor resource stewardship - see the Outdoor Stewardship Institute website.

Also see "Volunteer StewardshipPlanning by the Outdoor Stewardship Institute"

OSI offers new workshops

The popular Trail Crew Leadership course was developed by the Outdoor Stewardship Institute (formerly known as Colorado Outdoor Training Initiative) to grow a larger pool of skilled volunteers for basic trail construction and maintenance. Several states have taken advantage of the partnership between COTI and American Trails to offer the course locally. OSI is currently developing additional courses on other trail-related topics:

• Weed Management: a one-day training for volunteers and staff to include weed identification, history of introductions, weed ecology, and treatment options.
• Trail Maintenance Skills Workshop: a menu of skill-based trainings (one day or half day) focusing on trail maintenance topics from tread maintenance to corridor maintenance to water diversion structure maintenance.
• Project Management: a two-day workshop to learn to interface with land management agencies to plan, implement and accomplish specific conservation projects.
• Sustainable Mountain Trails: Assessment, Planning & Design: a two-three day introductory course on successful tools and techniques to assess, plan, design and implement sustainable high-use multiple-use mountain trails.

For information on the Colorado Outdoor Training Initiative, visit www.osionline.org or contact (303) 715-1010.

About the Outdoor Stewardship Institute (OSI)

The Outdoor Stewardship Institute (OSI) is an effort to improve training for trails and conservation work in Colorado. It is a cooperative partnership among Federal, State, and local agencies and other groups to develop a training and certification program. The idea is to find ways to integrate and expand volunteer and stewardship efforts to help agencies accomplish their work for resources and recreation. The challenge is to provide future leaders for volunteer projects who maintain high quality standards, are highly productive, and provide for an excellent volunteer experience that meets all safety requirements. New skills workshops are being developed.

Trail Skills Training Offered by OSI

• Introduction to Trail Design. What is a clinometer and why do you need it to design sustainable trails? Learn this and more as you discuss potential design options, and work in small groups to practice designing a trail. Note: We strongly recommend that you have prior trail building experience before enrolling in this seminar. Seminar length: one day.

• Trail Overview, Construction & Maintenance. Would you like to learn more about the basics of sustainable trail? Through lecture, demonstration and hands-on training, participants will get an overview of basic trail development, and skills to maintain and construct sustainable trails.

• Rock Wall Construction. Measure twice, dig once! Learn this and other important rules of thumb while mastering techniques to build rock retaining walls that allow us to build a trail around obstacles, and stabilize and widen trail sections. Seminar length: one day.

• Switchback Construction. What's the difference between a switchback and a climbing turn? Learn this and more as you work with a team to construct a switchback. In the process, you will also learn a great deal about constructing rock walls. Seminar length: two days.

• Rock Step Construction. Learn why rock steps help reduce and mitigate difficult trail problems, identify good places to install them, and construct one or more rock steps. Seminar length: 1/2 day.

• Waterbars & Drainage Dips. Learn why waterbars help reduce and mitigate erosion problems, identify good places to install them, and construct one or more waterbars. Seminar length: 1/2 day.

• Crew Leader Training. The Outdoor Stewardship Institute will present a new and exciting standardized training program for crew leadership. This 16 hour workshop covers leadership, tool and crew safety, and technical trail skills. This workshop is best for individuals that have had experience working on trail projects or previous crew leadership experiences. Seminar length: two days.

• Trail Closure & Revegetation. Learn techniques for closing and restoring unwanted trails, with the ultimate goal of making the trails disappear into the landscape. Learn how to restore the trail grade, stabilize the trail and surrounding area, and properly transplant soil and vegetation. Seminar length: 1/2 day.

Who is the Outdoor Stewardship Institute?

The partnership includes nearly every major Colorado agency and nonprofit organization that provides and participates in training for outdoor volunteers and professionals:

• Backcountry Horsemen of Colorado
• Bureau of Land Management
• Bureau of Reclamation
• Colorado Division of Wildlife
• Colorado Fourteeners Initiative
• Continental Divide Trail Alliance
• Colorado Mountain Club
• Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition
• Colorado Outward Bound School
• Colorado Park and Recreation Association
• Colorado State Parks
• Colorado Trail Foundation
• Colorado Youth Corps Association
• Denver Parks and Recreation
• Jefferson Country Open Space
• National Park Service
• Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers
• The Nature Conservancy
• USDA Forest Service
• Volunteers for Outdoors Colorado

What is the need?

Population growth pressures are increasing the demands placed on our public lands. Agency budgets are not keeping pace with increased growth and human impacts. Managers are becoming more reliant on trained volunteers to help fill a variety of important roles. A shortage of trained volunteers is preventing many important projects from being completed.

Why is volunteer training important?

Standardized training can provide the following benefits:

• A safe volunteer experience
• Increased productivity and output
• Leadership and supervision of volunteers by volunteers
• Project planning provided by volunteer groups
• Specialized training for technical assignments
• Increased agency acceptance of trained volunteers
• Standardized training for nonprofit and agency professionals

OSI will provide a statewide standard for volunteer training. This will enhance the safety and productivity of the volunteer experience. Agency staff will recognize the COTI-trained volunteer as an important asset.

Support the Outdoor Stewardship Institute Partnership!

The OSI partnership needs your support. We need a membership contribution from your organization to support OSI. In addition, we ask your organization and its staff and volunteers to share their knowledge and expertise through OSI trainings. Together we can help all of our organizations expand to meet the growing needs of our public lands.

Help Colorado!

OSI will provide volunteers with leadership training that is recognized and accepted by land managers. OSI will create volunteer leaders with the expertise to develop and organize new projects. These trained leaders will have the capacity to oversee new volunteers on a variety of assignments. The OSI partnership will standardize training practices to reduce duplication and confusion. OSI will become a clearinghouse for training information, materials and expertise. OSI will increase volunteer opportunities and provide a reliable pool of trained volunteers for ColoradoÕs future. Our public lands need your membership contribution. This initiative will only successful only if the entire community of outdoor stewardship organizations and their land management partners join together to expand our volunteer capacity.

For information on the Outdoor Stewardship Institute, contact:

Outdoor Stewardship Institute, c/o Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, 600 S. Marion Pkwy, Denver, CO 80209 (303) 715-1010

• See the Outdoor Stewardship Institute website
• Read about the formation of Outdoor Stewardship Institute through a merger of COTI with Volunteers for Outdoor colorado
• See "Volunteer StewardshipPlanning by the Outdoor Stewardship Institute"

This material is based upon work supported by the Federal Highway Administration under Cooperative Agreement DTFH61-06-H-00023. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the Author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Federal Highway Administration.

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