Wildlands Restoration Volunteers
Healing the Land. Building Community.
Learn how to support this organization
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Colorado is world famous for its natural beauty, clear mountain streams, and fantastic outdoor recreation. This is a boon to our economy and our quality of life. As population grows, recreation is increasing, and the climate is changing. Natural disasters are more severe and frequent. Due to these and other impacts, Colorado's forests, streams, and trails are suffering. There is a large and growing gap between the needs of special places and the resources to care for them. Volunteer stewardship has demonstrated itself to be an effective way to address this need. Yet, resources are needed to train and organize volunteers, and to provide them with tools and materials. At the same time, people need community with a purpose. Many people want and need an vision of hope through collective action. They want an opportunity to give back, and a chance to belong to a thriving community. Finally, despite the natural riches found here, not all who live in Colorado have equitable access to nature.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Habitat Restoration
Improving habitats from the plains to the alpine.
Vital Rivers
Promote clean water and healthy streams.
Invasive Weeds
Win back land for native plants and animals.
Native Seeds
Collect seeds to rewild local areas.
Healthy Forests
Reduce wildfire risks and revive woodlands.
Sustainable Trails
Give back to the lands we all love.
Youth & Families
Inspire a new generation of land stewards.
Where we work
Awards
Environmental Achievement Award 2003
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8
Honor Award for Caring for the Land Stewardship 2003
Arapahoe-Roosevelt National Forest
Excellence in Riparian Management Award 2004
Colorado Riparian Association
Our World Award 2008
Rotary International
Environmental Stewardship Award 2010
Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Certificate of Outstanding Work 2003
Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Achievement Award 2004
Boulder Ranger District
Alpine Partner Award 2009
Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Environmental Stewardship Award 2009
Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Award of Excellence in Riparian Management 2009
American Fisheries Society
Eco Hero Award- Ed Self 2009
Boulder County Business Report
E-Chievement Award - Ed Self 2010
E-Town
Community Conservation Award 2010
Boulder County Audubon Society
Alpine Partner Award 2011
Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Recognition of Services - MLK Day of Services 2011
The State of Colorado
REAL Awards Finalist 2013
Boulder Magazine
Environment Pacesetter Award 2013
Boulder's Daily Camera
Environmental Stewardship Award 2020
Larimer County
Climate Adaptation Leadership Award 2019
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Wings Across the Americas Habitat Conservation Partnership Award 2019
U.S. Forest Service
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Acres of natural habitat restored
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Cumulative acres planted with potted or sod materials, seeded, wetland restored, riparian area restored, weeded, forest thinned to restore forest or grassland health.
Number of individuals applying skills learned through the organization's training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Cumulative number of volunteer leader attendances
Number of training events conducted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Cumulative total of leadership development opportunities offered by WRV to community members, either free or subsidized.
Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Cumulative number of hours of labor and expertise donated to Colorado's natural heritage.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Cumulative number of volunteer attendances at WRV projects, trainings, and committees.
Number of people trained
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Cumulative number of participants in WRV leadership development courses.
Number of native plants, shrubs and trees planted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Cumulative number of native plants, willows, shrubs and trees planted to restore natural areas.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
WRV is all about putting the needs of the land and people together. They were made for one another. Our goals include:
1. Completing well-planned, high-quality restoration projects involving volunteers as participants and leaders.
2. Creating a strong network of volunteers to care for natural areas through leadership training and mentorship.
3. Renewing our community through volunteer appreciation, outreach to new communities and partnership with other organizations.
4. Encouraging community-based involvement in public lands by recruiting volunteers who live in the communities near projects sites or are members of groups who use those sites.
5. Developing and implementing high-quality, science-based restoration techniques.
6. Contributing to the scientific field of ecological restoration.
7. Collaborating closely with land managers and community stakeholders to identify key sites in need of ecological restoration.
8. Working hard, having fun, and celebration a love for mountains, forests, streams, and open spaces.
Ultimately, resilient ecosystems resist damage and recover more quickly when disturbed. As in nature, diverse human communities are more resilient.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Community building is central to everything at WRV. Connecting people through restoration as volunteers, donors, partners or sponsors, makes for a strong and sustainable community. That is essential to achieving the goals of WRV. We strive to include people and perspectives that American society has excluded and diminished. We work alongside communities to improve access to nature for those who don't always have it.
WRV's work empowers everyday people to take action. We provide skills, training, tools and a vision of hope for the future. This catalyzes people to believe that they can make a real difference in healing the planet. We support people to learn and stretch and become leaders in restoration. We seek to transform the relationship between nature and culture to change behavior in ways that will reduce the need for restoration.
WRV's work is motivated by a shared love of earth, nature and the land. This love motivates our community members to give something back to the earth. We feel a sense of stewardship or responsibility to take care of the land.
WRV's work embodies healing. This includes healing of land, communities, and people who engage in the work. Simply getting outside counters the trend of "Nature Deficit Disorder." WRV's work can bring a deep sense of personal fulfillment for people.
WRV's work educates people about the need for restoration and to address root causes of environmental degradation. We acquire or develop the best quality knowledge available on restoration. We disseminate this information to constituencies through a wide range of educational and leadership development opportunities.
WRV's work gives participants the satisfaction of tangible results. They can see real changes to the landscape. We measure tangible results through our monitoring committee, and in terms of the impact on people - accumulated skills, number of participants, and leaders.
WRV's work is inherently positive and worthy of celebration. We celebrate success and express appreciation to volunteers with great food, music, photography, and camaraderie. These help participants draw forth, comprehend, and share the joy and meaning of this work.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
WRV has the technical and practical expertise to serve as a leader in addressing environmental impacts in Colorado. WRV also has extensive experience with collaboration and partnership. This approach will be required to address existential threats across land ownership boundaries.
Specifically, WRV has expertise in the following areas:
Landscape architecture
Volunteer recruitment
Volunteer management
Volunteer catering management
Field camp design and logistics
Wildland restoration design and logistics
Community engagement
Leadership development for field restoration
Leadership training for field restoration
Youth environmental service learning
Volunteer crosscut sawyer training
Volunteer crosscut sawyer crew management
Volunteer chain sawyer crew management
Volunteer communications
Native plants
Wetland creation
High-alpine re-vegetation
Natural soft-armor river bank stabilization
Mesic meadow creation
Post-flood restoration
Post-fire restoration
High quality native seed hand collection
Native plant propagation programs
Beaver dam analog installation
Boardwalk, puncheon, and pike design, construction, & installation
Beaver mimicry techniques
Sustainable trail technique
Tool management & provision
Track-barrow usage
Field rigging with port-a-wrap and block
Field rigging with grip-hoist, slings and webbing
Weed eradication
Forest thinning
Project management
Wilderness first responder
Field technical notes
Photo-point design and monitoring
Donor communications
Restoration materials acquisition
Heavy equipment operation subcontracting
Ecology
Hydrology
Botany
Fisheries
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Thanks in large part to individual donors and foundations, over the past 23 years, WRV has evolved into a powerhouse of volunteer-led restoration. After our foundation we cemented our gains. We built capacity. We expanded the scope, scale, and sophistication of our work. We are proud of our strong record of accomplishment. WRV has completed almost 1,500 restoration projects, growing our areas of expertise, technical skills, volunteer community, and relationships along the way.
As of Jan 1, 2021, preliminary totals indicate WRV volunteers have contributed 580,913 hours, or $12.5 Million in labor and expertise to steward Colorado's wild places (and a few in Wyoming).
Those hours add up to 63 miles of stream channel or shoreline restored; 642 acres of burn area seeded and/or mulched; 24 miles of trail constructed, 27 miles of trail closed or revegetated to protect sensitive habitats, and 52 miles of trail maintenance, reconstruction or enhancement.
They translate to 305,285 native trees, shrubs or plants planted; 10 miles of fencing built or repaired to protect wildlife and habitat; 53 miles of unused road reclaimed; and 424 acres of unnaturally dense forest thinned.
The hours resulted in 79 acres of wetland restored; 371 acres of streamside habitat restored, 6,716 acres weeded and ultimately 198,101 acres of wildlife habitat benefitted. Much of this work would never have been accomplished without WRV due to lack of adequate resources.
These statistics tell a story but they don't capture the look on the face of a new volunteer leader who always shied away from the limelight until she felt called to make a difference in a local state park. The statistics are proxies for the values that are incalculably improved by the work on the ground. Volunteer work supported local and downstream residents and tourists alike who want to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and view wildlife in world class recreation areas or their neighborhood trail. These volunteers prevented follow-on flooding after floods and fires which likely saved homes, lives, roads and municipal water infrastructure, saving the public untold resources.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Wildlands Restoration Volunteers
Board of directorsas of 08/04/2023
Ann Erickson Lang
Rocky Mountain Human Services, Retired
Term: 2022 - 2023
Alan Carpenter
Land Stewardship Consulting, Inc.
Mark Flower
University of Colorado, Retired
Margaret Paget
Retired
Pedro Lopez
U.S. Veterans Administration
Linda Kuhn
Survey Research Management, Retired
Eric Gertler
Oxlo Systems, Retired
Breanna Winters
High Line Canal Conservancy
Mary Balzer
Self Employed
Bill Goodwin
St. Benedict Health and Healing, Retired
Ashley Vander Meeden
JAX Mercantile Co.
Kate Gallagher
Denim, Senior Product Manager
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/06/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.