Whether we’re picnicking in City Park, enjoying a concert at Red Rocks, or rising before dawn to scale a fourteener, Coloradans are inextricably linked to the outdoors. But the Centennial State’s pristine landscapes, parks, and mountains don’t simply maintain themselves—various city and county recreation departments are often looking for volunteers to lend a hand with everything from breaking new trails and tending to access roads to weeding and planting trees. Here, where to look for information about how to lend Mother Nature a hand this summer.

1. Visit the Denver Parks and Recreation website for a list of upcoming volunteer projects, which also includes a link to listings for projects across the state. Beyond basic time and date information, the user-friendly list includes a difficulty rating (beginner, intermediate, and so on), how many volunteers are needed, whether it is a full-day or part-day project, and whether the project is family friendly. You’ll find opportunities to do everything from spending a few evening hours removing invasive weeds in the prairies outside Boulder to multi-day trail restoration trips on Mt. Bierstadt and Mt. Evans. For more information, contact program administrator Tina Meyers at tina.meyers@denvergov.org.

2. Jefferson County officials maintain list of volunteer projects that is updated throughout the summer. Perhaps surprisingly, the county is still involving volunteers in their flood recovery efforts after last summer’s devastating rainfall.

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