Wildlands Restoration Volunteers

A nonprofit organization

$47,333 raised by 301 donors

100% complete

$40,000 Goal

You can help restore natural places in Colorado by supporting WRV today! Every $1 you contribute is turned into $6.87 - worth of restoration and community building. Plus, generous donors have raised a match pool of $57,500 to DOUBLE the restoration power of your gift before 12/31/2023!

WRV completes 150+ restoration projects annually, engaging 1,000+ volunteers and 500+ diverse youth in service learning.

Testimonials

"Tree planting is a sign of hope. Our families want trees to provide shade, beautify our city, and reduce air pollution. As a mom of three, I can also tell you that it’s also a great way to get kids off their devices and connect with the land." -- Laura Martinez, Environmental Justice Programs Manager, Cultivando

"Organizations like WRV are our only hope. Three-quarters of the planet is degraded in some way. If we don’t restore the planet, our health, happiness, and economy will suffer. If humans are to have a future, we need ecological restoration." -- Richard Knight, Professor Emeritus, CSU, WRV volunteer and donor

"Restoration projects can be useful field projects for ecology students. Experiential learning really sticks and enhances education. In the 2000s, I volunteered on a project to figure out whether what WRV does is really effective. And in my experience, [the answer is] yes! WRV’s efforts in pulling out non-native Mediterranean sage have made a significant difference. 20 years later, there are far fewer."
-- Tim Seastedt, CU Professor Emeritus, WRV volunteer leader, donor, and former board member.

"The WRV community is wonderful. I brought my daughter Lauren, who was then in fifth grade, on my second-ever project. My fellow volunteer Liz Kellogg and colleague Amy Allen have become family friends." -- Melinda Courtman, WRV Finance Coordinator, volunteer, and donor

"My Master’s student Julie Scamardo wanted to study the effects of beaver dam analogs (BDAs). Studying WRV projects helped our research. We found that the BDAs led to ponding and stored sediment. In turn, these led to diverse habitat for fish, insects, and plants." -- Ellen Wohl, Geocsciences Professor, CSU



Mission

WRV's mission is to build diverse communities that care for the land.

Background Statement

In 1999, about 20 people gathered to plant willows around Heron Pond at Pella Crossing, near Longmont. From this humble beginning grew a corps of thousands of dedicated volunteers. These generous folks donate approximately $800,000 worth of time and expertise to restore Colorado's beloved natural heritage at over 150 projects each year.

WRV has grown and changed since that day. We now have a diverse Youth & Families Program and a comprehensive leadership development program. We have accomplished 1,850 projects, hosted 59,000 volunteers, and facilitated the contribution of $14.5 million worth of volunteer time and expertise to the restoration and stewardship of our most beloved natural areas.

WRV sees a high success rate, and the public land agencies with which we work express great satisfaction with our projects, repeatedly ask for our help, and recommend us to other agencies. WRV is even involved in innovating and testing new restoration techniques, such as new designs of erosion control structures, and natural forms of high alpine transplant protection. WRV has a long track record of project design & implementation safely and on budget.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Wildlands Restoration Volunteers

other names

WRV

Year Established

2002

Tax id (EIN)

46-0505155

Category

Environment

Organization Size

Large Organization

Address

2100 Collyer Street
Longmont, CO 80501

Other

2926 E. Mulberry
Fort Collins, CO 80524

Service areas

Boulder County, CO, US

Larimer County, CO, US

Phone

303-543-1411

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