Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers

When you give today, you help protect the trails and public lands that connect our community.

With your support, Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV) restores trails, protects wildlife habitat, strengthens fire adaptation in our communities, and empowers the next generation of outdoor stewards from Aspen to Rifle.

RFOV’s programs are designed to keep our valley’s landscapes healthy, fire-adapted, and ready for everyone to enjoy. Through hands-on stewardship, habitat restoration, fuels reduction, and thoughtful trail work, we help create resilient ecosystems and sustainable recreation opportunities.

Every project strengthens the land we love—supporting safer communities, thriving wildlife, and outdoor spaces that can be enjoyed for generations.

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Inspire the next generation of land stewards—help grow RFOV’s Young Stewards Program!

This Colorado Gives Day, Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV) is celebrating one of our most inspiring and often lesser-known efforts: the Young Stewards Program (YSP).

While we’re known for our trail work across the Roaring Fork Valley, our youth programs are shaping the future of conservation. Through the Young Stewards Program, we meet youth where they are—whether on campus, at a local park, or out on the trail—creating hands-on opportunities to connect with the land and with one another.

In 2025, RFOV hosted 36 youth volunteer projects, resulting in 3,286 youth volunteer hours. We provided Spruce Up Your School programming at 7 schools across the valley and have graduated 32 teens in our Youth in Nature program.

There’s no donation too small to make a difference. Every gift helps us bring stewardship education and outdoor experiences to youth across our valley, from Aspen to Rifle.

What makes this program special:

• Free and accessible: We partner with schools and youth organizations regardless of funding ability, ensuring all young people have access to stewardship education.
• Flexible opportunities: We offer on-campus programming, known as Spruce Up Your School, or organize field projects for youth groups, clubs, and schools—meeting each group’s unique needs.
• Community service support: We help students earn volunteer hours, including capstone projects, Eagle Scouts, and Girl Scouts, giving them real-world impact.
• Youth in Nature internship: This one-of-a-kind, paid year-long opportunity allows local high school students to dive deep into conservation work—meeting land managers, collaborating with environmental agencies, and exploring outdoor recreation careers.

At the heart of YSP is our mission: to inspire the next generation of land stewards.

Each project, school visit, and day outdoors helps youth:

• Build confidence and teamwork through hands-on service.
• Develop a lifelong ethic of stewardship and civic engagement.
• Strengthen their sense of place and connection to our valley’s landscapes.
• Discover that caring for the land can be fun, meaningful, and empowering.

Your gift—no matter the size—helps remove barriers so all youth can experience the joy and pride of giving back to the land.