The 2019 Pikes Peak Regional Crew Leader Training was a success. The immersive hands-on training took place over the weekend of April 26th through April 28th at the Starsmore Visitor and Nature Center in North Cheyenne Canon Park.
There were 25 participants who completed the training. Participants represented local Friends Groups, nonprofit organizations, National Forest Service, BLM, City of Colorado Springs, El Paso County Parks, and more; one of the most diverse classes in the 8 years of this training’s existence.
The weekend-long training gave participants the skills and practice to become confident certified crew leaders for projects in the Pikes Peak Region and beyond. At the Friday night training, the Trails and Open Space Coalition gave a presentation on effective leadership skills and challenged the group to work as a team to solve real life scenarios that crew leaders face. The full day training on Saturday was spent with the Friends of the Peak going over skills and knowledge that help with leading crews on trail building and trail maintenance projects. The training finished on Sunday with practice on restoration projects with the Rocky Mountain Field Institute. Upon completion of the training, participants will lead 2 projects under the watchful eye of a mentor. After the second supervised workday, the 25 participants will join the other 100+ alumni as fully certified crew leaders.
This year, the group did maintenance work on the Gold Camp Path in the Stratton Open Space and restoration work on rouge trails and drainage ares in the southern portion of the Stratton Open Space. Both projects were done in accordance with the North Cheyenne Canon Master Plan under the guidance of the City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department.