FRASER/GRANBY – Two nonprofit stewardship organizations, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado and the Headwaters Trail Alliance, are teaming up to lead volunteers in two significant trail improvement projects in the Fraser Valley on June 1 and June 28.

About 40 volunteers are needed for each date.

On June 1, in celebration of National Trails Day, efforts will focus on improving the Givelo Memorial Trail, a non-motorized, family-friendly trail which serves as the link between the Town of Fraser and the U.S. Forest Service lands to the west. Improvements will make the trail both easier to traverse and more sustainable. Specific improvements to be made include widening the trail to increase capacity for foot traffic, cutting back willow to clear the trail corridor, building a turnpike to elevate a section of trail, and improving drainage challenges. Fraser Valley Partnership for Trails spearheaded this project, thanks to a grant through Wells Fargo Bank.

On June 28, efforts will focus on improving a section of the Fraser to Granby trail which travels alongside Ten Mile Creek through Granby Ranch. The trail is an important, family-friendly link between a number of communities and trail systems and is also popular with cross-country skiers. The goal of this project is to reroute the trail away from a sensitive wetland ecosystem near Ten Mile Creek. First, the existing trail will be closed and re-seeded, and then a new section of sustainable trail will be constructed on the hillside above the wetland along an easement donated by Granby Ranch.

“Both of these efforts are great opportunities for the public to give back to the resources they use and help preserve and protect the incredible natural beauty of our community,” says Maura McKnight of Headwaters Trail Alliance.

These stewardship efforts are among more than 75 volunteer events Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado has planned across the state in 2013. Volunteer opportunities are open to the public, and no experience or training is necessary to volunteer. Learn more about getting involved at http://www.voc.org.

Headwaters Trails Alliance is a nonprofit advocacy organization for trails in scenic Grand County, Colorado. The mission of Headwaters Trails Alliance is to identify, maintain, and expand an accessible, interconnecting trail system in Grand County for appropriate multi-user groups. Learn more at http://www.headwaterstrails.org.