The Continental Divide Trail Alliance
Located in Pine, CO, the Continental Divide Trail Alliance is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to build the Continental Divide Trail, a 3,100 mile Trail from Canada to Mexico. We work with many partners, including those in local communities that represent interests in conservation, recreation, and our natural resources.
In 2007, we are scheduled to build 190 miles of new trail, reconstruct 59 miles of already-built trail, negotiate with private landowners, purchase easements, and plan for the building of 211 additional miles. The success of our trail construction projects depends on the hard work of our dedicated volunteers.
The CDTA Crew Leader Program and How it is Bettering our Community
CDTA has neither the staff nor the resources to lead the 50+ volunteer projects we have each year.
Crew Leaders alleviate this concern by serving as CDTA representatives on volunteer trail projects. The Crew Leader collaborates with public land agency staff to facilitate the overall success of a volunteer project. They serve as coach, work supervisor, and role model. Crew Leaders are responsible for building a team, ensuring the health and safety of their crew, and teaching valuable skills. In leading other volunteers on the Trail, these individuals develop their leadership, problem solving and communication skills all while having fun in the backcountry.
The specific project for which we seek funding is our Crew Leader training June 7-8 in Leadville, Colorado. This training includes approximately eight hours of lectures on management, communication skills, and conflict resolution and eight hours of on-the-ground training with CDTA staff and U.S. Forest Service personnel learning proper techniques for building Trail. Additional training includes tool use; trail, rock wall, bridge and water diversion construction; environmental mitigation; backcountry survival skills; and Leave No Trace Environmental Ethics. The $1,000 award YourHub would provide could partially fund this training (please see budget below).
A rough budget for this training includes:
Instructor Fees $2,500
Training Materials $650
Certification Fees $2,000
Food and Travel $475
Total $5,625
CDTA Crew Leaders come from diverse backgrounds and abilities providing additional opportunities for personal growth and community building. These volunteer leaders then empower other volunteers to take ownership and responsibility for our public lands, our environment, our communities and their own health through CDTA programs.
Many of these Crew Leaders come from the Denver Metro Area. These Crew Leaders take the leadership skills gained on the Continental Divide Trail back to their local communities. Such connections with the land-and learning to lead on it-impact our local and national community to a far greater extent than simply building the Trail. Truly, individuals build Trail, but the Trail, particularly through the CDTA's Crew Leader Program, builds individuals.