See how a teen crew helped PWV build two bridges on Little Beaver Creek trail. Two bridges were recently completed over the Little Beaver Creek in the Roosevelt National Forest. This joint effort between the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy teen crew now make it much easier for hikers to enjoy the trail. The RMC teens learned the art of bridge building, and their young backs and enthusiasm were a great lift for the PWV volunteers.  Enjoy the images and video below of their hard work. Jeff R. Board - PWV

Mike Higgins has been with the PWV since 2019. He recently retired from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and has studied invertebrate communities in streams and wetlands for over 25 years. He gave an interesting presentation on the identification and ecology of stream macroinvertebrates. He identified several of the “bugs” that we see near rivers and streams. He also explained how these invertebrates help keep streams healthy. Please review Mike’s Zoom presentation dated July 12, 2023.

August 2022's Wilderness First Aid Training Class was a huge success thanks to Joe Cox, the leader of the event. Take a look and consider taking the class next time it is offered!

CBS KCNC-TV Denver reporter Dillon Thomas produced and hosted a documentary entitled Scarred: Lessons Learned from The Cameron Peak Fire, which included a PWV story, and was nominated for two Regional 2022 Emmy® Awards. The documentary and the PWV story were each awarded an Emmy! While Dillon and the rest of us are humbled by this recognition, he mentioned that the independent judges were impacted by the meaningful content and range of stories presented in the documentary.
At the PWV Mid-Summer Event on July 27, 2022, we had the privilege of Dillon attending the event, sharing stories about the Emmy awards, joining us for group photos while holding the actual trophies and sharing comments around the valuable contributions made by our group of volunteers. He was also able to discuss with Matt Cowan, Wilderness and Trails Program Manager, Canyon Lakes Ranger District, the current progress of trail repair and erosion protection and what to expect the next several years. Dillon summarized it well at the end of the evening, “people need to understand that this is not a quick fix. We have years of effort ahead of us and the work that PWV is doing is essential to helping repair the trails, as well as assisting folks out in the wilderness.”

To view the 3-minute PWV video click HERE. To view the entire 30-minute documentary click HERE.

Between August 13-December 2, 2020, the Cameron Peak Fire burned over 208,000 acres in the Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forests. It was the largest fire in Colorado history, and impacted 122 trails, 350 miles of roads, and one campground (Jack’s Gulch) in the areas we patrol. In this presentation, Matt Cowan, Wilderness and Trails Program Manager for the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, reviews the history of wildfires in the U.S., their impacts, and current recovery strategies, with special emphasis on Cameron Peak Fire areas. You will learn about the ecology of wildfires and how the USFS is managing them. This is a Zoom presentation for PWV members recorded on June 21, 2022.

CBS KCNC-TV Denver recently aired a documentary entitled Scarred: Lessons Learned from The Cameron Peak Fire. It included several vignettes, one of which was about the work PWV is doing. As part of promoting the documentary, they individually aired the vignettes prior to the actual show. In developing the PWV story, CBS used several video clips produced by our Photo/Video team and the producers were very complimentary of the content and video quality we provided.

Recently, the Heartland Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced their nominees for their 2022 Emmy® Awards. PWV is involved in two nominations, within this Regional group.

CBS individually submitted each of the vignettes and PWV was nominated for an Emmy! You can find the vignette for PWV here.

In addition,CBS also was nominated for the entire 30-minute Scarred CBS documentary that you can find here. The awards ceremony is July 17.

PWV member, Pete R., shares his experiences as a graduate student live-trapping wolverines in the Flathead National Forest south of Glacier National Park during the winters of 1975-76 and 1976-77. The wolverine study headed by Dr. Maurice G. Hornocker was the first research study of live wolverines using radio telemetry. In his presentation, Pete discusses the logistics of live trapping and radio-collaring wolverines, winter life in the backcountry, the results of Dr. Hornocker’s five-year research study, and current threats to wolverines. Pete spent three-and-a-half months each winter season living in the backcountry live-trapping wolverines. Presented as a Zoom presentation February 2022.

If you enjoy our diverse wildflower population and want to learn more about the features and names of our familiar blooms, you can view our Zoom presentation. On April 27, 2021, Ronda Koski, fellow PWV and Larimer County Native Plant Master, walked us through the photos and botanical names of those we are likely to encounter. Here is Ronda's Zoom presentation:

Here are links to websites that Ronda Koski recommends for Colorado wildflower identification.

• My Flora Tracker
• Colorado’s Wildflowers
• Wildflowers of Colorado
• Fred's Wildflowers

These are links to downloadable apps for plant identification.

• Colorado Wildflowers Guide
• iNaturalist
• Colorado Wildflowers

Ronda Koski - Class Instuctor

Birding is one of the country’s fastest-growing hobbies with more than 65 million Americans actively pursuing this activity. Join Pete Ramirez, a PWV member, who retired from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 2020 and spent a large portion of his career in the conservation of birds. Pete’s presentation, given via Zoom on March 23, 2021, covers how birds benefit our environment and quality of life, equipment needed for birding, tips for using a bird field guide, and tips on identifying birds. Pete finds birding to be both fun and challenging and says it’s almost like a treasure hunt. Enjoy the world of birding and Pete’s talk and slides.

Winter patrols start January 13. Before heading out, take a look at this informative slide presentation by Gerry Cashman on almost all you need to know to be smart, warm and prepared!  Click on Gerry's snowman to view the slide show.