School is back in session; there’s a familiar crispness in the morning air; and we at YVSC are gearing up for the 12th annual year of ReTree, which will take place on October 2. Over the past 12 years, we have planted over 23,000 trees in the Yampa Valley. This year, we enter our third year of the Yampa River Forest Restoration Program, where we will be planting approximately 500 trees along the Yampa River near the City of Steamboat Springs’ Rotary Park. This project aims to increase shade along the river to reduce water temperatures, improve riparian habitat, and sequester carbon.

We look forward to convening our valued community members, partners, and sponsors for this year’s event, and we hope that you can join us for an afternoon of tree planting, which will have a positive impact for years to come. Sign up to volunteer here. Once you have registered, volunteers will receive a reminder email with the finer details closer to the event.

Title: Tree Planting at Elkhead Creek

Short Description: Come plant trees with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) at Elkhead Creek near Craig.

Easy: Working along a riverbank.

Project Details: Lower Elkhead Creek is a nine-mile stretch of creek below Elkhead Reservoir, and over the years, has experienced significant bank erosion, channel incision and riparian habitat degradation. Many landowners on Lower Elkhead Creek have been participating in a collaborative effort to restore the Elkhead Creek ecosystem, and Phase 1 of the restoration project currently includes a five-mile stretch of Elkhead Creek directly below Elkhead Reservoir. Working with private landowners, NRCS is teaming with the Yampa Valley Climate Crew to plant native trees and shrubs that will help stabilize the banks and revitalize the riparian area. We will be working within a 1.5-mile stretch of the creek and planting cottonwoods, alders, willows, and chokecherries.

We hope that you can join us for a day of tree planting, which will have a positive impact for years to come. A BBQ will also be held for our volunteers as a thank you for their hard work! Once you have registered, volunteers will receive a reminder email with the finer details closer to the event.