Volunteer Now!

To get involved call the Tamarisk Coalition at 970-256-7400 or email Meredith at mswett@tamariskcoalition.org.

"Working with the Tamarisk Coalition is a way for me to give back to the environment that I live in. Growing up as a kid in this area I used to hike the back country trails and I do not remember tammies growing in the canyons, there was always wide open views. Now the views are shrouded by these nasty trees, besides that it makes hiking a chore as you have to pick your way through this dense jungle. The other very good reason is that I get to meet like minded people who also enjoy the outdoors, many of these have since become very good friends as we find other things in common." - Kim Woynowskie

The Tamarisk Coalition believes strongly in the power of local community to restore and protect our lands. Volunteer projects are an excellent way to facilitate this process. Our volunteer projects focus on education, dialogue, and on-the-ground tamarisk and Russian olive control, revegetation, monitoring, and maintenance. This approach has inspired a core community of local citizens to improve the health of the ecosystems we all depend upon and enjoy.

We are currently supporting multiple Volunteer Efforts including:

1. The McInnis Canyons Volunteer Project (MCVP)
2. The Island Acres Removal and Revegetation Project
3. The Mack Wash Revegetation Project
4. Watson's Island Removal and Revegetation Project

McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area (MCNCA)

Come join us in MCNCA this fall! For the past 3 years, our staff has been working alongside amazingly loyal and hard working volunteers to remove tamarisk and Russian olive from these beautiful canyons. We have accomplished quite a bit in Devil’s, Flume and Pollock Canyons and will continue our work in September, 2008.

Our volunteer tamarisk scouting raft trip held the weekend of May 16th to the 18th was a wild success! As a result, this fall we are very excited to offer overnight trips along with our traditional day hike tamarisk removal trips.  And we hope to plan another rafting trip for the Spring ‘09 volunteer season.

The fall volunteer season will tentatively begin the last weekend in September and continue through the end of November. We will continue work in Devil’s and Flume Canyons and begin working in McDonald Creek Canyon.

In exchange for your hard work, we will provide food and drink, raffle prizes and an amazingly gratifying outdoor adventure!

Island Acres

This spring we partnered with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado to hold an enormously successful, large-scale tamarisk removal, biomass chipping, and revegetation project at the James M. Robb Colorado River State Park Island Acres.

This project was designed to accomplish three tasks:

1. Engage local citizens to remove non-native invasive tamarisk and Russian olive from public lands and to carry out revegetation plans.
2. Protect and restore fragile riparian and canyon habitats infested with tamarisk.
3. Improve wildlife habitat.

All three goals were achieved thanks to the amazingly hard working volunteers that completed much more than any of the organizing partners expected! Thanks again!

** Stay posted for another project in Island Acres this Spring! **

Salt Creek

In early May 2008, the Tamarisk Coalition held a revegetation volunteer project in participation with the Palisade Insectary, NRCS and the Meeker Plant Materials Center. These organizations are conducting tamarisk control and revegetation research on Salt Creek near Mack, Colorado. Our volunteers planted 200 native trees as a revegetation resource for this project!

Watson’s Island

We are planning a tamarisk and Russian olive removal project on Watson’s Island for this fall. This is a BIG, exciting project and we will be relying on many groups including the Western Colorado Conservation Corp, the Workenders program and Chevron volunteers.  We would like to provide our loyal volunteers a chance to get in on the action on Saturday Oct. 25 and Saturday Nov. 22.

Fall Volunteer Event Schedule*

• Saturday 9/27- Sunday 9/28:  Devils Canyon Backpacking Trip
• Thursday 10/9 (evening):  Volunteer Appreciation BBQ
• Saturday 10/18:  Flume Canyon
• Saturday 10/25:  Watson Island
• Saturday 11/8- Sunday 11/9:  McDonald Creek Canyon w/ optional overnight
• Saturday 11/22:  Watson Island

*This schedule is subject to change due to weather and other unforseeables. If you are on our e-mail list, we will keep you updated.  Not on the list, but want to be?  E-mail Meredith at mswett@tamariskcoalition.org

NEW - Cataract Canyon Tamarisk Education River Trip

Fundraiser for the Tamarisk Coalition Education Program-
Join the Tamarisk Coalition and O.A.R.S. on the river trip of a
lifetime through Utah’s stunning Cataract Canyon in the spring of
2009! This adventure has it all!