Day of Service

Thanks to Darwin Toll '78, Will Piersol '83 and John Knight '83 for braving the Spring weather to work with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge on Earth Day, April 22! This 16,000 acre site was once home to US Army chemical weapons manufacture and Shell Oil Company pesticide manufacture but was closed in 1985 and labelled a Superfund site.  The last acres to be remediated were turned over to the National Fish and Wildlife Service in 2010 and the entire cleanup cost over 2 billion dollars.

Along with 120+ volunteers we built the first 3,800' of trail on the southeastern corner that will make the RMANWR accessible to easterly neighbors and residents and eventually connect this area to other preserved areas.  Rain and 35 degrees at 8 am did not deter the throng, which included newcomers and families as well as experienced VOC volunteers and crew leaders.  Tools, bathrooms and food were all provided and the dozen work crews were initially assigned to a 100' section to build.  By the afternoon, crews leapfrogged ahead to work on new areas and the entire stretch of trail was finished an hour early.  As usual, the Deerfield contingent was lauded for its effort and stellar demeanor!