Heart in the High Country

Friends of the Dillon Ranger District (FDRD) is the local Friends Group for the US Forest Service here in Summit County. They work closely with USFS to provide ways for the public to give back to our public lands through trail maintenance and forest health projects. As a federal agency, the Forest Service is always in need of extra hands to make sure that our trails, forests, and public lands stay pristine!

Trail maintenance days are a fun, hands-on ways to help maintain and improve your favorite trails around Summit County. They can include traditional maintenance like improving trail tread (what you walk on), managing drainage (making sure that the trails aren’t too muddy and full of puddles), keeping the trees and bushes from creeping into the trail too far by responsibly cutting them back, and building or maintaining structures that make our trails usable (bridges, turnpikes, buck and rail fencing, etc.), while forest health projects help keep our forest clean and natural and can include wildlife surveys (boreal toads!), trash and pet waste cleanups, biodiversity surveys, campsite reclamation projects, and more!

FDRD also organizes a TON of outdoor and environmental education events. These are a great way to get outside and learn about our natural world and the role we play in it. They can include educational hikes to learn about wildlife, wildflowers, pollinators, birds, watershed health, animal tracks, the night sky, natural history, and much more. While these are not volunteer opportunities, you’ll learn about why Summit County is one of the best places in the country to get outside and experience nature. The more you know, the more you’ll appreciate and care for our public lands!