program overview
Promote the health of local plant and pollinator species by collecting Native Seeds, removing Invasive Weeds, and planting for Pollinators. You can have fun learning how to identify various plants and understand their role in our landscapes, while helping to create a healthier environment for pollinators.
Volunteer opportunities are posted on our calendar, where you can browse upcoming projects, view details, and sign up based on your interests, location, and availability.
Local restoration projects need seeds from native plants adapted to thrive in our area. WRV’s seed collections are fun, family-friendly events where you learn to identify, harvest & clean seeds from Colorado’s diverse grasses, wildflowers & more! The WRV seed community has provided our partner agencies with quality, locally-adapted materials from a list of over 130 species, many of which can’t be found commercially. Volunteers come back again and again to enjoy the camaraderie and time in nature!
Watch this Native Seeds welcome video by teen volunteer Lauren:
Noxious weeds threaten to overtake our natural areas, crowding out native plants and animals and decreasing biodiversity. WRV volunteers remove Colorado’s “most wanted” such as tamarisk, hairy willow-herb, and Russian olive from sensitive areas. Myrtle Spurge is a priority List A noxious weed for which WRV organizes volunteer “spurge purges” in early spring. WRV invites private landowners in the Boulder County foothills to contact us about help eradicating this invasive species, also known as Donkey Tail. More info & how to apply
Watch this video on why volunteers are pulling Myrtle Spurge by CU student Jack:
A notable success story is the restoration of unique grassland habitat through two decades of work to eradicate the invasive species Mediterranean Sage. By the early 2000s, many Boulder-area grasslands had been overrun by Mediterranean sage (“before” photo below). This invasive plant dominates because grazers can’t eat it. Over the course of 18 years and 37 weed pulls, over a thousand volunteers learned to recognize Med sage. They labored to mitigate the danger it poses, becoming champions of native habitat for birds and other creatures.
Read more about how volunteers are restoring local grasslands – and not just for the birds.
Northern Colorado Native Plant Exchange
Are you interested in incorporating native plants into your home landscaping? Free seeds and starts are available at our Plant Swap and Seed Swap events in Fort Collins!
WRV Staff Contacts
Annemarie Fussell & Morgan Crowley