After the destructive floods of 2013, Estes Valley Land Trust was awarded two grants to assist with restoring riparian areas. Thanks to funding from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), the Land Trust has partnered with Eagle Rock School to re-vegetate several critically-damaged areas around the Estes Valley through 2015.
Their first project together occurred on Saturday, Nov. 22, along the East Fork of Fish Creek. Eagle Rock students and staff worked alongside Estes Valley Land Trust volunteers, planting native grass seed and installing erosion control blankets. This spring, the river banks will be more stable, the noxious weed takeover will be minimized, and ecosystem function will be jump-started, thanks to the hard work of the students and volunteers. Future restoration projects will also involve planting seedling trees, willows, and native wildflowers.
Estes Valley Land Trust and Eagle Rock School are proud of their collaboration and look forward to "re-greening" more flood-damaged properties this spring.