Learning Trail Skills, Chainsaw Safety, and Leadership Through VOC: Meet 2026 Scholarship Recipient Jaden Hutchins

How One Colorado Volunteer Is Building Conservation and Trail Skills

For many people looking for ways to volunteer in Colorado, the first step starts with simply showing up for a project. For Jaden Hutchins, that first step quickly became a deeper commitment to stewardship, leadership, and learning.

Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) is excited to announce Jaden as a recipient of the 2026 Steve Austin Training Scholarship, an award that supports volunteers seeking to build technical outdoor stewardship and leadership skills through VOC’s Outdoor Stewardship Institute (OSI).

Named after one of VOC’s longest-serving and most skilled volunteer leaders, the scholarship awards recipients with waived training fees to help expand their stewardship knowledge and leadership capacity. Applicants are selected based on their passion for Colorado’s outdoors, commitment to volunteerism, and dedication to long-term leadership in conservation and stewardship. Jaden exemplifies all of those qualities.

Strengthening Stewardship Skills in Colorado

Jaden grew up in the Colorado foothills, spending much of her time outdoors hiking, camping, and exploring alpine lakes, canyons, and trails across the state. She joined the VOC community just last year, but her enthusiasm for stewardship and learning quickly stood out.

“Last year, I joined VOC and had the opportunity to take part in several projects. I really enjoyed the hands-on work, the community, and learning the technical side of trail work, from using different tools to understanding what helps make a trail durable, sustainable, and enjoyable for others.”

Since joining VOC, Jaden has already completed seven volunteer projects and signed up for eight more this year, while simultaneously diving into outdoor stewardship trainings focused on trail work, safety, and leadership.

Her trainings have included:

• Adult CPR and First Aid
• Chainsaw Training and Certification Workshop
• Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
• Trail Skills Hybrid Training
• Crew Leader for Trails Training
• Sustainable Forestry Management Workshop (upcoming)

These trainings help volunteers develop real-world stewardship skills that support Colorado’s public lands and recreation infrastructure. Through VOC’s Outdoor Stewardship Institute, volunteers can learn everything from trail construction and chainsaw safety to forestry management practices, noxious weed management, and low-tech, process-based restoration techniques such as Beaver Dam Analogs and Zeedyk structures.

A Pathway Into Outdoor Leadership

One of the goals of VOC’s Outdoor Stewardship Institute is to make stewardship education accessible and approachable for anyone interested in deepening their involvement in conservation work.

Volunteers can grow into roles such as:

• Crew Leader — guiding and motivating volunteers on projects
• Tool Manager — organizing and managing equipment onsite
• Crew Chef — helping nourish and build community through meals
• Advanced Leadership Roles — specializing in technical stewardship skills
• Cairn Mentor — supporting Colorado youth through environmental leadership

Jaden’s continued engagement demonstrates how quickly volunteers can build confidence, technical skills, and leadership experience when given opportunities to learn and contribute.

Her participation in the Trail Skills Hybrid Training in Granby is a great example. The training was intentionally paired with VOC’s Strawberry Lake Trail Maintenance Project, allowing volunteers to immediately apply the trail techniques they learned in a real project setting the very next day.



This hands-on model helps volunteers gain meaningful experience while directly supporting Colorado’s trails, forests, and public lands.

Investing in Colorado’s Stewardship Future

The Steve Austin Training Scholarship exists to help volunteers like Jaden continue growing their skills and impact.

VOC is proud to support people who are excited to learn, lead, and give back to Colorado’s outdoors, whether they are just getting started or looking to deepen their expertise.

Jaden’s commitment to stewardship, leadership development, and volunteerism is inspiring, and we are excited to see where her journey continues.

For those interested in volunteering in Colorado, learning outdoor stewardship skills, or stepping into leadership opportunities, VOC offers a wide range of projects and trainings throughout the year for all experience levels.

Learn more about VOC’s leadership pathways and stewardship trainings at:

• VOC Leadership Pathways
• Volunteer Leadership FAQ