Cairn Corner: March 2025 Crew Leader Training & Final Project Prep

April 2, 2025

Cairn Participants Conduct a Site Visit and Learn What It Means To Be a Crew Leader

Cairn students and mentors visited Environmental Learning for Kids' (ELK) headquarters located in Northeast Denver. Back in December 2024, Cairn program participants voted ELK as the location for their Final Project that will be held in April. This site visit served as a time for students to meet the land manager and learn about the project work they will be leading, much like VOC staff do for any other public project. There, they learned from ELK's Volunteer Coordinator about how this non-profit organization serves as a vital connection to nature in the urban Montbello neighborhood.

They also explored the Montbello Open Space Park, located right outside ELK's headquarters, where they will be helping to restore the crusher fine pathways as part of their Final Project. Between discussing the project work they'll be conducting in April, students were able to enjoy the outdoor climbing wall and explore their celestial amphitheater onsite.

After lunch, VOC's Leadership & Training Manager, Benja, led a brief outdoor leadership training session to prepare the students for leading crews, working with tools, and assessing safety. These skills will come in handy as they fulfill their various leadership roles they chose for the Final Project. Afterward, students and mentors gathered into their leadership role teams and collaborated with each other to understand their responsibilities for the project day and gain a sense of how each role contributes to making a volunteer project happen. We can't wait to see this year's students practice their outdoor leadership skills and complete the Cairn Program successfully next month! A big shout-out to Damian with ELK for hosting, educating, and guiding our Cairn students and mentors as they bring their Final Project to life.

You can read more about VOC's Cairn Program here or reach out to Emily with any questions.

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Dos Chappell Bathhouse in Denver's Washington Park

Turning the Page: A New Chapter for VOC After 30 Years at Dos Chappell Bathhouse

June 26, 2025

After three meaningful decades, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) will be saying goodbye to our longtime home at the Dos Chappell Bathhouse in Denver's beloved Washington Park. In the early 1990s, VOC signed a 30-year lease with the City of Denver to transform the historic bathhouse in Washington Park into a headquarters that could support our growing mission. With generous support from our community, we launched a capital campaign and raised $700,000 to complete the initial renovations, which were finalized in 1996. Altogether, including the original renovations, VOC has invested more than $1 million in improvements and ongoing maintenance, creating a space that is enjoyed by our staff, volunteers, and the broader Washington Park community. In 2000, the building was renamed in honor of Dos Chappell, VOC’s former Executive Director (1988–1999), whose vision and leadership left a lasting legacy on our organization and Colorado’s outdoor stewardship movement. This space has been more than just an office—it’s been a gathering place, a launchpad for thousands of volunteers, and a visible symbol of our commitment to caring for Colorado.