Cairn Student of the Month: Alli Gunther
Alex Schupp • January 21, 2016
Cairn Student of the Month: Alli Gunther
VOC's Cairn Youth Program guides and challenges high school students to become caretakers of Colorado's extraordinary natural resources.
Alli Gunther is currently in her second year with Cairn. According to Alli, she was never outdoorsy growing up, and it wasn't until she started reading books by Edward Abbey (an author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues) at the age of 15 that she became interested in the outdoors.
"That summer, I googled something along the lines of 'Colorado environmental internship', and that's how I learned about Cairn. I applied, and the rest is history," said Alli.
Before Cairn, Alli liked to romanticize the notion of how trails were constructed. She admitted she initially thought they were created naturally, with thousands of footsteps coming together to create a path. "So, Cairn taught me all about how trails are actually built and how to make them. I think Cairn has given me a lot of appreciation for the people who construct trails," said Alli. She spent last summer working for the Larimer County Conservation Corps, where she expanded her trail knowledge, and was recently nominated as Colorado Youth Corps Association's Corpsmember of the Year. She plans to someday pursue a career in natural resources, and admits she doesn't think she would've ended up on that path if she hadn't found Cairn.
"I really enjoy being able to visit and explore new areas around Denver. It's also pretty cool to meet people through the program that I never would've met otherwise," Alli added.
Outside of Cairn, Alli enjoys reading and hiking as often as possible. She is currently a senior at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins.
Click here to learn more about the Cairn Youth Program.
Grossman Scholar Kace reflects on their path in conservation biology and how VOC’s scholarship is helping them pursue hands-on research and fieldwork at CSU.
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.
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