Discover how one student’s experience in VOC’s Cairn Program led to the creation of Clean Trails Colorado and how he’s empowering others to protect the outdoors.

What happens when a young person is given the tools, mentorship, and opportunity to care for the outdoors? For Justin, a former participant in Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado’s Cairn Program, it sparked a lifelong commitment to stewardship, and the launch of his own nonprofit, Clean Trails Colorado. Programs like Cairn are more than weekend volunteer work; they are stepping stones that nurture leadership, responsibility, and a deep connection to nature. Whether you're a student seeking hands-on experience or an adult mentor hoping to guide the next generation, supporting the Cairn Program means investing in a better, greener future for us all.

My favorite memory from the Cairn program was during the November project last year. We, along with a couple other groups, cleared massive amounts of dead brush that posed a fire risk to nearby houses. I remember at the start how much there was to clear, and by the end, there was incredible improvement. We filled many trucks full of the brush, and with our strength in numbers, we were able to do so much. It truly made me happy to see such a big impact from the work that we did.

The idea for Clean Trails Colorado came about when I wanted to help further my impact helping to preserve nature. As an avid hiker, my biggest pet peeve when on a trail is to see trash. It threatens the animals and takes away from the experience of being in nature. I really just wanted to help with that as much as I could, so I started Clean Trails Colorado.

Clean Trails Colorado (CTC) is an organization dedicated to preserving nature's beauty for all through the cleaning of trash from trails. We aim to protect the habitats that hiking trails cross, and we strive to make hiking a truly natural and wonderful experience for everyone.

At CTC, we mainly lead trash cleanup events across trails throughout the state. It provides an opportunity to clean said trash while also connecting with nature.

In the next few years, I hope to expand the work that we do: host informative events, visit more trails, and explore different types of opportunities to help spread awareness and preserve Colorado's natural beauty.

During the Cairn program, I got to see and help many communities that were foreign to me, yet still needed lots of help. It made me realize just how much work needs to be done to properly help all of the different communities - not just locally, but everywhere. My experiences in Cairn have left me yearning to expand CTC and our impact across communities in the state, helping anyone who needs it.

In this journey, the most difficult part has been spreading awareness about our organization and getting people to join. I know that there are many people who would love to help, but I haven't yet connected with many of them.

For anyone who is thinking about starting something meaningful - do it! It might be a struggle, especially in the beginning, but if you truly believe in an organization, know that it can and will succeed.

For how much work that has been done to preserve the outdoors, there is still so much work to do. If you're reading this and thinking about helping, whether it be with an organization or on your own, go for it! I really think that if we work together as a community, there will be lots of incredible impacts that will help change Colorado for the better.

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Learn more about VOC's Cairn Program for Colorado's Front Range high schools students and adult mentors.