We love putting different VOC volunteer leaders in the spotlight in each month in order to recognize the inspiring work they do to care for Colorado's outdoors. We are excited to announce Crew Leader Denny Farrell as our February Featured Leader!

Denny's experience with VOC began two and half years ago when he was looking for a way to complete court-ordered community service.

"Being a Colorado native and an outdoor sports lover, I dug around for something that would fulfill my requirements while contributing something worthwhile to the outdoors we call home," said Denny. He came across VOC, and began knocking out his hours with a single-day project here and there.

"What I didn't expect was to discover a passion for the work and for the land itself. I have hiked and ridden these trails since I was a kid, but never did I stop to realize the amount of planning, design, maintenance, and expense involved with creating and maintaining them," said Denny. "I found that I not only loved the intense work, sweat, and blisters, but I also truly unearthed something in me that I didn't know was there before - stewardship."

Denny participated in many VOC projects over the next two years, and jumped at the opportunity to become a Crew Leader last summer. 

"The projects, while all similar in nature, are each so diverse and different in their own way. It's a wonderful feeling to be out there working, constantly learning, and now teaching others how to care for what we would typically take for granted," said Denny. "It's amazing to visit these places; some quite remote, some right in my backyard, that I was never aware of in Colorado. I feel very privileged to be able to see our amazing state from this perspective. I have met some fantastic people, and am very excited to continue working with and teaching others the craft and skills necessary in trail creation and maintenance. It's quite a feeling to look back after a long, hard day on a section of trail, and say 'I built that,' and then do it all again. Plus, they make killer food to boot!"

Outside of VOC, Denny works as an IT manager for a nationwide homebuilder. He says his goal this year is to get his wife and two kids out on some VOC projects!