by Matt Konkle
Creative Content Managing Editor
When you off-road on the trails long enough, you are bound to see just about anything. In Colorado’s Clear Creek Ranger District of the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado 4x4 Girls adopted a trail that suddenly had an abandoned trailer show up about a year ago.
Unfortunately, the thing had been rummaged through and trash was strewn all around the surrounding area. Even worse, someone recently tore out the axles and chassis, leaving the camper’s shattered shell and its interior contents piled up in a huge messy heap.
Seeing the need for an important trail clean up, the club applied for — and received — one of Quadratec’s '50 for 50' Stewardship Grants in coordination with Tread Lightly! to help fund the process of returning the trail to its previous condition.
With the grant in place, a group of 25 headed out July 16 and were joined by an area trash disposal company, Doyles Disposal, as well as a food provider Two Brothers Deli to get the work done.
”Volunteers from Colorado 4×4 Girls, JC’s British, Colorado 4 Wheel Drive Association and more went up to one of the Colorado 4×4 Girls adopted roads to do a cleanup project on a very popular area for users to recreate,” said Colorado 4x4 Girls Founder Catherine Fanaro. “With the help of the Clear Creek County Ranger District, the volunteers were able to secure and load 1,946 pounds of trash, drug paraphernalia/needles, the camper shell and personal information.
”We are so thankful for the help from Tread Lightly! and especially the grant from Quadretec, without which, we wouldn’t have had the funding to dispose of this trash and make this area safe for users, as well as wildlife again.”
This trail event was the second of 50 that Quadratec will sponsor over the next 20-plus months all over the country.
The company kicked off its first trail maintenance project earlier this year at the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, helping install fencing and create pathways to better protect petroglyphs on the Kane Creek Trail.
So far, through its two supported projects, the '50 for 50' Stewardship Grant has generated 428 volunteer hours, cleaned up nearly 2,000 pounds of trash and improved more than 30 miles of trail.
“It could take years for 2,000 pounds of trash to accumulate on public lands in popular recreation areas, but with the hard work of all these volunteers in one day, it was restored. We are so thankful for responsible groups like the Colorado 4×4 Girls club who work hard to keep these areas open for everyone to enjoy,” said Quadratec Director of Creative Content Eric Ammerman.
The ’50-for-50’ stewardship grant fund helps project managers pay for equipment, fees, volunteer support, food, fuel, signage and other miscellaneous costs.
Quadratec has been a supporting partner of Tread Lightly! for more than 20 years, and a longtime fundraiser for Tread Lightly!’s stewardship programs. The company has also promoted Tread Lightly! and other trail restoration efforts through its Quadratec Cares ‘Energize the Environment’ program.
“Huge thank you to Quadratec for funding these efforts and making this cleanup possible and to the Colorado 4×4 Girls club for making this project happen. This is a great example of enthusiasts and industry leaders coming together to make a difference on public lands.” said Evan Robins, Tread Lightly!’s National Stewardship Manager.
Clubs and individuals are required to be active, supporting members of Tread Lightly! to be eligible to apply for ’50-for-50’ grant funding. To learn more about the Quadratec ’50-for-50 program, visit Quadratec's 50 for 50 Trails Stewardship Grant Initiative.
Participating in the Clear Creek Cleanup:
- Colorado 4×4 Girls
- US Forest Service
- Doyle Disposal
- JC’s British & 4×4
- Two Brothers Deli
- Colorado Four Wheel Drive Association
- Signature Heating and Air
