PLEASE NOTE: Volunteers on these projects will be based with ACE Arizona in Flagstaff
Grand Canyon Trails: All year
With over 500 miles of trails subject to floods, landslides, and damage inflicted by mules, maintenance of the Grand Canyon Trails system is a constantly challenging effort. Over the past three years ACE crews have been a valuable resource to the Grand Canyon Trails crew, participating in a variety of trail reconstruction efforts both on the Rim and below the Rim. Throughout 2007 ACE crews are scheduled to install erosion control structures, replace walking tread, and construct retaining walls while hiking up to 17 miles to reach remote worksites. Expect difficult daily hikes and all the challenges associated with working in extreme weather conditions while enjoying the friendship and support of the National Park Service trail crew workers.
Grand Canyon Planting: (May - October 2007)
The fragile high desert ecosystems of the Grand Canyon are especially vulnerable to the invasion of non-native plant species. With the constant impact of hundreds of thousands of tourists trampling native plants and carrying the seeds of dozens of species of weed, native ecosystems are in constant peril. Working alongside the Grand Canyon Revegetation team, ACE crews minimize the impact of stampeding tourists by collecting native seed, spreading mulch to prevent weeds from germinating, planting and transplanting native species, constructing wooden fences to protect newly planted areas, surveying and pulling weeds, and caring for the native plant nursery. Work can be as simple as walking along the rim collecting grass seed or as demanding as operating jackhammers to drill fence post holes into solid Grand Canyon limestone.
White Mountains Apache Trout Restoration (Eastern Arizona): (May - September 2007)
All of the fish native to the state of Arizona are endangered, with many on the brink of extinction. The introduction of exotic sport fish such as the Brown and Rainbow Trout has jeopardized the survival of native species that cannot compete for habitat. The Apache Trout is endemic to only 13 small streams and rivers in the remote mountains of Eastern Arizona. ACE will partners with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Game and Fish Department, National Forest Service and with conservationists from Trout Unlimited to preserve habitat by building creek barriers to prevent exotic species from migrating upstream and thus competing with the native Apache. ACE will participate in a variety of projects associated with this restoration effort, including hauling endless loads of rock for use in the barriers, surveying creek habitat to count frogs and insects, setting up water temperature monitoring stations, and taking fin samples for genetic testing. While much of the tasks will be physically and mentally exhausting as well as repetitive, volunteers will gain the satisfaction of contributing directly to the effort to prevent one of the rarest fish species in the world from disappearing into extinction. (back to top)
Prescott National Forest Trails: (Arizona): March - October 2007
The Prescott National Forest maintains dozens of miles of multi-use trail in ecosystems ranging from pinyon and juniper forests to high elevation ponderosa pine and mixed conifer in the mountains. ACE will partner with the US Forest Service in to accomplish preventative maintenance such as removal of encroaching brush and basic erosion control in a variety of locations and trails within the system. This project will provide an excellent overview of trail maintenance techniques common to Arizona public land management agencies while introducing ACE participants to more beautiful forested scenery in central Arizona. (back to top)
