With over 67 million acres of land, it’s no wonder Colorado is home to some of the best outdoor recreation opportunities you’ll find anywhere in the country. Whether you’re into mountain biking, skiing, hiking, trail running, climbing, whitewater kayaking, there’s a world-class spot for you in Colorado. With such incredible natural resources, though, comes much responsibility: Our public lands need advocacy and maintenance to keep them healthy and abundant for subsequent generations of outdoor enthusiasts.

Fortunately, Colorado plays host to several non-profit organizations dedicated to conservation and stewardship. From building and maintaining trails, advocating for public lands, to teaching stewardship skills to tomorrow’s leaders, these organizations are literally blazing the trail to Colorado’s future.

1. Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado

View this post on Instagram

The trees were glowing with vivid fall colors as these #OttenJohnson employees worked to construct a new technical backcountry trail in Breckenridge last weekend! ?

A post shared by Volunteers for Outdoor CO (@voc_colorado) on Sep 27, 2016 at 10:51am PDT

If you’ve hiked on a Colorado trail sometime in the last 30 years, chances are good that Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) had a hand in building or maintaining it. Since the organization’s inception in 1984, VOC has engaged over 105,000 volunteers on hundreds of projects in some of Colorado’s most beloved and iconic locations. VOC projects offer volunteers a chance to learn useful skills and put in a hard day’s work constructing new trail, restoring lands damaged by flood and fire, and maintaining well-worn trails in desperate need of some TLC.

Get involved: VOC projects take place all over the state. From do-it-yourself stewardship tasks via VOC’s first-of-its-kind mobile app to five-day horse-packing trips deep into the Weminuche Wilderness, Coloradans can participate as close to home or as far afield as they’d like.

2. Colorado Youth Corps Association

View this post on Instagram

In 2015, Colorado corps built and maintained 396 miles of trail, often in the shadows of Colorado icons. #youthcorps #colorado #findyourpark #greenpay #cyca

A post shared by Colorado Youth Corps Assoc. (@youth_corps) on Jun 8, 2016 at 8:07am PDT

The benefits of youth corps are manyfold. Young people get boots-on-the-ground experience on conservation projects, become engaged in their communities, and serve the public by making significant improvements to public lands and recreational infrastructure. The Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) raises funds and advocates for Colorado’s nine corps groups, making it possible for youth and young adults to help maintain forest health, enhance critical wildlife habitat, and learn crucial life skills.

Get involved: Youth and young adults can join the corps, which is largely funded by individual donations.

3. Big City Mountaineers

View this post on Instagram

'I learned that it's okay to admit my limitations because only then will I learn to push beyond them.' -BCM Youth Thank you @vasquefootwear for helping these kids push through & succeed.

A post shared by Big City Mountaineers (@big_city_mountaineers) on Jun 23, 2016 at 10:04am PDT

Students who participate in programs led by Golden-based Big City Mountaineers (BCM) are less likely to engage in violence and drug use and more likely to stay in school. This may sound like a huge undertaking, but head into the wilderness on a week-long backpacking trip or overnight camp experience with BCM youth, and the positive transformations these kids go through is obvious. BCM engages underserved youth in Denver (and at its satellite offices around the country), who gain leadership skills and self-efficacy on their trips with a one-to-one, teen-to-adult ratio.

Get involved: Volunteers can participate in the youth trips or raise funds for a kid’s one-in-a-lifetime experience with a professional guide climbing any number of peaks on a Summit For Someonetrek.

4. Western Resource Advocates

View this post on Instagram

Another great shot from @eatonboders showing some appreciation for our Colorado Rivers! Add your photos to our collection and show us what you love about rivers in Colorado by tagging #YAYRIVERS ! #colorado #coloradogram #coloradophotography #coloradical #co #instagood #photooftheday #coloradorivers

A post shared by Western Resource Advocates (@westernresourceadvocates) on Sep 7, 2015 at 5:22pm PDT

With soaring populations and energy demands to match, the American West is facing serious environmental challenges in the 21st century. Western Resource Advocates seeks to provide clean energy, preserve rivers, and conserve the iconic western landscape through law, science, and economics. The organization has spearheaded projects that include drafting a plan for a Carbon Reduction Credit Program and working with whitewater boaters in Glenwood Springs to keep water in the Colorado River.

Get involved: Donors can make a gift in a variety of ways, including workplace giving, stock, vehicle donation or volunteer/intern in the Western Resource Advocates’ Boulder office.

5. Colorado Fourteeners Initiative

View this post on Instagram

A young'un #volunteer standing on top of a simple rubble barrier wall to help delineate the #trail on #mtevans #cfi #14ers #coloradofourteenersinitiative

A post shared by Robin (@onemorehungryghost) on Jul 18, 2016 at 7:39pm PDT

With a quarter-million annual visitors, Colorado’s 54 fourteeners—peaks over 14,000 feet in elevation—are among the state’s most popular hikes. That means there are many trails to summits through fragile alpine tundra badly in need of restoration. The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) partners with the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, local volunteer organizations, and individual donors to protect the fourteeners—and keep them accessible—through stewardship and public education.

Get involved: In addition to volunteering on a trail crew, fourteener enthusiasts can act as Peak Stewards, engaging hikers in the field to minimize impact and encourage Leave No Trace best practices.

6. Conservation Colorado

View this post on Instagram

#TBT to #volunteering and planting trees in 2010! We love our volunteers. #copubliclands #trees #colorado

A post shared by Conservation Colorado (@conservationcolorado) on Oct 13, 2016 at 8:55am PDT

Advocacy is a key step to protecting Colorado’s environment, and for 50 years, Conservation Colorado has been on the front lines of the fight. The Denver-based organization works all over the state, educating and mobilizing Coloradans about key issues and environmental threats. They also identify and work to elect pro-conservation policymakers. Conservation Colorado maintains a bill tracker tool to keep citizens apprised of environmental legislation, as well as a conservation scorecard, which tracks legislators’ votes.

Get involved: Sign up for the Conservation Colorado newsletterto be alerted when a key environmental issue needs action, whether it’s signing a petition or writing to lawmakers.

7. Environmental Learning for Kids

View this post on Instagram

Gotta give credit where credit is due – big shoutout to the superstar ELK crew who made our fishing field trip a huge success! ??? #Colorado #environmentalscience #5280 #pond #park #outside #summercamp #fieldtrip #environmentallearningforkids #denver

A post shared by The Greenway Foundation (@greenway_foundation) on Aug 1, 2016 at 10:20pm PDT

Each year, 5,000 kids from underserved urban communities in Denver, Adams, and Arapahoe counties get to participate in after-school programs through Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK). ELK staffers go into schools to run hands-on presentations like “Skins & Skulls,” “Our Colorado Water,” and “Schoolyard Habitat.” The organization also runs a Youth in Natural Resources program, which engages young people to explore career options and secure summer internships and employment in the outdoors.

Get involved: ELK seeks volunteers to help run programming at schools, and, at present, needs help from the community to develop the ELK Education Center and Montbello Open Space Park.

Written by Emma Walker for RootsRated in partnership with Choose Colorado and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected]

Whether you’re a trail running buff or a road runner, if you're looking to stoke that competitive fire when the temperature drops and the snow falls, look no further than snowshoe racing. Equal parts lung-busting workout and adventure trek, it's one of the hardest and most satisfying winter activities a runner could ask for. Although it may be the off-season, snowshoe running and racing is a great way to build fitness and cardiovascular endurance, all while enjoying the great outdoors.

Here in the Northland, the sport of snowshoe racing has been gaining a steady following over the past decade. Indeed, the United States Snowshoe Association is even working to get it on the Olympic roster. This means there is no shortage of events to test your skills, as well as top-of-the-line equipment to get you where you’re going. We consulted two top snowshoe athletes to gather tips on everything from technique to gear to get you started.

1. Identify the Best Footwear

Unlike tromping around in boots when you’re snowshoe hiking, racing requires running shoes. “For training I wear Gore-Tex running shoes to keep out the elements like cold, snow, and wind,” says Twin Cities-based athlete, Kelly Mortenson, who has run on three national teams in snowshoe racing and placed as high as second at the U.S. Championships. “For racing, I wear racing flats like I would for a running race because they are just so much lighter.” He also recommends sporting gaiters around your ankles to keep snow out of your shoes. While most races are held on groomed trails, any fresh powder in your shoes can make for a chilly experience.

2. Dress Appropriately

Don’t underestimate how much of a sweat you’ll work up snowshoe running. “I dress exactly how I dress on any normal winter run, with a few occasional exceptions—if it’s inordinately cold and windy, I wear a neck warmer to pull up over my nose and mouth if need be,” says Laurie Lambert, a three-time member of the U.S. National Snowshoe Team and a World Cup Bronze-medalist. Mortenson adds, “For socks, the thicker the better. There are some great brands out there like Smartwool, Darn Tough, or Wigwam that make great long socks to keep your feet warm.”

3. Select your Equipment

A number of companies make great racing snowshoes, including Atlas, Crescent Moon, Dion, Northern Lites, and Redfeather. “Each brand makes ‘racing’ snowshoes and general snowshoes, which are typically a full pound heavier than the racing ones,” explains Mortenson. While they can be difficult to find in stores, Midwest Mountaineering and REI usually keep them in stock, and there are plenty of online shops with great selections.

4. Warm Up

In the same way you might warm up for a road race, you should for a snowshoe race. “I always warm up before races with a slow, light jog and then a few bursts of all-out speed,” says Lambert. “For a normal workout, however, I merely use the snowshoe run itself as the warm-up by starting out very slowly.” Not only will warming up help you skirt injury, it’ll also get your muscles prepared to fire efficiently during competition.

5. Learn Technique

Running on flats feels relatively similar to regular running, except that you have a bit of extra weight on each foot. This simply means that, while your stride may be similar to when you’re road or trail running, the effort is considerably more. Hills are where things can get tricky. “On uphills, my one piece of advice is to make friends with the ascent—don’t fight it and take the hills one step at a time,” says Lambert. Once you’ve summited, the best approach to downhills is to simply let go. “I just let gravity take me and I try to fly down the hills,” says Mortenson. “I have never fallen on a downhill, but the snow is so soft, even if you do take a spill you’re not going to get hurt.”

6. Sign up for a Race

There are races in our region listed on the United States Snowshoe Association calendar, many of which are held in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. If you want to stay closer to home, there are also a number of events here in the Twin Cities, including the Winteriffic Snowshoe Race in Savage, the Twin Cities Snowshoe Shuffle in New Brighton, and the Snowshoe Loppet in Minneapolis. Cutemoose.net is another great resource for finding events near and far.

Written by Mackenzie Lobby Havey for RootsRated and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected]