Volunteers are essential to trail and open space management in Castle Rock, Colorado.

he Town of Castle Rock in Douglas County, Colorado is named for a unique geologic landmark perched atop the steep butte that rises above the town. “Keepers of the Rock” is a local volunteer group dedicated to preserving this namesake

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 projects, including trail building, trail tread repair, trash and and weed removal, fence installation, closing and re-

Keepers of the Rock T

Article and photos by Lisa Sorbo, Town of Castle Rock Parks & Recreation Department

storing social trails, native plant restoration, and drain- age  What makes Keepers unique among volunteer trail

groups is their cooperation with Castle Rock Teen Court. A community-based program, Teen Court is designed to pro- vide an alternative response to the juvenile justice system  Trained youth volunteer attorneys and jury members get - ers accountable and providing educational services in an  There’s also a trail connection. Each Teen Court defen- dant must spend at least one Saturday between April and November helping out with the Keepers volunteers at Rock Park. The teens, under direct supervision of a Keep- ers Crew Leader, remove noxious weeds, move rocks, clear vegetation, install wooden fencing, clean-up trash and debris and may even use an array of trail maintenance hand tools like McLeods and pick mattocks, often for their 

The teens work hard but also learn about trail mainte- nance, civic responsibility, and the native plant and wildlife supports two restorative justice goals of Teen Court: ac- countability and community safety. 

Teen Court Administrator Karla McCrimmon, many of the  their community service requirement for high school grad-

Stairs along the trail leading to the top of Castle Rock 28 SUMMER 2016 AmericanTrails.org