The stoke is high in Ca帽on City, Colorado, which has developed 62 miles of new, purpose-built hiking and mountain biking trails within the last decade. Residents hit the trails during lunch, after work and on weekends, and travelers visit the area for outdoor recreation-themed vacations.
As Rick Harrmann, the city鈥檚 economic development manager, said: 鈥淲e love the trails, and we know visitors do too.鈥�
But actually quantifying their value to the community 鈥� and showing city council a return on their investment 鈥� is a much harder task.
Fortunately, three CU Boulder graduate students in the university鈥檚 Master鈥檚 of the Environment (MENV) program are up to the challenge. Nathan Boyer-Rechlin (惭贰苍惫鈥�24), Joshua Corning (MEnv鈥�24) and Eric Howard (MEnv鈥�24) are partnering with Ca帽on City trail advocacy nonprofit Fremont Adventure Recreation to help determine the socioeconomic impact of trails in Ca帽on City.听
Since building new trails requires time, money and labor, the nonprofit 鈥� and the city more broadly 鈥� will use the students鈥� findings to help inform future decisions.
鈥淎 socioeconomic impact report hasn鈥檛 been done in this area 鈥� especially in regards to the value of recreation amenities,鈥� said Ashlee Sack, Fremont Adventure Recreation鈥檚 coordinator. 鈥淚n the wake of COVID-19 and the nationwide emphasis on work-life balance, as well as in the interest of attracting and retaining residents in our rural community, we鈥檇 like to be able to address trends, issues and opportunities in this arena.鈥�
The three students are undertaking the ambitious project as their master鈥檚 capstone, an applied professional project that takes the place of a traditional master鈥檚 thesis. As MENV students prepare to pursue a wide variety of careers related to the environment, the capstone gives them hands-on experience with real partners and problems.听
Even if they don鈥檛 end up working in an area that鈥檚 specifically related to their capstone, the project gives them experience with everything from financial planning to community engagement.
Throughout their work, the students have found a common lesson.听
鈥淭here is so much pivoting,鈥� said Boyer-Rechlin, a 31-year-old who came to the program after working in conservation ecology. 鈥淚t鈥檚 constant learning and adapting as we encounter new challenges. It鈥檚 messy, and you have to be ready to adjust.鈥�
Meanwhile, organizations that partner with CU Boulder鈥檚 capstone projects get the benefit of working with highly motivated students who, acting as external consultants, can provide innovative solutions to their challenges.听
鈥淗arnessing the experience and education of the master鈥檚 students is a natural fit for our community as we navigate this first round of data collection and analysis,鈥� said Sack.听
Each year, MENV students undertake roughly 30 capstone projects in partnership with Colorado-based nonprofits, government agencies and companies. This year, for example, some students are working with the footwear company Crocs while others are working with Growing Gardens, a nonprofit focused on local food systems.听
This diversity of projects is also reflected in the MENV students鈥� career aspirations. Some will pursue roles in renewable energy, while others may specialize in urban resilience. No matter what field they choose to enter, they鈥檙e poised to make a difference in Colorado and beyond.
鈥淭he breadth of what you can do with a master鈥檚 in the environment these days is as broad as the environmental problems that we鈥檙e facing,鈥� said Boyer-Rechlin.
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