From Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado

Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) have partnered to launch the next phase of GOCO’s Generation Wild campaign, in which Wilder – the part yeti, part goat introduced by GOCO earlier this year – will teach Coloradans how to take care of the state’s magnificent outdoor places.

Generation Wild was created by GOCO in 2017 to reconnect kids with nature, and Wilder came to life this July as an embodiment of the imagination and curiosity we experience when outside. “Generation Wild inspires children and families to engage with our great outdoors,” said Rosemary Dempsey, Director of Communications for GOCO. “The natural next step is making sure they know how to take care of it, and VOC was an obvious partner to help make this happen.”

VOC is the oldest and largest outdoor stewardship organization in the state, having engaged more than 120,000 people in over 1,000 volunteer projects on Colorado’s public lands since 1984. “Studies show that nearly three-quarters of Coloradans consider themselves to be outdoor recreation enthusiasts, yet less than 1% actively take care of these places,” explained Ann Baker Easley, Executive Director of VOC. “This gap has led to increased litter and damaged trails and ecosystems. With Wilder’s help, we hope more people will think twice about how they behave when playing outside – and about how they can give back to the places that give us so much.”

Starting this weekend, Wilder will be attending events in the Denver-metro area to share this message of outdoor stewardship and remind people that “You Are What You Leave Behind.” His tips to care for the outdoors include staying on designated trails; respecting wildlife and keeping a safe distance; and picking up after yourself, others, and your dog. He’ll pass out stewardship-themed VOC swag including “Crapsules,” bottles specifically designed to help carry your pup’s poop out of the woods in a stylish and odor-free way. Wilder can be found at the following “Wilder Weekend” events:

Additional events can be found at GenerationWild.com/Meet-Wilder as they are added. Visit voc.org/wilder for more information on Wilder’s stewardship message and how to get involved in caring for Colorado.