One goal of the YRLSP is to engage local Boys and Girls Clubs, school science classes, and other youth organizations in biological control release and monitoring activities. It is hoped that these activities will foster in the next generation an enhanced appreciation for the complex relationships between the Yampa River, its associated riparian habitats, agricultural water delivery systems, and invasive weeds.

 

In 2019, the YRLSP sponsored a two-day kids’ workshop on invasive weeds and biological control. Covid concerns sidetracked workshops planned for 2020 and 2021, but in 2022 another successful two-day workshop at the Yampa River State Wildlife Area introduced kids from the Yampatika program (day one) and the Boys and Girls Club of Craig (day two) to invasive weed concerns and the biological control of leafy spurge—including participation in biological control monitoring plots and the release of 1000 biological control beetles on each day.

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The 2023 two-day workshop at the Yampa River State Wildlife Area was another success, with 8 kids participating from Hayden Totally Kids Camp on day one, and another 12 kids participating from Yampatika on day two. The kids got a hands-on introduction to invasive weed concerns, participated in monitoring plot data collection, and got to release biocontrol beetles each day.

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The 2024 two-day workshop once again included youngsters from Hayden Totally Kids (day one) and Yampatika (day two), two groups of very engaged kids!

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After taking a year off in 2025, the kids' workshop was back in 2026, this time as a one-day event held at Loudy-Simpson Park. Participants from Yampitika and Rocky Mountain Youth Corps learned about invasive weeds and biological control, before using sweep nets to sample a large nearby leafy spurge infestation for the presence of biocontrol species. They ended the day with a new release of 3,000 Aphthona spp. and 50 Oberea.