HistoriCorps and the City and County of Denver Parks and Recreation Department are looking for volunteers of all skill levels to carry on City Park Lily Ponds rehabilitation efforts, with multiple week-long opportunities running from April 13-May 2.

Volunteer work crews will return for a second year to continue retaining wall and mortar joint repairs.

No experience is required; mentorship and all tools will be provided.

In 1916, Rev. John L. Houghton started the ponds by donating a variety of pond lily bulbs from his personal collection to Denver City Parks. Nine years later, a new lily pond was constructed during a more significant urban planning movement called City Beautiful, as previously reported by The Denver Gazette

The ponds remained until 1970 when Lily Ponds shut down, and it wasn’t until the late 1990s that DPR and volunteers began to restore the pond through cleaning, planting, and new construction.

Meals and group housing will be available, although local volunteers are welcome to commute.

Volunteer sessions are scheduled from Sunday evening through Friday morning.

Project Details:

Location: In the heart of Denver’s City Park.

Tasks: Flagstone and mixed stone repointing and retaining wall repairs.

Dates:

Session 1: April 13–18

Session 2: April 20–25

Session 3: April 27–May 2

HistoriCorps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides volunteers of all skill levels with hands-on experience preserving historic structures on public lands across America. Volunteers work with HistoriCorps field staff to learn preservation skills and put those skills to work, saving historic places that have fallen into disrepair.

For more information or to register for a volunteer session, visit www.historicorps.org or email [email protected]