Teams of workers will spend time next week clearing dead wood and potentially hazardous underbrush away from the buildings at the Balarat Outdoor Education Center, a 700-acre district facility located in the foothills northwest of Boulder.

“This is something that came up about six weeks ago when we started talking about the fire danger in the mountains and the need to take precautionary steps,” said Rusty Deane, Director of Maintenance and Operations. “The ongoing firefighting efforts have intensified the priority and need to enhance defensible space around the Balarat facilities.”

A team of about 40 workers, including 30 bus drivers, will perform the work of clearing away dead wood and other brush from the cabins and buildings. These bus drivers and transportation department paraprofessionals are routinely used in the summer for a variety of maintenance projects.

The work will begin Monday, June 17 through Friday, June 21. Each workday will begin about 9 a.m. and run until mid-afternoon; the commute is about 90 minutes each way.

Balarat is one of the most unique features of Denver Public Schools. The center provides a variety of outdoor learning experiences including excursion programs for middle school students, a residential program for fifth-graders (some 4,400 fifth-graders spend time at the facility each year), and an “eco-intern” program for high school students.

Science programs cover meteorology, astronomy, geology, plants, animals, pond study, and compass skills.

Balarat is located 14 miles Northwest of Boulder, Colorado, one mile above Jamestown, Colorado (see map online). For more information about the Balarat Outdoor Education Center visit their website at balarat.dpsk12.org