Our Research

The WHWT focuses on several initiatives implemented on a Team-wide scale. This regional cooperation allows us to research and execute projects that would otherwise be outside the range of any individual community group. The results of our initiatives benefit watershed groups throughout the Rocky Mountain West.

Basic Engagement Plan

The OSM/VISTA Teams are committed to building and supporting partnerships that benefit and engage the communities that lie within the boundaries of each watershed the Team serves. In an effort to better enable this approach, all new OSM/VISTAs are asked to work with their sponsoring organization to build relationships with other community organizations, public administrators and legislative offices within their watershed.  To develop this engagement process, the OSM/VISTA Teams require that every new OSM/VISTA assist his or her organization in the development of a Basic Engagement Plan.

Volunteers for Rural Watersheds Research Project

Recruiting and retaining volunteers is always a challenge for any community group. The OSM/VISTA Teams are conducting research on volunteerism methods across the West and Appalachia to look at motivations, concerns, demographics and behaviors of rural watershed volunteers through survey data. Simultaneously, this study is evaluating 25 volunteer management approaches for replication by rural watershed groups. Through this project, the WHWT seeks to develop tools and resources to make volunteerism work better for rural watershed/community groups.