Today, as we celebrate Earth Day I’ve been thinking about our recent University of Phoenix Volunteer Leader Award honoree, Charles Bell.

Chuck, as his friends call him, was so excited to hear that he was recognized as an honoree that he called me from Uganda where he was on an international trip to talk through the details of the award!

I hope in hearing his story and seeing how much fun he has protecting our natural resources that you too will be inspired to live in an environmentally friendly manner.

In 1995 Charles “Chuck” Bell,  a volunteer ranger for the U.S. Forest Service, became extremely worried about budget cuts to the ranger district’s staff.

To counter the effect of those cuts, and to ensure that that the Northern Colorado community could continue enjoying the surrounding the trails and wilderness areas of the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, Chuck founded Poudre Wilderness Volunteers (PWV).

Poudre Wilderness Volunteers recruits, trains and equips citizen volunteers to serve as “ranger-educators” for the U.S. Forest Service lands of northern Colorado.

The organization assures visitors have a safe, enjoyable wilderness experience and minimize their impact on the land.

Through Chuck’s leadership, PWV has become the largest, all-volunteer organization in the nation, with more than 250 volunteers dedicated to educating and assisting users of the back-country.

In addition to PWV, Chuck’s passion for the environment led him to create and lead other organizations.

In one case, he used his experiences with Ski for Light International, which offers cross-country skiing for the visually impaired, to create a similar experience in the back country.

Chuck also founded “Trek for Light,”  a llama trek for visually impaired persons who want a safe but exciting wilderness experience.

Over the last 20 years, Chuck has dedicated his life to conserving natural resources and educating wilderness users.

As a 2010 University of Phoenix Volunteer Leader Honoree, Chuck says, “I feel I have energies and talents that can help others. I’d get terribly bored if I wasn’t out there …starting something that will benefit others and the environment in which we live.”