e-community 7/3/08

Colorful Colorado Conservation Calendar

We're officially into summer and there isn't any place better to spend your time than the Colorado outdoors in July and August. I spend a lot of time in the Colorado wilderness throughout the year and I'm continually reminded of the work it takes to keep our great state healthy and beautiful.

Many of Community Shares' members work to keep the state colorful and enhance our recreational experiences. If you're looking for opportunities to combine your love of the Colorado wilderness with your philanthropic enthusiasm then here are a few ways to do so!

+We wrote about collaboration in the June E-Community. Keep it Colorado is another great example of nonprofits working together. This initiative is sponsored in part by CSC member Colorado Open Lands.

+ Before joining Community Shares I worked for the American Alpine Club in Golden. Through a Partnership with new CSC member the Colorado Mountain Club the first museum dedicated to mountaineering and climbing in the country was built. The museum is housed in the American Mountaineering Center in downtown Golden and is a fantastic place to take kiddos and beat the heat of summer by escaping to the air-conditioned alpine atmosphere of the museum.

+ Any of you cyclists out there? I've been on my bike more and more and have only experienced road rage about 1,000 times from April-July. The funny thing is that despite some of the most enthusiastic bikers and recreationalists in the country, Colorado is one of the worst places I've ridden for negative encounters with motorists. Bicycle Colorado is an organization which knows the true dangers of these unwelcome encounters and continues to help us improve safety for cyclists in Colorado. If you're a cyclist like me then consider becoming a member or adding BC to your workplace giving plan this fall. Don't forget to watch Le Tour which begins on the 5th!

+ Did you know that water conservation is likely to be one of the most heated and important issues in the west over the next quarter century? Western Resource Advocates continually comes through for Colorado's water sensitive areas. They're hosting a brown bag lunch series in July on a variety of topics. Grab a sandwich and join in!

+ When you get thirsty during your outdoor pursuits this summer fill up with good ol' Colorado tap water instead of becoming a victim of "bottlemania." I'm amazed by the amount of waste bottlemania creates.

"Nationwide, we discard 30-40 billion of these containers a year."

Those who give to Boulder Valley's Eco-Cycle are baffled too. But they're also solution oriented! Take some time out of your schedule this summer to become a Recycling Ranger at one of the Eco-Cycle centers in the Boulder Valley. Maybe you'll come away with a better taste for tap water.

+ Did you know that having a significant life experience in the outdoors is the single biggest factor toward becoming an environmental steward? The folks at Big City Mountaineers provide significant life experiences to inner city youth by exposing them to the wonders of the natural world. If you have some experience in the wilderness and want to share your wisdom with inner city youth on their first experience outdoors then consider volunteering to be a mentor on a trip this summer.

+Hey, it isn't too late to register for the Thorne Ecological Institute's summer classes. They've been educating young people on the wonders of the environment for 51 years!

+ What good is a summer Colorado experience without getting a little dirty? Each summer thousands of Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado come together to build trails, plant trees, battle invasive species, and restore habitat in Colorado's wilderness. Trail building on one of Colorado's 14ers is a lung-busting, lactic-acid-producing, immensely rewarding experience! Search the many interesting and different opportunities by using VOC's super handy project finder.

+ Residents of Colorado have the benefit of copious amounts of open spaces to recreate in. The Trails and Open Space Coalition in the Pikes Peak region offers the opportunity to give back this summer with a plethora of dates to come out and lend a hand.

Bet you didn't think you'd hear the word "Plethora" today. Enjoy!

Have a great and safe 4th!

Jason Manke
Communications Manager, Community Shares