Relevant

If you’ve paid a visit to City Hall lately, you’ve probably noticed the former annual flower beds looking a bit “greener.” Budget cuts that eliminated the City’s Springs in Bloom program earlier this year destined two triangle planters at the southeast entrance to City Hall to remain bare. Instead, the City’s Green Team has adopted these beds and planted a small vegetable demonstration garden.  In spring, City employee volunteers were joined by Larry Stebbins, with local non-profit Pikes Peak Urban Gardens, over their lunch hours to plant carrots, radishes, beets, collard greens, Swiss chard, asparagus, rhubarb, potatoes, zucchini, and squash. Now, the Green Team members are harvesting about 9 pounds of organic produce weekly.  The fresh vegetables are donated to Care-N-Share’s End Summer Hunger Campaign. There, staff attaches simple preparation recipes to family-size portions so recipients learn more about how to incorporate wholesome foods into their lifestyle.  “We love the local aspect of this project,” says City Sustainability Coordinator Carrie McCausland. “Most of us have never gardened before and were surprised at how well the garden is doing. Now I think churches, commercial properties and really any building with outdoor water access could incorporate food production into their landscaping.”  Growing local food and eating plant-based meals cuts down on transportation greenhouse emissions and, in this case, provides healthy unprocessed food for families in our community.

In 2009, Princeton Review found that over two-thirds of the 10,300 high school-age college applicants and parents they questioned for their Hopes and Worries Survey weighed a college’s dedication to the environment in their college selection process.  The result of this finding was the newly-released The Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges, being offered in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council.

Colorado College was one of only 15 schools rated 99 or higher in the review.  The nationally renowned liberal arts school was lauded for offering environmental studies degrees and having a formal sustainability committee, a full-time sustainability coordinator and a campus greenhouse gas inventory and reduction plan.  Other campus-wide policies and initiatives noted include their strong commitment to providing local and organic foods, a portion of which is harvested from their one-acre community garden.  Through their single stream recycling and composting plan, CC is diverting over 40 tons of waste from landfills every year.  In 2005 Colorado College completed Tutt Science Building, the first LEED-certified college science building in the country science.  In April of this year, Cornerstone Arts Center received LEED Gold certification.

Catamount On Tap
Wednesday, September 1st, 5:00 - 9:00 PM, Gold Hill Mesa Exchange Building

Join Catamount Institute for our Annual Fundraising Event "Cat on Tap".  The evening will include live & silent auctions, Bristol Brewery Beer, Redwood Creek Wine, Buywell Fair Trade Coffee and live music by "The Woodbones".  We will also be honoring our 2010 Catamount Institute Founder's Award recipient, Celinda Reynolds Kaelin.

Tickets are $50.00 per person.  For more information, to RSVP or to donate an item for auction, contact Jan Eitel, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   A big thank you to our Cat on Tap sponsors:  Adams Bank & Trust, Bristol Brewing Company, Buywell Fair Trade Coffee and Redwood Creek Wines of California.

If you are interested in volunteering with the planning and coordination of our 4th Annual Catamount on Tap Fundraiser, please contact Jan Eitel, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 719.471.0910 x107.