More than one
billion people from 192 countries will celebrate Earth Day worldwide
this year, with Colorado putting its own twist on the action. In
addition to the many celebrations across the state,
Colorado offers an array of volunteering and learning vacations for
visitors to better the Earth and themselves year round. Below is a
sampling of the many ways visitors can gain knowledge and make an impact
across the state. For more information visit www.COLORADO.com.
Earth Day Celebrations:
Earth Day Celebrations:
- The 2012 Earth Week & Mountain Area Earth
Day Fair (April 16-21) in Evergreen, Colo. is one of the
largest and most popular Earth Day celebrations in the state. The fair
will kick off with a series of events aimed to inspire the community to
go green and will feature more than 50 nonprofit organizations,
businesses and agencies. www.ColoradoTransitionNetwork.org
- Denver’s 2012 Earth Day Fair
(April 18) at the Denver City and County Building Plaza will focus on
“savings for your wallet and our planet” by showcasing the actions and
investments residents and businesses can make to save money and reduce
their impact on the environment. www.Denvergov.org
- The Garden of the Gods Earth Day Celebration
(April 21) honors Earth Day with an array of activities ranging from
Native American dance performances to live birds of prey, and Pueblo's
Greenway Nature Center to children’s craft activities and nature walks. www.GardenofGods.com
- The Fort Collins Earth Day Celebration
(April 21) encourages the community to make efforts toward conserving
the planet for future generations. The event features various
activities including arts and crafts, live music, local food, a beer
garden and more. www.SustainableLivingAssociation.org
- Boulder’s 10th Annual Earth Day 5k (April 22) is “The Greenest 5k in Boulder" and encourages visitors to dust off the running shoes and start spring training the green way. The run/walk starts at the Colorado University’s Research Park with all proceeds going to the Center for ReSource Conservation, a local non-profit committed to leading the community toward a more sustainable future. www.ConservationCenter.org
Volunteering Vacations:
- Spring Dude Ranch Trail Maintenance Week (May
13-19) at Sun Dance Trail Guest Ranch in Red Feather Lakes, Colo.
offers an opportunity for guests to get their hands dirty by installing
new low ropes challenge and obstacle courses, maintaining trails,
training and riding new horses and more. www.SunDanceTrail.com
- Both YMCA of the Rockies’
properties, Estes Park Center and Snow Mountain Ranch, offer volunteer
opportunities for many interests and abilities. A variety of positions
ranging from trail groomer and hike master to grease monkey assistant
and Nordic ski instructor are available. www.YMCARockies.org/volunteer.htm
- Colorado Mountain Club and the Colorado Trail Alliance have
teamed up to offer weeklong trail rebuilding opportunities along the
Colorado Trail this summer. The Colorado Trail is Colorado’s premier
long distance trail, stretching nearly 500 miles from Denver to Durango
through the spectacular Colorado Rocky Mountains comprised of lakes,
creeks and diverse ecosystems. www.CMC.org
- The Fall Cattle Round-Up (September 16-22) at Latigo Trails Dude Ranch in Kremmling, Colo. invites guests to experience the Wild West first hand by helping local ranches with their annual cattle round-up. Highlights include cutting and team penning as the group learns what is involved in managing a herd of cattle. www.LatigoTrails.com
Learning Vacations:
- The Telluride Yoga Festival
(July 12-15) aims to not only provide an enriching experience to yoga
students of all abilities, but to also offer them the opportunity to
have a positive impact on the world. Each year 25 percent of the
festival's net proceeds are donated to a local non-profit whose mission
is to help protect and preserve the earth. www.TellurdeYogaFestival.com
- The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
provides travelers with an opportunity to gain insight into the lives
of the ancestral Pueblo Indians who inhabited the Mesa Verde region for
more than 1,500 years through a weeklong Archaeology Research Program. www.CrowCanyon.org
- Vail Cascade Resort & Spa’s
new “For the Love of Beer AND Food” program offers craft beer
enthusiasts an opportunity to sample and learn about craft beer trends
and the varying ingredients and characteristics that make each craft
beer unique. www.VailCascade.com
- Box Canyon Lodge
in Ouray, Colo. invites the whole family to take advantage of their
“Family Adventure Day with San Juan Mountain Guides” package. The offer
includes a rock climbing tutorial, zip lining across the Uncompaghre
River Gorge and rappelling. www.BoxCanyonOuray.com
- Lifelong Learning in Boulder, Colo. offers an array of classes for visitors to cross an item off their bucket list, ranging from how to build a greenhouse using recycled material and planning green weddings and events, to artisanal cheese making and Colorado artisan spirits. www.BSVD.org/LLL