Earth Day of Service 2022 at Denver Audubon

If I say it was windy that day, it does not truly inform you about exactly how windy it really was. We’ve had many overly-dry days this spring in the Denver Metro area where the winds have tossed around lawn chairs, whipped down heavy tree branches, blew cans and bags around our neighborhoods on trash pick-up days, even caused devastating wildfires. So even though it was “windy,” that Saturday in late April ended up being another beautiful morning in Colorado to get outside and volunteer.

ACC faculty, students, and staff helped plant, weed, water, paint, and beautify Denver Audubon’s Nature Center gardens

From 9am to noon, ACC faculty, students, and staff helped plant, weed, water, paint, and beautify Denver Audubon’s Nature Center gardens, just 5 miles southwest of ACC’s Littleton Campus.

Breckenridge Brewery, in collaboration with River Network, South Suburban Parks and Recreation, Carson Nature Center, Denver Audubon, and Aspen Grove combined forces to host volunteer crews to prepare our trails and parks for spring and summer enjoyment.

Breckenridge Brewery, in collaboration with River Network, South Suburban Parks and Recreation, Carson Nature Center, Denver Audubon, and Aspen Grove combined forces to host volunteer crews to prepare our trails and parks for spring and summer enjoyment.

ACC President, Stephanie Fujii, working to spruce up the Hummingbird Garden.

Our first volunteer to sign up was our own ACC President, Stephanie J. Fujii, PhD, who worked hard to spruce up the Hummingbird Garden.

Volunteers from ACC working to clear flower beds.

ACC volunteers clearing gardens (from a distance).

We ended up with 3 Audubon staff, 5 Audubon volunteers, 1 Breckenridge Brewery volunteer, 5 outside volunteer signups, 1 Chatfield State Park staffer, and about 12 ACCers.   

ACC volunteer weeding flowers and waving.

Volunteers standing with shovel and waving.

ACC faculty volunteer clearing weeds.

 

Some teachers appreciated a break from grading, students collected a few hours for their Service Learning projects, staff united with their colleagues, while others came for the “free beer” tickets that Breckenridge Brewery handed to each volunteer that day.

 

Two ACCers painted wooden fences along the parking lot.

Two ACCers painted wooden fences along the parking lot.

A new birdhouse was installed on a Boxelder tree.

A new birdhouse was installed on a Boxelder tree.

ACC volunteers seeding and watering grass, along with planting Apache Plume

More ACC volunteers seeding and watering grass, along with planting Apache Plume

These volunteers got lots of exercise by seeding and watering grass, along with planting Apache Plume--one of the showiest native western shrubs.

Volunteers installed a new interpretive sign near Denver Audubon’s main entrance.

Volunteers installed a new interpretive sign near Denver Audubon’s main entrance.

Denver Audubon’s main entrance.

Volunteers helped Chatfield staff load up bags with leaves, branches, weeds, and unfortunately lots of rubbish.

Volunteers helped Chatfield staff load up bags with leaves, branches, weeds, and unfortunately lots of rubbish, like cigarette butts, old masks, cans and bottles, and other trash strewn around the gardens.

American Association for Women in Community Colleges members joined in with their children who spent valuable time in nature.

Even a few members from the American Association for Women in Community Colleges joined in with their children who spent valuable time in nature.

ACC volunteers planting new plants together during another ACC Day of Service at another Earth Day celebration.

Volunteers of all ages happily came together during another ACC Day of Service at another Earth Day celebration. And according to Megan on staff at Denver Audubon, “I hope everyone had a great time, we got so much done, and I'm so grateful for everyone's help!”

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