Spring Newsletter

• Broomfield’s Earth Day Celebration – Sat, April 20th
• Volunteer Tree Planting – Sat, April 20th and May 4th
• UN Plastics Treaty Webinar – Wed, April 17th
• Broomfield’s Spring Cleanup – Sat, April 20th through May 11th
• Solar Switch Broomfield – Wed, April 24th
• G.R.I.T Teen gardening program – Applications due Tues, April 30th
• Migratory Bird Day Event – Fri, May 3rd
• Become an Eco-Leader with Eco-Cycle
• Go Green Community Initiative
• Water Conservation in Broomfield
• Take Action: Restoring ecosystems by removing dams
• Beekeeping and gardening – classes start Thurs, April 11th

Earth Day Celebration

Celebrate the planet with your friends, family and neighbors at the Broomfield Earth Day Celebration! Stop by the Broomfield Library on Saturday, April 20, from 9:30–11:30 a.m. to participate in eco-themed activities for all ages and meet the Broomfield teams working on sustainability in your community.

Community Seed Swap

Excited to start your summer garden? Even if you have already stopped by the Seed Library this season, you can find even more varieties at the annual community seed swap! Bring extra seeds to share, and take home some new varieties for the season. No seeds? No problem! All are welcome to participate. You can also start your favorite seeds on the spot at the seed starting station, which will feature creative ways to plant using recycled materials.

Bike Repair

Got a bike in need of some TLC? The volunteer repair team will work their magic at the new, free bike repair station!
To participate, complete the Bike Repair Sign-Up Form by Friday, April 12th. Limited slots available, so sign up early for a pedal-perfect experience!

Volunteer

Bicycle enthusiasts: share your love of bikes at the new FREE bike repair station at Broomfield’s Earth Day Celebration! Volunteers can assist from 9:15–11:45 a.m. in three different ways:

• Check-In Crew: Greet and check in bikes and keep the positive vibes rolling.

• Parts Pacers: Dive into the parts zone and fetch the parts for the skilled repair team.

• Fix-It Squad: Join repair experts in tuning up bikes and ensuring everyone’s ride is Earth Day-ready!

View the Bike Repair Station volunteer position description.
Register for Check-In Crew and Parts Pacers.
Register for Fix-It Squad.
Free breakfast burritos and light refreshments will be provided for volunteers.

Find more information about the Broomfield Earth Day Celebration at Broomfield.org/EarthDay.

Thank you to the CSU Extension Newsletter for this content.

Start your Earth Day celebrations early by restoring habitat at Metzger Farm and Open Space located at 12080 Lowell Blvd in Broomfield on Saturday, April 20th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Plant native trees and shrubs alongside the City and County of Broomfield staff, Broomfield Open Space Foundation members, Butterfly Pavilion’s Urban Prairies Project Restoration Masters, and Broomfield Open Space Action Network volunteers, and other open space champions from the community. To learn more or to sign up for the event please visit VolunteerHub today!

Chokecherry Planting at the Broomfield County Commons

Meet at the Commons Trailhead parking lot at 12955 Lowell Blvd. on Saturday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. to plant chokecherries, a keystone species, which supports pollinators and humans. This planting event is in honor of the Cheyenne, Arapahoe, and Ute tribes. Join volunteers from the Sister Cities/Confluence, and BOSAN (Broomfield Open Space Action Network) which is comprised of the Open Space and Trails Department, Broomfield Open Space Foundation, and Butterfly Pavilion’s Urban Prairie Project to support pollinators. To learn more or to sign up for the event please visit VolunteerHub today!

Thank you to Broomfield’s Sustainability and Open Space and Trails Newsletters for this content.

No matter who you are or where you live, your health is affected by plastics. Microplastics and plastic chemicals are now in all of our bodies, and people living in frontline communities face greatly elevated risks of autoimmune disorders, cancer, heart disease, respiratory problems, and other serious illnesses. This is unacceptable, and threats to our health will only grow more dire without urgent action to end fossil fuel and plastic production.

During our April 17 webinar, we will discuss the impacts of plastics on human health and implications for the UN Plastics Treaty negotiations happening later this month. Our panelists will include: Aidan Charron, Director of End Plastic Initiatives at EARTHDAY.ORG; Dr. Jamala Djinn, Policy Advisor at Break Free From Plastic; and Ruth Stringer, Science and Policy Coordinator at Healthcare Without Harm. The conversation will be moderated by Renee Sharp, Director of Plastics and Petrochemical Advocacy for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).This webinar is being organized in collaboration with EARTHDAY.ORG, whose theme this year for Earth Day on April 22 is Planet vs. Plastic.

REGISTER FOR WEBINAR

DATE: Wednesday, April 17
TIME: 2-3 pm PT | 5-6 pm ET
Click here to convert to your timezone.

Can’t attend the live event? Sign up and we will automatically send you  the webinar recording afterwards.

Please feel free to share the webinar link with others who may be interested https://bit.ly/ppc-webinar-041724.

Spring cleanup is provided at no charge by the City and County and gives residents an opportunity to dispose of large, non-hazardous items that trash haulers do not normally pick up. Identify your area, view the list of acceptable items and learn more about properly disposing of household waste at Broomfield.org/SpringCleanUp.

Spring Cleanup will occur on the following schedule for 2024:

• Area 1: Saturday, April 20
• Area 2: Saturday, April 27
• Area 3: Saturday, May 4
• Area 4: Saturday, May 11

To reduce the amount of waste going to a landfill, ARC Thrift Store will provide pick-up of clothes and reusable items on the same day as the waste pick-up! Items should be placed in a visible location and labeled “ARC”.

Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Drop-Off Event

Make your appointment for the household hazardous and electronic waste drop-off event Saturday, May 4th. Broomfield residents can drop off items such as aerosols, fertilizers, weedkillers and more at NO CHARGE! Make your appointment, view a full list of accepted items and learn details about the event at Broomfield.org/HHW. Appointment sign-ups are NOW open and fill up fast.

Thank you to Broomfield’s Community Update BintheLoop Newsletter for this content.

Have you ever considered going solar? Save money and create a more sustainable Broomfield by going solar! The City and County of Broomfield (CCOB) is teaming up once again with Solar United Neighbors (SUN) to bring you the Solar Switch Broomfield, a follow-up to the previous solar co-op hosted by CCOB in collaboration with SUN.

This new program allows more residents and small businesses to participate and ensures quality solar installation. By leveraging the power of group buying, Solar Switch Broomfield secures the best possible price for your solar installation through a competitive bidding process of solar installers.

For more information about going solar, joining a Solar Switch Broomfield and CCOB’s partnership with SUN, visit Broomfield.org/BroomfieldSolarSwitch and attend the launch event on Wednesday, April 24 at 6 p.m. at the Broomfield Community Center.

Thank you to Broomfield’s Sustainability Newsletter for this content.

Eco-Cycle, our local Zero Waste nonprofit and recycler, will give you the tools, trainings, resources, and knowledge you need to bring Zero Waste to every part of your life, and to share with your community. Eco-Cycle’s network of more than 1,000 volunteer Eco-Leaders throughout Boulder and Broomfield Counties plays a critical role in providing the engagement needed to successfully implement Zero Waste solutions and raise awareness and understanding in our community.

Volunteering as an Eco-Leader is simple and requires no additional time – it’s all about supporting you in whatever efforts you’re already trying to do in your daily life (or would like to). We just need you to be you: someone who cares!

Sign up today to get trained as an expert on “what goes where”, and help our Broomfield community continue to become more informed, resilient, and sustainable!

Are you Wish-Cycling?

“Wish-cycling”—the practice of tossing an item into your recycling bin when you aren’t sure whether it’s actually recyclable.

View the video linked here to see the most common “wish-cycled” items found in curbside recycling bins, and why they’re not recyclable in your curbside bin!

New Broomfield Recycle Guide

Take the guesswork out of recycling by checking the new Broomfield Recycle Guide! Learn where you can take your hard-to-recycle items such as appliances, car parts, mattresses, and more by visiting Broomfield Recycle Guide.

Thank you to Eco-Cycle for this content.

The nonprofit Go Green Community Initiative (GGCI) has just launched a program to help Broomfield residents get accurate up to date information on how to save money on their energy costs by implementing solutions to conserve energy, better manage energy, and generate their own electricity.

The process has three easy steps.
Step 1. Register online for a free Energy Evaluations Audit via zoom.
Step 2. Complete the audit questionnaire specific to your household or small business with a certified and licensed energy consultant who will walk you through the entire questionnaire.
Step 3. The energy professional will meet with you to present results of the  Energy Evaluations Audit with a report called the “My Personal Energy Plan” that has strategies to help you conserve, better manage, and even generate your own energy.

The program was developed to be launched on a national basis by a long time Broomfield resident and Broomfield was chosen back in December of 2023 to be the pilot city. Through the GGCI program, together as a community, Broomfield will be competing for the “greenest community” in the state and in the nation based on annual percentage of adoption rates.

To register for the free energy audit and learn more about the program, please visit gogreencommunityinitiative.org. Please mention that you heard about this program from Sustainable Broomfield (Rep ID: 202480020 (year and zip code)) when you sign up! Thank you!

Save water, save money and save precious resources: sign up for a FREE outdoor evaluation of your sprinkler system to see how changes in your outdoor watering routine can make a big difference reducing water wasted and saving money on your water bill. Learn more and sign up here.

Lawn Replacement Program

Save money and save water by transforming your thirsty lawn into a beautiful, low-water landscape! Check out the new Lawn Replacement Program managed by Resource Central for up to a $750 discount when you replace a section of your lawn. Learn more and apply by April 1 for priority registration at Broomfield.org/SaveWater.

Garden in a Box

Resource Central’s Garden In A Box kits make it easy to transition your yard away from a thirsty lawn to colorful, pollinator-supporting, and low-water gardens designed by Colorado landscaping professionals. Order your gardens today and pick up and plant in May or June. Visit Resource Central and see if you qualify for a $25 discount for Broomfield customers. (NOTE: Please visit the Planning Division handout for information on zoning information homeowners need to be aware of prior to xeriscaping your tree lawn on landscaping strip. If there are questions regarding landscaping requirements for your neighborhood, you can reach out to the Planning Division at planning@broomfield.org.)

Water Rebates

Residents can earn a credit on their water bill when they install a water-efficient appliance in their home! Learn more at Broomfield.org/SaveWater.

Thank you to Broomfield’s Sustainability and BintheLoop newsletters for this content.

Green Plumbing: Environmentally Friendly Plumbing Solutions

Check out the latest blog on environmentally friendly plumbing solutions on our website, SustainableBroomfield.com!

We used to think dams were a cheap source of renewable energy. Now we know the dirty truth: Dams and the reservoirs behind them kill mass numbers of fish, create dangerous algae blooms and destroy carbon-storing habitats, turning them into stagnant waterways that emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This ecological crisis is unfolding on the lower Snake River, where four dams currently produce annual methane emissions equal to burning 2 billion pounds of coal or driving 400,000 gas-powered cars.

But there’s a proven solution: By removing dams, we can restore rivers, save species from extinction, honor treaty rights and build climate resiliency. Tell Congress to remove the lower Snake River dams.

Watch the Patagonia film “DamNation,” a film about how our future is bound to the life and health of wild rivers.

Watch the Patagonia film “Undammed” and join the fight to free the Klamath River.

Dams have blocked the Klamath River since 1925. Now, they’re coming down thanks to the efforts of tribal nations, local communities, conservation organizations and everyday activists. Our new film follows Yurok tribal attorney Amy Bowers Cordalis’s journey to help free the Klamath. “It’s not a test,” she says of the largest dam-removal project in US history. “It will work.” Learn more.

CSU Extension recently launched an online beekeeping program tailored specifically for the Colorado and Mountain West region. This program is for individuals who are passionate about the environment and interested in learning how to support healthy honeybee colonies in the unique Mountain West region.

The format for this training is 100 percent online and self-paced offering the flexibility to start anytime and learn on your own timeline. CSU Online offers a certifying full course ‘mastery bundle’ and multiple individual courses to meet anyone’s needs. Regardless of your path, you’ll receive in-depth beekeeping training provided by CSU faculty and specialists.

Family Learn and Grow

First Class: Saturday, April 13
Teaching Vegetable Garden at Brunner Farmhouse
Free, but space is limited Learn more

During Family Learn and Grow classes, children and their families explore how food is grown through hands-on lessons at Brunner Farmhouse. In the first class, children will assist with starting seeds for raised beds. Watch your garden grow throughout the season at the Teaching Vegetable Garden, and get ideas you can take home for more family fun. Classes are sequential and lessons will change each month according to the season. Join at any point in the series!

Registration is not currently required for the 2024 season, but space is limited.

Vegetable Garden Basics

Thursday, April 11 – Garden Planning and Seed Starting
Thursday, April 25 – Garden Soils and Amendments
Teaching Vegetable Garden at Brunner Farmhouse
Free, but registration is required

Come learn the basics of vegetable gardening in Colorado! This series will take you through a season of timely topics you can mirror in your home garden, while giving you hands-on practice in the Teaching Vegetable Garden at Brunner Farmhouse. Classes will take place outside.

Thank you to the CSU Ext Newsletter for this content.