Psychologist turned writer | Outdoor enthusiast | Museum lover | We are stronger together | ConqueringCognitions.com

(Colorado Springs, CO) Earth Day, the annual global celebration to raise awareness about the environment is this Friday, April 22nd. One local organization that works year-round on conservation efforts and environmental awareness is Colorado Springs Utilities.

The utility company has a Conservation & Environmental Center that provides education, outreach, and customer incentives to help community members use water wisely and responsibly.

The Conservation & Environmental Center has five landscape design gardens that showcase natural spaces that are beautiful, budget-friendly, and water-wise.

The free demonstration gardens are perfect for visitors looking for landscaping tips or those who want to spend time in a beautiful, natural area. This lovely, well-designed space feels like walking around a small botanical garden - a hidden gem in Colorado Springs.

There are five garden designs:

The gardens are outside and available to enjoy at any time. It is most beneficial to visit Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. when the lobby is open and landscape experts are on site.

The Conservation and Environmental Center offers free monthly webinars related to water-wise landscaping and gardens.

The next webinar, Landscape Design in Action, is on April 21st at 6:00 p.m. Registered participants can watch and learn as a landscaper designs an outdoor, water-wise space in real-time. To learn more about this webinar and to register, go here.

Additional free, water-wise webinars include:

The class schedule is available here.

The Conservation and Environmental Center also has a free showerhead exchange program. New, efficient showerheads can save on both water and energy by reducing the demand for your water heater.

Colorado Springs Utility customers can exchange two old showerheads for Niagara Earth Showerheads at no cost. Customers also receive free plumbing tape and a shower timer.

Please call ahead to request the exchange. The phone number is (719) 668-8232.

The Conservation and Environmental Center in Colorado Springs offers numerous programs to help citizens conserve water. These conservation efforts benefit the individual as well as the local community and Colorado.

This Earth Day consider what changes you can make to help protect and conserve our natural resources. It starts with one.

The Conservation & Environmental Center is located at 2855 Mesa Road, Colorado Springs, CO.

Please follow me for more local, low-cost, community activities the whole family can enjoy.

Psychologist turned writer | Outdoor enthusiast | Museum lover | We are stronger together | ConqueringCognitions.com

(Colorado Springs, CO) How are you spending today, April 20th (420)? For some, it is a celebration, and for others, it is just another spring day in April. Regardless of how you mark this date, everyone can enjoy great food deals in Colorado Springs today.

(Colorado Springs, CO) If you are looking for a refreshing start to the weekend, consider the Polar Plunge. This Saturday, April 23rd, join the fun by jumping into frigid water for a good cause at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in downtown Colorado Springs.

(Colorado Springs, CO) National Coin Week is April 17th through April 23rd, and the Edward C. Rochette Money Museum in Colorado Springs will have free admission for visitors all week.

Glen Eyrie Castle in Colorado SpringsPhoto by Rebekah Che on Unsplash. (Colorado Springs, CO) Glen Eyrie, a beautiful English Tudor-style castle located near Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, has a special Easter Castle Tour. On Monday, April 18th, visitors can enjoy an extended two-hour guided tour of the entire castle.

(Colorado Springs, CO) Several free, family-friendly events are happening this Saturday in and around Colorado Springs. Rock Ledge Ranch is a living history museum on 230 acres at Garden of the Gods Park. Admission is free on Saturday, April 16th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Easter is this weekend, and the stores are stocked with chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and candy-coated eggs. What type of candy will be found at your house? It may depend on where you live.

(Denver, CO) According to a recent press release from Airports Council International, Denver International Airport (DIA) was the world's third busiest airport in 2021. The only airports busier than DIA were Atlanta, Georgia, and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.

(Colorado) This Saturday, April 16th, is the start of the 2022 National Park Week. To kick off the event, all national parks will waive their entrance fees on April 16th. The theme for this year is sPark Connections, and a few Colorado sites have special activities planned during this time.

(Colorado Springs, CO) On Friday night, April 8th, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs lost a beloved resident. According to a news release from the zoo, Honey, a 29-year-old Asiatic black bear, was euthanized after veterinary staff discovered "serious age-related conditions." Honey, and her sister Beezler, have lived at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for almost 28 years.

(Colorado) All rise for Clyde, the honorable new mayor of Divide, Colorado. Clyde, a donkey, was the decisive leader in the recent mayoral race earning an impressive 5,635 votes. Cinna and Maizey Little Wolf, highly capable dogs, tied for second place with 3,935 votes and will serve as esteemed vice mayors.

Isak Heartstone in Breckenridge, COPhoto by the author. The most popular outdoor art exhibit in Breckenridge, Colorado, is a 15-foot wooden troll sculpture named Isak Heartstone.

(Colorado Springs, CO) Summer is right around the corner, and it's time to think about camps. Many summer camps in Colorado Springs fill up quickly, so register early. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo offers several weeks of summer camp for children in Pre-K through 6th grade. These camps are organized by grade level and have a different theme each week. The children will meet animals up close, explore nature, make treats for the animals, and interact with the zookeepers.

(Colorado) Dogs are wonderful companions, and they love to explore the outdoors with their humans. During these walks, dogs relieve themselves, and it is the owner's responsibility to pick up after them and properly dispose of the waste. We all know this, but not everyone does it.

(Colorado Springs, CO) In November 2020, Colorado voters passed Proposition #114 with a narrow margin of 50.91%. This approved ballot measure allowed for the careful reintroduction of gray wolves back into Colorado.

A Bernese Mountain dog (not Parker)Image by Robert Koorenny from Pixabay. Georgetown, Colorado, a small historic town nestled in the mountains less than an hour west of Denver, is surrounded by beauty and history. This vintage town has the Georgetown Loop Railroad, numerous museums, great hiking, and a famous dog as mayor.

A rescue dog, not Mac n CheeseImage by Dgdom from Pixabay. The 94th Academy Awards was full of dramatic surprises and physical conflict, but perhaps the best moment was when Jamie Lee Curtis took the stage carrying Mac n Cheese, an adorable rescue dog available for adoption.

(Colorado Springs, CO) Rock Ledge Ranch, a living history museum in Colorado Springs, will have free admission on Saturday, April 16th. This beautiful, historic site sits on 230 acres at Garden of the Gods Park and has numerous houses and buildings to tour.

(Colorado Springs, CO) It's that time again - the first Friday of the month. In April, there are "First Friday" events happening in both downtown Colorado Springs and Old Colorado City.

Nightingale Bread in Colorado SpringsPhoto by author. (Colorado Springs, CO) Nightingale Bread, a bakery north of downtown Colorado Springs, occupies classroom no. 8 in what was previously Lincoln Elementary School. The bakery opened in 2017 and is perhaps the best smelling classroom in the former school now called Lincoln Center.