Courtesy of the city of Manitou Springs
In 2019, Manitou Springs passed a tree-planting resolution and, in 2020, earned Tree City USA status. Since then, the city, the Manitou Springs Climate Action Work Group and many volunteers planted 150 trees in our many parks, the Crystal Valley Cemetery and other public spaces. We initially planted saplings, but to provide a more immediate canopy, have begun planting larger trees.
Plans are to begin planting trees in the Urban Renewal Authority’s district and a tree planting near the Cañon Avenue parking lot for a late Arbor Day celebration starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 1.
In addition to tree planting, the Manitou Pollinators have made great progress in creating pollinator-
friendly landscapes around the city.
In partnership with Manitou Springs School District 14, the group received a Manitou Springs Arts, Culture, and Heritage grant to create pollinator-friendly art that will be hung from Manitou Avenue’s 66 streetlights.
MSSD14 is a pollinator district partner with the Manitou Pollinators and the Butterfly Pavilion. Pollinator district partners demonstrate their commitment to gaining the designation by raising awareness and educating about our pollinators.
It takes a community to become a pollinator district, and the MACH grant was the result of several letters of support from pollinator district partners.
Pikes Peak Permaculture also continues to make a great impact in Manitou, as they have for the past 19 years. They are continuing their second year of “plant a family”: a Forest Garden Project in partnership with the Climate Action Work Group to create a supportive ecosystem in our suburban areas.
Pikes Peak Permaculture will host a 2021 Design Certification Course in September, but in the meantime, they’re providing classes about rainwater harvesting, urban orchard care and much more!
Some city initiatives to watch for in the future are the hydroelectric energy that will soon be created at our Water Treatment Plant, a program providing free water-efficient showerheads to our community and more mobility efforts to reduce cruising and congestion in our city.
The city also is providing free leak-detection tablets to allow residents to easily tell whether their toilet is leaking.
Points of contact for the above organizations:
Pikes Peak Permaculture: Becky Elder, blueplanetbecky@gmail.com
Manitou Pollinators: Melody Daugherty, goldthreadherbs@yahoo.com
Manitou Springs Climate Action Work Group: Mary Ellen Montgomery, emmymemont@gmail.com