Stratton Open Space Revival TONIGHT!
Registration open for the 20th Annual Starlight
Section 16 Trail Reroute
Shooks Run Cleanup April 19
Earth Day at Garden of the Gods April 19
Countywide “Tackle the Trash” April 26
City Parks Master Plan Meeting April 30
Upcoming Events
Spring is here–and our calendar is starting to fill up with fun events, fundraisers and work days for the 2014 season. Stay tuned here for what’s coming up next, or go to our newly redesigned website, www.trailsandopenspaces.org for more information! Let us know what you think of the new website–hope you love it as much as we do!
We are dedicated to the preservation of open space and parks, and the creation of a network of trails, bikeways and greenways for the Pikes Peak region.
NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 10, 2014
Stratton Open Space Revival TONIGHT
Celebrate 20 years of Stratton Open Space!
Join Friends of Stratton Open Space to celebrate their 20th anniversary and help revitalize the Friends Group. The program will include Richard Marold, portraying Winfield Scott Stratton; and author Ruth Obee (A Sense of Place, Discovering the Stratton Open Space) will speak. Come early and purchase your dinner at one of the dining establishments at Ivywild, then enjoy a beverage with fellow admirers of Stratton Open Space. We need your help to shape the future of Stratton Open Space! More information at: www.strattonopenspace.org.
20th Annual Starlight Spectacular June 14th
Register at http://2014Starlight.eventbrite.com
Section 16 Trail Reroute
Starts this week; trail is open
The City of Colorado Springs will be building an alternative route to the Section 16 Trail, beginning on Tuesday, April 8th. This new trail will run parallel to the Section 16 Trail, providing an alternative way to get into Red Rock Canyon/Section 16. In addition to the new trail alignment the existing old road will be closed. The current Section 16 Trail will remain open during construction. Portions of the Section 16 Trailhead will be blocked to allow the contractor room to work and park his equipment. Please respect any coned-off areas and give him plenty of room to work. Construction is anticipated to last about 1 ½ weeks.
Shooks Run Cleanup April 19
Cleanup in the am, party in the pm!
The Middle Shooks Run Neighborhood Association is going to clean up a swath of Shooks Run creek between Uintah and Costilla St.
Volunteers will meet at 2 locations: the Prairie Dog O’Byrne picnic area (500 block of east Bijou at Corona) and the North Shooks Run picnic area at 717 N. Franklin St., just west of Prospect St.
Please remember to wear some good boots or get some galoshes, bring sturdy, protective gloves, water bottle and a nice smile! Trash bags will be provided. Cleanup will be from 10am-2pm, with refreshments and music afterward 2pm-4pm. Rain date is April 26.
For more info about the cleanup, or about Middle Shooks Run Neighborhood Association, go to http://www.msrna.org or email info@msrna.org.
Garden of the Gods Earth Day Celebration
April 19, 9 am – 3 pm
Enjoy a fun-filled family day at Garden of the Gods and Rock Ledge Ranch! Live animal presentations, wildlife touch table, park cleanup, llamas, falcons, magic show, Native American dancers, arts and crafts, climbing demos, more! Free admission at Rock Ledge Ranch all day. More information at this link.
Register Now to “Tackle the Trash”
County-wide cleanup April 26
El Paso County is hosting the second annual “Tackle the Trash” event Saturday, April 26, 2014, 9 am, at six locations around the county. They are encouraging civic organizations, churches, scout groups, schools, and individuals to participate. Trash bags and safety vests will be provided. Volunteers are encouraged to bring gloves. Youth under 16 must be supervised by an adult.
More information and registration at http://tacklethetrash.com.
City Parks Master Plan Public Meeting
Save the Date: Wed, April 30, 6:30 pm.
Every 10 years or so the City updates the city-wide Parks, Recreation, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan. The process starts with a public survey, and here are some of the results:
57 % would like better enforcement of park rules
86% want Utilities to charge a cheaper water rate for parks
96% would like to see TOPS extended beyond 2025!
A public meeting April 30th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm at the City Auditorium will let the public see all the survey results, preview the draft plan, and give input. Child care provided for ages 3+, free on-street parking, snacks and prizes.
Upcoming Events
Save the dates
April 24, 7 pm. Rising from Ashes. Stargazers Theatre. Showing of award-winning film about the development of a national cycling team in Rwanda. Benefits CSprings.bike. See the trailer at www.risingfromashesthemovie.com. Tickets at this link.
April 24, 6:30 pm. Organizational meeting for Friends of Bear Creek Park, County Park Headquarters, 2002 Creek Crossing, 80905.
April 26, 9 am. Bicycle Village Swap Sale and Starlight Giveaway. Our partners at Bicycle Village have their Annual Bike Swap, and TOSC will be there with prizes and giveaways for Starlight! More info on the bike swap at their website.
April 29, 5-7:30 pm. Camp Creek Drainage Project Meeting, Coronado High School. Stop by any time between 5 and 6:30 p.m. to look at displays describing the recommended plan and talk to project engineers. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., there will be a short presentation, followed by questions and community discussion. www.springsgov.com/campcreek.
May 3, 10-2. Family Fun Day, Fountain Creek Nature Center.
Make solar oven s’mores, bird feeders; investigate pond critters, bug sweeps, puppet shows, recycling wizardry, dinosaur fossils, kites, crafts and more. ($4.00/member, $5.00/nonmember, FREE to active military families with I.D. No reservations required.) See all El Paso County Nature Center programs at this link.
May 10, 10 am – 4 pm. Friends of Cheyenne Cañon 21st Annual Hummingbird Festival. Enjoy live music, crafts for children, magicians, arts and crafts vendors, Pueblo Raptor birds of prey, nature-oriented booths, a silent auction, and great food and beverages. More info, http://www.cheyennecanon.org or call 719-385-6086.
May 11, 8 am. CycleFemme Women’s Bike Ride, FREE, Ivywild School. CycloFemme is a Global Women’s Cycling Day; this is a fun, easy, no-drop ride around town followed by optional breakfast. Hosted by Upadowna; more information and registration at this link.
May 31, 8-5. Kids on Bikes Great Bicycle Carnival, Bear Creek Park. Races and games for all ages, obstacle course for adults, stunts, live music, food, beer garden, expo, more! For info and to register, go to this link.
June 14, 20th Annual Starlight Spectacular, festivities start 9 pm, ride starts 10:30 pm, Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center. Register at http://2014Starlight.eventbrite.com. Like our Starlight Spectacular Facebook page for the latest updates, registration information, special events news, and the opportunity to win great prizes in the weeks leading up to the event!
As always, check our volunteer website at www.openspacevolunteers.org for volunteer projects.
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Trails and Open Space Coalition | 1040 S. 8th Street | Suite 101 | Colorado Springs | CO | 80905
