Ray Tschillard, Poudre Learning Center

Each fall area high school students, interested in the air they breathe, the water they drink and the land they live, on join together for the Caring for our Watersheds™ program challenge to think about their local Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson River watersheds and how they can protect these most essential environmental assets. The students research their local watershed, identify an environmental concern, and develop a potential solution.

Caring for our Watersheds- COLORADO is made possible locally with support from Agrium Advanced Technologies, Poudre Learning Center, Central Colorado Water Conservancy District and the City of Greeley Water & Sewer Department. Through the years students have provided viable answers to the question— “What can you do to improve your watershed?” It is apparent by their efforts how much future generations care about watersheds, their world and their place in it.

Each year around 200 students from high schools in Greeley, Fort Collins, Eaton, Johnstown, Loveland and Berthoud entered the contest, writing 1,000 word essays explaining their research on the Cache la Poudre or the Big Thompson watersheds, describing the environmental issues and their proposed solutions, and outlining implementation budgets for their ideas. Students compete for $6,000 in cash awards and participating schools are eligible for $8,000 in cash awards. In addition, Agrium has made $10,000 available to help students implement their ideas this spring. The creativity this contest affords students is beneficial for our environment and the communities we serve. Anytime we can engage and involve our younger generation in environmental conversation it benefits us all. They are actively seeking ways to make our communities sustainable for upcoming generations and we are here to help them.

One of the past winners was Ivonne Morales, presently a University of Colorado Environmental Studies major and former Greeley Central student. Ivonnes’s proposal was the 2013 CFW 2nd place finisher. Ivonne’s idea was selected to be implemented internationally at all twelve Caring for our Watershed™ sites across the globe!

Brother and sister team Danny and Manny Araujo were the top winners in the 2014 contest. Their project bought reusable grocery bags and did educational presentations about plastic bags to their students, faculty, parents and community.

The success of CFW relies on teachers, students and community volunteers. If you would like to be involved please visit www.CaringForOurWatersheds.com.

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Colorado WaterWise will be at the 2015 Watershed Summit on January 21, Colorado Water Congress January 28-30 and the Poudre River Forum on January 31, 2015. Stop by our table to say hi.

Colorado WaterWise is pleased to offer a new benefit to our current and future members! Not a member? Read on to find out how you can get involved.

At the Water Conservation Summit on October 24, Colorado WaterWise launched an educational toolkit to raise awareness about the value of water in Colorado. Colorado Water: Live Like You Love It provides communication tools and resources for water stakeholders to help communicate the importance of water, focusing on conserving water, caring about water quality and committing to learn about this critical resource.

Six Colorado WaterWise members sponsored the development of the toolkit including Loveland Water and Power, The City of Greeley Water Conservation Program, Colorado Springs Utilities, Northern Water, One World One Water Center, City of Fountain and Western Resource Advocates.  Colorado WaterWise initiated the toolkit when research revealed the need to educate the public, particularly young adults about how we get our water, the scarcity of the resource and the importance to care for water quality.   

As a headwaters state, Colorado water is the topic of great discussion as 18 states plus Colorado depend on it. With the Colorado population alone expected to double by 2050, the need to Live Like You Love It is more important than ever.  By utilizing the professionally created tools available in the toolkit, water organizations and other interested stakeholders can easily spread the word about protecting this finite resource, doing our part to conserve and committing to learning about water issues. The toolkit includes a video, fact sheets, graphics, tips and a communication plan to help Colorado to Live Like You Love It.  Colorado WaterWise members at the $300 level and up can take advantage of this benefit. Take a look at the complete list of toolkit materials available for download here.

“With the state of Colorado embarking upon the creation of its first water plan, we believe one of the findings will undoubtedly be that there is a need for more education in our state about the value of our water,” said Alyssa Quinn, the Colorado WaterWise committee chair.  “This toolkit provides stakeholders with materials and messaging to educate the public, particularly the millennial age group, about the value of water.  Customers in that age group are going to be the generation making key and sometimes tough decisions about our water.  They need to be informed.”

To join the movement and Live Like You Love It, “Like” us on Facebook at Love Colorado Water or follow us on Twitter @LoveCOWater.  Members can go to the Colorado Water Toolkit Materials page and log in to download the materials, or become a member or sponsor to take advantage of this and other Colorado WaterWise tools and resources.

Thank you for your continued support!