Environment Colorado

10/14/2026

Wednesday was Energy Efficiency Day and Ellie Andrews, our Climate Solutions Advocate did a little audit of energy efficiency measures in her house. It’s always a good reminder that the cleanest and cheapest energy is the energy we never need to use. Check out more ideas at our Citizen’s Guide to Reducing Energy Waste: https://environmentamerica.org/colorado/center/resources/citizens-guide-to-reducing-energy-waste/

10/12/2026

Energy efficiency standards: the easiest way to cut waste, save money, and fight climate change

Did you know one of the cheapest and most effective ways to clean up our air and slow down global warming is simply using less energy? Thanks to federal efficiency standards for appliances, American households have dramatically cut energy use and planet-warming emissions. On Energy Efficiency Day, Environment Colorado’s Ellie Andrews explains why these standards matter, because the cleanest and cheapest energy is the energy we never need to use. To read about Ellie’s Energy Efficiency Day event and learn more, go to https://environmentamerica.org/colorado/updates/celebrating-energy-efficiency-at-a-local-hardware-store/

10/12/2026

Camp Hale is a former army base nestled in the Rocky Mountains, just 15 miles from Leadville, Colorado. Local residents know the area for its stunning hikes and rugged snowsports terrain. In addition to outdoor recreationists, elk, bear, lynx, migratory songbirds and other animals rely on Camp Hale for habitat. These creatures thrive amid stunning vistas and some of the United States’ tallest peaks.

Read more: https://environmentamerica.org/colorado/center/articles/what-is-the-camp-hale-continental-divide-national-monument/

10/07/2026

Environment Colorado participated in the 2026 Roadside Wildlife Count on a drive from Denver to Steamboat Springs, and here is what we recorded.

Traveling along Interstate 70, State Highway 9, and U.S. Highway 40, our team logged 35 data points:

Live wildlife: 18 elk near Genesee, two pronghorn, a neighborhood fox and black bear, and numerous black-billed magpies foraging along road shoulders.

Roadkill: Two skunks, one mule deer, one elk, and one coyote.

Safe zones: We recorded zero wildlife carcasses along highway stretches with dedicated crossing structures.

Data like this helps state agencies and lawmakers identify migration corridors and fund targeted crossing structures that reduce collisions by up to 90%.

The count runs through Sunday, Oct. 11. You can log sightings wherever you drive across Colorado. Sign up to download the tracking app and join the count below.

Become a roadside wildlife tracker now.

10/05/2026

We have one day left to speak up for America’s wildest national forests.

The USDA’s proposal to repeal the national 2001 Roadless Rule would lift protections across roughly 45 million acres of public lands across the country.

Colorado has its own state rule to protect local roadless acres, but wild forests across the rest of the country still depend on the federal rule. These roadless tracts safeguard drinking water sources, provide critical wildlife habitat, and offer places to hike, fish, and camp without industrial disturbance. Road building and commercial logging do not belong in our remaining wild forests.

The federal public comment period closes tomorrow, Oct. 6.

Take two minutes to submit your comment before the deadline here: saveroadlessforests.com

Photo: North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest (Bilanol | Shutterstock.com)

10/01/2026

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Join Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center in counting wildlife along roads this fall between Oct. 2 and 11 as part of the 2026 Roadside Wildlife Count. Volunteers will use the ROaDs app created by to track the impacts of roads on wildlife this fall. Help us collect information to share with decision-makers, and join us in our call for building more wildlife crossings across the country. Sign up to be a volunteer now: https://environmentamerica.org/colorado/center/events/2026-roadside-wildlife-count/

09/25/2026

Bees are dying at alarming rates, in part because of bee-killing pesticides. These pesticides are available in most states for next-day shipping via Amazon. Tell Amazon: Stop the sale of bee-killing pesticides now:

Many of America's bees are plummeting toward extinction. Amazon can make a difference by stopping the sale of bee-killing pesticides.

09/24/2026

Five locations. Dozens of incredible community volunteers. Lots of fuzzy native bees! 🐝🏔️

Environment Colorado took to the field across the Front Range and foothills to survey Colorado’s native bumblebee populations through the Bumble Bee Atlas program sponsored by .

Our survey stops spanned amazing and diverse habitats:
🌾 Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
🏙️ Sloan’s Lake Park (Denver)
🌿 Golden Ponds Nature Area (Longmont)
🌲 Staunton State Park (Pine)
⛰️ Golden Gate Canyon State Park

How did we survey them?
With a gentle catch-and-release method! Our volunteers netted bees and placed them in vials on ice for a few minutes. The cold induces a temporary, harmless "hypothermia" that slows their metabolism—giving us just enough time to safely photograph, identify, and log each species without injuring the bee or risking stings. As soon as they warmed back up, every single bee flew right back to their flowers! 🌸

Colorado is home to more than 1,000 native bee species. By surveying everything from bustling city parks to high-altitude state parks, we collect vital data on how urban development, habitat fragmentation, and pesticides impact our most essential pollinators.

🌼 Plant native perennials with varied bloom times (Penstemon, Asters, and Goldenrod).
🚫 Eliminate toxic pesticides and w**d killers from your lawn and garden.
🏡 Leave undisturbed bare soil and stems for ground- and cavity-nesting bees.

Thank you to everyone who grabbed a net and helped us bee the change this season! 💛🖤

🔗 Learn more about a big problem for bees and what you can do help here:
https://environmentamerica.org/colorado/articles/seeds-coated-with-pesticides-are-killing-colorados-bees/
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09/22/2026

Colorado has a new Urban Night Sky Place!

DarkSky International says Golden Gate Canyon is the second state park they have recognized so far. Jackson Lake was named an International Dark Sky Park in 2020.

DarkSky International has recognized Colorado's Golden Gate Canyon State Park as the state's first designated Urban Night Sky Place.