Empower Yourself with Information.

Vast amounts of information can be found on the Internet to support you in taking action for the causes that concern you. Just select your area of interest and follow the links to information on how you can get involved.

Wildlife Conservation

Find in-depth information on endangered species and wildlife preservation.

• American Zoo & Aquarium Association (AZA)
• American Zoo & Aquarium Association Kids Take Action Page
• Amphibian Ark
• Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project
• Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance
• Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program
• Boreal Toad Home Page
• Butterfly Conservation Initiative
• Center for Research of Endangered Species
• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's Endangered Species List & Links
• Colorado Listing of Endangered, Threatened & Wildlife Species of Special Concern 
• Colorado Natural Heritage Program
• Conservation International
• CSU - Colorado Natural Heritage Program - Species Tracking Lists
• Endangered Species Web Sites
• IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species
• Kori Bustard Species Survival Plan
• Mexican Wolf U.S. Fish & Wildlife Web Site
• The Ocean Project
• Palm Oil Crisis
• Prairie Wildlife
• Snow Leopard Trust
• South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB)
• Tapir Back
• Tapir Specialist Group
• Tiger Information Center
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program
• U.S. National Parks Service
• VULPRO, RLWC - Vulture Conservation
• Wild Friends of Thailand
• Wild Forever Foundation (Wildlife Rehabilitation)
• Wildlands Project
• World Association of Zoo's and Aquariums
• World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy (WZACS)

Natural Resource Conservation

Learn all about your present impact on the environment—and how you can make a difference.

• Bushmeat Crisis Task Force
• Carbon Footprint Calculator
• Earth Day - Discover Your Ecological Footprint
• Get the Green Back
• Green Vehicles - EPA
• Idling Vehicle Emissions – EPA
• Seafood Watch

Recycling

Discover how to stop junk mail, recycle household items, and more.

• DMA Mail Preference Service
• Eco-Cell
• Earth911
• How to Compost
• Recycle Free

Local Community Resources

Learn where to go in Colorado Springs for local recycling and environmental information.

Junk Mail

To stop receiving most junk mail, visit DMA Mail Preference Service or write to:

Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Assoc.
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512

To be removed from the Springs Values mailing list, call 719-636-0159.

Styrofoam Recycling

For Styrofoam recycling, go to:

Tegrant Corp
1100 W. Garden of the Gods Road
Colorado Springs, CO  USA

Athletic Shoe Recycling

Nike recycles used athletic shoes into playground surfaces, etc. Drop off all your old athletic shoes at: 

Boulder Running Company
Austin Bluffs
Colorado Springs

El Paso County Recycling and Environmental Issues

Visit the El Paso County Solid Waste Management Department web site for information on educational, household chemical waste collection, hazardous waste collection, and yard waste/mountain reclamation programs.

Many publications with valuable information on area-wide recycling are also available. Links to some of them appear below for your convenience:

• Recycling Directory 2011 - Closing the Loop (PDF)
• Electronic Waste
• Household Chemical Waste Collection Program (PDF)
• Homebound/Senior at Home Pickup Program (PDF)
• Yard Waste Collection Program (PDF)
• Black Forest Slash/Mulch Program (PDF)

Educational Resources for Children

Take advantage of a wide variety of books, videos and web sites to help your children learn about the environment and its care.

Doing Good Together
This great resource offers lists of books, videos and web sites that can help you and your child learn about recycling, environmental activism and the importance of helping others. Here are some examples of what you'll find:

CLEANUP AND RECYCLING

Preschool and Early Elementary

• Recycle That by Faye Robinson (Children's Press, 1995) Simple explanation of recycling with photographs.
• Recycle! A Handbook for Kids by Gail Gibbons (Little, Brown and Company, 1996). Learn about garbage and landfills, and find out what happens to paper, glass, cans and plastic when they are recycled.
• Where the Garbage Goes, a video by Fred Levine Productions, 1997. Kids can learn about garbage and recycling while watching lots of heavy equipment—grinders, loaders, and haulers—do its job.

Late Elementary

• 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Recycle by the Earth Works Group, illustrated by Michele Montez (EarthWorks Press, 1994). Recycle at home, at school and in your community. This book will tell you how.
• Recycle City
  Games, activities and stories to help kids learn about reducing waste and encouraging recycling.
• Waste Disposal by Sally Morgan (Franklin Watts, 2000) Find out where waste (nuclear, dirty water, garbage, toxic) goes and how it affects the environment. Also learn about recycling metals, glass and paper, and discover what kids can do to help deal with waste.

Young Adult

• Garbage and Recycling: Opposing Viewpoints edited by Helen Cothran (Greenhaven Press, 2003). Provides varying points of view on whether garbage and toxic waste are serious problems, the effectiveness of recycling and the innovations that will reduce waste.

Adult

• Rubbish!: The Archaeology of Garbage by William Rathaje and Cullen Murphy (HarperCollins Publishers, 1992). A review of garbage research from University of Arizona's Garbage Project.

Environmental Activism

Preschool and Early Elementary

• Dinosaurs to the Rescue: A Guide to Protecting Our Planet by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown (Little Brown and Co., 1992). Cartoon characters teach kids all the ways they can help save the earth, from collecting trash for recycling to using less water and electricity.
• The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1976). A rhyming account of an ecological crisis in the Truffula forest. A video is also available.
• Our Big Home: An Earth Poem by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Elisa Kleven (The Millbrook Press, 2000). An inspirational poem, along with whimsical drawings, about what everyone on the planet shares—water, sky and sun.

Late Elementary

• 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth by The EarthWorks Group, illustrated by Michele Montez (Andrew McNeels Publishing, 1990). A series of practical ideas for what kids can do to heal the planet. Lots of fun facts and clear explanations.
• Ecology by Steve Pollock (DK Publishing, Inc., 2000). An Eyewitness Science book filled with information, photos and drawings that teach about food webs, the water cycle, ecological niches, population growth and evolution.
• Hoot by Carl Hiassen (Knopf Publishing, 2002). An ecological mystery for the middle school set in which Roy, a new kid at school, sets out to save some burrowing owls from developers.
• How to Save the Planet by Barbara Taylor, illustrated by Scoular Anderson (Franklin Watts, 2001). Fun, simple and comprehensive source for explanations of important environmental issues, including ozone depletion, pollution, garbage and habitat extinction.

Young Adult and Adult

• The Complete Guide to Environmental Careers in the 21st Century by the Environmental Careers Organization (Island Press, 1999). If you or your teens are considering an environmentally-related career, check out dozens of possibilities in this comprehensive guide.
• Dr. Art's Guide to Planet Earth: For Earthlings Ages 12 to 120 by Art Sussman, Ph.D., illustrated by Emiko Koike (WestEd Publishing, 2000). A systems approach to how the earth works that is compelling, well-organized and understandable. There are also recommendations for what young people can do to help save the planet.