IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO –Summer is around the corner, and many parents are planning activities to keep the kids active, healthy and inspired. Our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado offer expert tips for making outdoor activity and exercise fun for the whole family.

How about a summer project that doesn’t require a road trip, but does provide endless memories, education, and screen-free time in the calming presence of nature? A backyard pollinator garden checks all the boxes, and the size of space available doesn’t matter. Plus, it feeds butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators that are so vital to our ecosystems.

If establishing a garden sounds overwhelming, keep reading. The annual Plant Sale at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo can be your guide! This year’s sale is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thurs., May 16 and Fri., May 17, plus 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sat., May 18 at the Zoo. With a selection of drought-resistant, native, pollinator-friendly and deer-resistant plants, gardeners can feel confident they’re choosing items that can do well in Colorado’s sometimes-tricky gardening zone.

“I can say from experience that gardening together builds some great core memories,” Zach Groskopf, horticulture technician at CMZoo, says. “I got into horticulture because I used to garden with my grandmother a lot. Now, I actually work the same garden that we planted together years ago. It’s nice; it brings back memories every time I’m in there.”

Zach and the rest of the horticulture team at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will be available at the Plant Sale to help shoppers pick the best plants for their gardens, guiding folks through variations in sunlight, soil, water and attention needed for the plants to thrive. Here are three plants available at the 2024 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Plant Sale that Zach recommends adding to any Colorado garden.

Tradescantia. This is a perennial flowering plant that produces pollinator-attracting flowers all season long, from spring to the first frost in fall. It grows wild in Colorado, so it should thrive in any backyard. There will be two color varieties at the Plant Sale: a lime-green foliage with a deeper purple flower and a slivery blue leaf with a lighter, more violet flower.

“I find tradescantia naturally all over my yard, and I love it,” says Zach. “The only downside is the deer love it, too. As long as you plant it near deer-repelling flowers, or you don’t get deer in your yard, it’ll be fine. Tradescantia is super resilient. It tolerates heat and cold and doesn’t need a ton of water once it’s established.”

Zach also recommends the silver butterfly bush, a type of buddleia making its first-ever appearance at the Plant Sale. This perennial grows drooping clusters of tiny pastel purple flowers, and this specific type of buddleia can grow up to four to six feet tall. It’s deer-resistant, drought-resistant, pollinator-friendly and can grow in full sun or partial shade.

No Colorado garden is complete without the Colorado State Flower – the Rocky Mountain Columbine. Three color varieties of columbine will be available at the Plant Sale: Denver Gold, with vibrant gold petals; an all-white variety; and the classic Rocky Mountain variety, featuring purple and white flowers.

“The columbine is my personal favorite flower because they’re beautiful and they’re resilient,” Zach says. “I keep bees and these flowers make the most delicious honey, too. The columbines at the Plant Sale are special because we grew all of them from columbine seeds collected from all around the Zoo.”

In addition to Zach’s top three plants, shoppers can pick up a unique variety of interesting pollinator-friendly plants, veggies, herbs and more. One special addition this year is a non-fruiting strawberry plant with interesting variegated leaves, known for its super-spreading ability to cover blank spots in the garden.

The Russian sage is another Colorado favorite, although it is not a native plant. The flowering shrubs grow up to five feet tall and five feet wide, and they need very little water or attention. They’re perennials, so each year they return stronger and taller, producing aromatic sage leaves and small purple flowers that bees and butterflies can’t get enough of.

Zach also recommends the moonshine yarrow as a more simple ‘first-timer’ plant. The leaves are incredibly soft, so it offers an additional tactile element for kids exploring in the garden.

Herbs, like basil, and a ton of tomato plants are available for purchase for those who would rather try a patio veggie garden or kitchen-window herb shelf.

There are no reservations or tickets required to attend the Plant Sale, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thurs., May 16 and Fri., May 17 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sat., May 18 – when the Zoo closes early for Run to the Shrine. Plants will be available on a first-come first-served basis, so don’t be late!

This year, the Zoo’s fundraising Plant Sale will be near the front entry of the Zoo. Keep an eye out for signs directing you to the sale as you walk towards our admission windows. Zoo admission is not required to attend the Plant Sale, and Zoo guests can stop in to shop on their way out.

This year’s Plant Sale is in-person only. There will be no online shopping or shipping options available. Come out to the Zoo and chat with our expert horticulturists about which plants work best in your garden, and know you’re supporting the ongoing beautification of the Zoo with your purchases.

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Within Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s vast Teen Program lies the Youth Leadership Action Board (YLAB), a small group of ambitious teens that goes above and beyond to uphold the Zoo’s mission of connecting people to wildlife and wild places.

YLAB members work side by side with EdVenture staff to advance the Teen Program and find new ways to connect with our local communities. In January, YLAB’s Conservation Committee held the very first Youth Conservation Outreach Summit (YCOS) to foster relationships with local schools’ environmental clubs. A dozen high schools and middle schools attended to learn how teens and their schools could make a positive impact on local natural spaces.

“Our goals were to provide new ideas that environmental clubs can implement in their own clubs and to create a wide network to grow this environmentally focused community of high schoolers,” said Alice Maytan, CMZoo Teen Program Conservation Committee co-chair

Throughout the daylong summit, committee members toured groups of attendees through the Zoo, stopping at points that highlighted conservation efforts, like composting, hydroponics and pollinator gardens. At each stopping point, YLAB members would lead a group discussion and brainstorm ways schools could potentially incorporate similar conservation projects on their own campuses.

“We’ve already seen direct action from one high school, who hosted a gift card drive inspired by our conservation initiatives towards reducing petroleum mining,” said co-chair Mabel Kim. “It is exciting to see that the summit inspired them and that they were applying ideas and tips we gave them for organizing a conservation campaign.”

The gift card collection and recycling project has been a long-standing effort of the Teen Program. Teens collect used plastic gift cards and take them to be destroyed and recycled into other plastic items. This effort helps reduce plastic waste and petroleum mining in Africa, which occurs in the habitats of many African species, such as giraffe and Western lowland gorillas.

By creating unique opportunities and hands-on experiences, CMZoo’s Teen Program and its participants aim to help local youth realize how they can make a positive environmental impact. There are many ways youth can advocate for wildlife and wild places and be stewards of the environment, whether volunteering at local organizations or simply making a change in their own lifestyle.

YLAB hopes to continue and expand the Youth Conservation Outreach Summit annually. Interested high school clubs and advisors can reach Teen Program supervisors at [email protected] to find out more.

Until then, YLAB is staying busy, hosting its annual Earth Day event at the Zoo on Sat., April 27. Throughout the day, Teen Program participants will host a variety of hands-on stations at the Zoo that guests of all ages can interact with to learn how they can help protect our planet. Regular daytime Zoo admission includes Earth Day event activities. Advance admission is required. Tickets are available at cmzoo.org.

YLAB is also planning its sixth annual Youth Conservation Leadership Conference (YCLC), at the Zoo from Fri., July 19 through Sun., July 21, 2024. This unique, weekend-long event is open to all sixth- through 12th-grade students around the country who will participate in workshops led by our very own YLAB members. Participants will enjoy a wide range of conservation-focused topics and meet other like-minded peers. Early-bird registration for YCLC ends on Mon., April 15. Regular registration ends on Wed., July 10. This event is popular and is likely to sell out in advance. Get more information and register here.

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Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Teen Summer Program has inspired and prepared future biologists and conservationists for decades. Soon, it will welcome new and returning participants for summer 2024. Applications for the highly competitive program for sixth through 12th graders open Thurs., Feb. 1 at cmzoo.org/teenprograms. Applications will only be accepted for two weeks, so nature-loving teenagers should start considering the program now.

From Mon., May 27 through Fri., Aug. 9, 2024, Teen Summer Program participants will work alongside CMZoo staff to interact with animals, guests, keepers and each other. Mabel Kim has been in the Teen Program since the summer before her high school freshman year, and in 2024, she intends to come back for her fourth year.

“Some might assume the Teen Program at the Zoo is all about animals, but it’s one of the richest experiences like this you can get in Colorado Springs,” said Kim. “I’ve learned presentation skills, public speaking, mentoring, writing a resume, interviewing and more. It’s a really fun environment, and we do focus on animals and conservation. Because of this program, I feel prepared to apply for college, internships and jobs.”

In addition to gaining valuable experience working at CMZoo, teen participants learn to be nature’s best stewards with life-changing experiences off Zoo grounds, in Colorado’s wild places and beyond. Teens can expect educational, inspirational experiences, like whitewater rafting, camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, visiting local animal sanctuaries and Associations of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoos, and learning to be a leader and an advocate for wildlife and wild places.

“Ultimately, we hope that by offering these experiences that connect the hands, the heart, and the mind to the natural world, these teens will stand up for, and advocate for, the wild places and wild animals of our world,” said Austin Kennedy, CMZoo Extended Education Supervisor. “We focus on leadership training, animal husbandry, interpretation and public speaking, empowerment, and so much more.”

Participants also have the chance to go on an EdVenture Trip with the team, led by EdVenture staff. In 2023, the teens embarked on a six-day off-grid adventure to the wilderness of Glacier National Park. [LINK TO: https://www.cmzoo.org/news/archive/teen-program-inspires-the-next-generation-of-land-and-wildlife-stewards-in-glacier-national-park/] This year, managers are planning for another excursion full of adventure and nature-inspired leadership learning.

“I can’t encourage people enough to apply,” said Kim. “Definitely go for it. You’ll have amazing opportunities with animals, but you’ll also learn real-life and career skills. Plus, you’ll form bonds and make friendships with people who have similar interests, like science, nature, conservation and advocacy.”

EdVenture staff recommends each teen commits to a minimum of 120 program hours for the season. However, to complete the program, there is no minimum or maximum number of participation hours required.

Applications are open Thurs., Feb. 1 until Wed., Feb. 14 at midnight MT. The non-refundable application fee is $25, and no late applications will be accepted. Typically, only one-third of those who apply will be accepted.

After the application period, EdVenture staff conducts interviews with candidates, and ultimately accepts about 100 teens to the summer program. CMZoo’s Teen Summer Program is a tuition-based experience, and scholarships are available. Participation in EdVenture trips requires a separate fee.

If a summer timeline won’t work, consider participating in an off-season Teen Program. The Teen Winter Program runs November through February, with applications opening for two weeks each October. The Teen Spring Program is only open to teens who have participated in a Teen Summer or Winter Program. The spring session runs February through May, with applications opening for two weeks each January.

For more information – and to apply between Feb. 1 and 14 – visit cmzoo.org/teenprograms.

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During the winter months, many Coloradans stay active by enjoying the state’s 300 days of sunshine or embracing the alpine lifestyle and hitting the slopes. For some nature enthusiasts, it can be hard to know where to start in the winter world of outdoor adventure. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s EdVenture team has just the program: Outdoor School!

Outdoor School is a year-round program that includes special winter-themed courses. Our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado say helping kids stay active, despite colder temperatures and shorter days, has countless mental and physical health benefits.

“As outdoor and environmental educators, we see first-hand the health benefits of spending time outside in nature,” said Russell Friedman, education specialist at CMZoo. “Learners of all ages can enjoy safe, natural settings at the Zoo and at spaces around our community as a way to boost their mental and physical health.”

Studies have shown that spending just 15 minutes outside each day can immensely improve a person’s mental state of mind and overall happiness. Outdoor School’s variety of programs can be both soothing and exciting.

“Whether we are hiking on our Zoo’s behind-the-scenes nature trail, learning about animals by spending time with them or meditating outside, we are providing ways for all our participants to practice healthy habits for mind and body,” Friedman said.

Each course is $24.75 and includes daytime admission to the Zoo that day. In January and February, Outdoor School programming includes nature-driven courses focusing on animals’ winter weather adaptations, animal tracking 101, mindfulness practices in nature and animal habitats for winter. Students learn through hands-on activities and unique nature-based experiences.

No matter the season, there are always fun opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, and the EdVenture team at CMZoo is committed to helping people discover those outlets. Cooler temperatures add to the experience, too.

“With each program, we emphasize the first principle of Leave No Trace, which is ‘Plan Ahead and Prepare’,” Friedman said. “We provide a checklist prior to each workshop so everyone is prepared for time outside, especially during the winter season. We also constantly move throughout the Zoo, so our bodies are staying active and warm. When necessary, we will take learning breaks in many of the Zoo’s heated indoor animal habitats to help connect participants to wild places and our wildlife.”

New Outdoor School programs are added to the schedule throughout the year, so consider letting CMZoo’s EdVenture team help your family members take safe steps into nature in a variety of ways. See current programming and register at cmzoo.org/outdoorschool.

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