April brings a shower of things to do
After taxes are done
Taxes are done, but there is still a shower of things to do in April!
April 22 is Earth Day. Consider what you might do to lessen your impact on the planet. Come to the FREE Earth Day Festival on April 25th from 1-4 pm at the Gilpin Exhibit Barn (230 Norton Dr) for a host of ideas and fun. Come after the Gilpin Channel 9 Health Fair at the Justice Center from 8-1. We will have informative displays on solar, wind, energy efficiency, mountain composting, a tasting of unusual greens that you can grow, recycling information, e-waste, green consumer choices, the winners of the school Earth Day Art Contest and more! The first 50 people who come will even get a free compact fluorescent light bulb, courtesy of United Power.
We will also have special events:
- 1:30 pm – The Mountain Pine Beetles, an acapella singing group from Gold Hill – in their tongue-in-cheek and poignant musical revue called “Insecta Invasion,” they both entertain and console through cleverly-amended songs of The Beatles, prose, and poetry.
- 2:30 – Solar Opportunities (United Power)
- 3:00 – Local poets will celebrate Earth Day with nature poems, beetle poems, and more
- 3:30 – Talk on eating local, growing your own vegetables in the mountains
Other things to consider in April
If you still haven’t checked your property for mountain pine beetle trees, time is running out to take down infested trees and treat them to prevent the beetles from attacking new trees. Remember the beetles will begin to fly in July. Come by the Extension Office to learn about the signs of mountain pine beetle and what to do– or visit our website. You can also contact the Gilpin Citizen’s Initiative (www.gcci.us) for more information.
Even though as I write, the biggest snowfall of the year is coming down, think about the possibility of a wildfire this summer. Get with your neighbors to consider implementing the recommendations of the Gilpin Community Wildfire Protection Plan (a draft is available online, and a final copy will be in the library soon). How is your defensible space? If it needs work, try to get it done as early as possible to avoid attracting ips beetles (they can fly as soon as the temperatures warm to the 50s and 60s). To help with the costs, there is a State tax break for wildfire mitigation this year – up to $2,500! Also look for funding opportunities from the Colorado State Forest Service (http://csfs.colostate.edu). Think about what routes you would take to evacuate (think about a fire coming from different directions – and what you would take. How would you communicate with your loved ones if you were separated? Visit the Gilpin Extension website for more in-depth information on all of these topics.
Bears will be emerging (or may have already emerged) from hibernation. We all become a little lax about our garbage, bird feeders and dog food in the winter, but now is the time to start being more careful. We don’t want to create dangerous bears – that can be a hazard for us, and certainly for the bear, since a bear that gets in trouble three times will be put down by the Division of Wildlife.
If you’ve been feeding birds, keep feeding them at least through early summer – this is actually the hardest time of year for birds. There is still not abundant food, yet they are migrating and raising baby birds. Black-oil sunflower seeds are the best all-around food for the birds up here. Take in your feeders at night to prevent attracting bears (this applies to your hummingbird feeders, too, when you get those out).
Summer and hummingbirds will be here before we know it!
The CSU Gilpin County Extension Office is located at the Exhibit Barn, 230 Norton Drive, Black Hawk, CO 80422, 303-582-9106, www.extension.colostate.edu/gilpin.
Colorado State University Extension provides unbiased, research-based information about, horticulture, natural resources, and 4-H youth development. As part of a nation-wide system, Extension brings the research and resources of the University to the community. Colorado State University Extension is dedicated to serving all people on an equal and nondiscriminatory basis. No endorsement of products named is intended nor is criticism implied of products not mentioned.