Did you know that invasive species are the number one threat to biodiversity worldwide? Earth Day enthusiasts can help preserve biodiversity and wildlife habitat by learning about the area’s invasive weeds and by helping local habitat corridors at an Earth Day Festival on Friday, April 23 from 9 am to 12 pm.

Participants will meet at the Salida Farm to School site by the dog park and soccer fields on Holman Avenue to learn about weed mitigation from Kayla Malone of the Chaffee County Weed Management Office. Participants can also explore the soil health tunnel, scavenger hunt and other soil health activities with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and Upper Arkansas Conservation District. From there, volunteers will spread out on the Monarch Spur Trail to mitigate weeds with Salida-area Parks, Open-space and Trails (SPOT), the Central Colorado Conservancy, and GARNA – the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association, or stay at the garden to mitigate weeds with Guidestone Colorado. The City of  Salida will provide weed collection after the workday. The City of Salida will also staff a booth featuring the draft city Climate Action Plan, giving attendees the opportunity to review the plan, which outlines city goals and objectives to address climate change locally, and ask questions.

All participants must fill out a City of Salida volunteer waiver to participate, found at –
https://www.amilia.com/store/en/city-of-salidarecreation/shop/activities/3225451?view=month&scrollToCalendar=false

Paper copies of the waiver will be on hand at the Farm to School site.
For more information, please contact Kayla Malone at kmalone@chaffeecounty.org