On an overcast Saturday morning in June, Colorado Gas employees gathered at the Fountain Creek Nature Center in Fountain, Colorado. Nineteen Black Hills Energy employees and family members volunteered their time at the Nature Center and associated open space, cleaning up trash and removing an invasive plant called teasel. Teasel is an invasive species that competes with the local milkweed that monarch butterflies use as they migrate through the area. In all, the group removed 12 large construction trash bags full of garbage, thistle and teasel.

The Fountain Creek Nature Center serves the local community in Fountain and surrounding areas, providing educational opportunities for kids and adults. Removing the trash protects the adjacent Fountain Creek, ensuring that waste doesn’t enter the waterway. Removal of thistle and teasel helps maintain a healthy environmental for monarch butterflies and an opportunity for local visitors to learn more about the butterflies and their natural habitat.

The team plans to continue the cleanup event on an annual basis and looks forward to working with the Fountain Creek Nature Center to maintain and improve our local community. Thank you to everyone who lent a hand to make the clean up a success!

We partner with our communities and customers, providing the kind of energy that fuels those areas and the lives of those we serve. Feel free to share the stories and photos. Make sure to tag us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.