Ever wondered what really happens to your recycling after it leaves the bin? Join us for a special Earth Week tour of the Lake County Recycling Center for a behind-the-scenes look at how our local waste is processed—and the people making it all happen.

Led by Robin Ekau-Moody, Lake County’s passionate and knowledgeable Landfill and Recycling Foreman, we’ll explore:

🔄 What materials are accepted and how they're processed
🚫 Why sorting matters & how contamination derails recycling efforts
💸 The costs, challenges, and complexities of local recycling
🌱 The county’s vision for more efficient and sustainable waste systems

Oh—and did we mention? The Lake County Recycling Center might just have the most beautiful mountain view of any recycling facility in the US. Come for the knowledge, stay for the views! 🏔️

You’ll leave with a new appreciation for the hard work that goes into keeping recyclable materials out of the landfill—and simple steps you can take to help make the system stronger.

C4’s Community Resource Navigator can help Lake County residents apply for LEAP - call or text 719-465-6164 for assistance or stop by our office hours at Full Circle (Wednesdays 1-4pm).

Get help applying for C4’s FREE Energy Assistance Programs, which can help with past due utility bills, purchasing firewood or propane and more! No appointment needed - just stop by Full Circle’s Family Resource Center at 115 E 7th St on Wednesdays between 1-4pm. //

Reciba ayuda para solicitar los programas GRATUITOS de asistencia energética de C4, que pueden ayudarle con facturas de servicios públicos vencidas, compra de leña o propano y más. No se necesita cita previa, simplemente visite el Centro de recursos familiares de Full Circle en 115 E 7th St los miércoles de 1 a 4 p.m.

Get help applying for C4’s FREE Energy Assistance Programs, which can help with past due utility bills, purchasing firewood or propane and more! No appointment needed - just stop by Full Circle’s Family Resource Center at 115 E 7th St on Wednesdays between 1-4pm. //

Reciba ayuda para solicitar los programas GRATUITOS de asistencia energética de C4, que pueden ayudarle con facturas de servicios públicos vencidas, compra de leña o propano y más. No se necesita cita previa, simplemente visite el Centro de recursos familiares de Full Circle en 115 E 7th St los miércoles de 1 a 4 p.m.

Coming soon — a collab between C4 and the ladies with the hottest baked goods in town!

Stay tuned for details and offerings

Save the date and join us Saturday May 10th for an awesome afternoon and evening with Author Pam Houston! 

In partnership with Cloud City Conservation Center, the Lake County Public Library is thrilled to announce acclaimed Colorado author Pam Houston as our special guest. Pam will be joining us Saturday, May 10th for a fun filled day of a writing workshop at the library in the afternoon followed by an author talk event in the evening at The Old Church.

Writing Workshop from 3 - 4:30 pm at the Library (115 Harrison Ave, Leadville, CO 80461)

• Participation is free but registration is required and is limited to 26 participants. Sign up early to secure your spot! ---->Registration link can be found here<-----

Workshop Agenda: 

• The Physical Stuff of Your Life (and how to use it to gain access to the emotional stuff): A Generative Workshop

• This will be a workshop in which we focus on all the ways the sensory details that surround us—the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures from the physical world, often the natural world—can give us access to that much more elusive interior landscape we are always trying to access when we write.  If we write those details all the way down to the bone.  If we sit in the dark with them and let them distill up from the swamps of memory.  We will focus on what I believe to be the real artistry of prose writing: the way we dip our ladles into the bottomless pot of metaphor soup of our lived and witnessed experience and pull out what we need; the way we pick up hunks of the physical world and bring them back to the page, translated into language. We will be aiming for work in which the language is always working in at least two ways at once, where metaphors dance between meanings like beads of water on a too hot grill. We will work toward demystifying some of the essential components of prose writing (image, metaphor, structure, dialogue, character, scene, among others) and turning them into comprehensible tools that are at our disposal. We will all, no doubt, be humbled in the face of languages unlimited possibility as well as its limitation.  At the same time we will honor (and hope for) the inexplicable flights of creativity (and madness?) that take a good story and make it great.

Author Talk 5:30-8:30pm @ The Old Church (801 Harrison Ave, Leadville, CO 80461).

• Doors open @ 5:30pm

• Free community dinner will be provided

• 6:30- Author Reading

• 7:00 - Author interview followed by audience Q&A

• 7:50 - Book signing

Free Books!

To prepare for Pam's arrival, we will have copies of her memoir, Deep Creek: Finding Hope In The High Country and Cowboys Are My Weakness to give away to community members. Stop by the library to grab a copy before they're gone! Feel free to read it then pass it along to another community member when you're done so that more get the chance to familiarize themselves with her work.

About the Author:

Pam Houston is the author of the memoir Deep Creek: Finding Hope In The High Country, as well as two novels, Contents May Have Shifted and Sight Hound, two collections of short stories, Cowboys Are My Weakness and Waltzing the Cat, and a collection of essays, A Little More About Me, as well as a book of essay between Pam and environmental activist Amy Irvine, called Airmail: Letters of Politics, Pandemics and Place. Her stories have been selected for volumes of The O. Henry Awards, The Pushcart Prize, Best American Travel Writing, and Best American Short Stories of the Century among other anthologies. She is the winner of the Western States Book Award, the WILLA Award for contemporary fiction, the Evil Companions Literary Award and several teaching awards.  She teaches in the Low Rez MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts, is Professor of English at UC Davis, and co-founder and creative director of the literary nonprofit Writing By Writers, which puts on between seven and ten writers gatherings per year in places as diverse as Boulder, Colorado, Tomales Bay, California and Chamonix, France. 

Pam’s passions include Icelandic Horses (especially the ones who live in Iceland, where she goes as often as possible,) Irish Wolfhounds, travel, mentoring and teaching, particularly teaching writing about the more than human world. She lives on a homestead at 9,000 feet near the headwaters of the Rio Grande in Colorado with her husband Mike and two dogs, a quarter horse, a miniature donkey, four Icelandic ewes, four hens and a rooster. Her forthcoming book, Without Exception: Reclaiming Abortion, Personhood and Freedom, will be published in September 2024.

Reserve la fecha y únase a nosotros el sábado 10 de mayo para disfrutar de una tarde y noche increíbles con la autora Pam Houston. 

En colaboración con Cloud City Conservation Center, estamos encantados de anunciar la aclamada autora de Colorado Pam Houston como nuestra invitada especial. Pam se unirá a nosotros el sábado, 10 de mayo para un día lleno de diversión de un taller de escritura en la biblioteca por la tarde seguido por el evento de charla de autor en la noche en la Iglesia Vieja.

Programa de Eventos:

Taller de Escritura de 3 - 4:30 pm en la Biblioteca (115 Harrison Ave, Leadville, CO 80461)

La participación es gratuita pero es necesario inscribirse y esta limitado a 26 participantes. ¡Inscribete pronto para asegurar tu plaza! ---->Enlace de registro se puede encontrar aquí<-----

El taller de escritura es para mayores de 18 años.

Agenda del taller: 

• El material físico de tu vida (y cómo utilizarlo para acceder al material emocional): Un taller generativo

• Este será un taller en el que nos centraremos en todas las formas en que los detalles sensoriales que nos rodean- las vistas, los sonidos, los olores, los sabores y las texturas del mundo físico, a menudo el mundo natural- pueden darnos acceso a ese paisaje interior mucho más esquivo al que siempre intentamos acceder cuando escribimos. Si escribimos esos detalles hasta el hueso. Si nos sentamos en la oscuridad con ellos y dejamos que se destilen desde los pantanos de la memoria. Nos centraremos en lo que creo que es el verdadero arte de la escritura en prosa: la forma en que sumergimos nuestros cucharones en la olla sin fondo de la sopa de metáforas de nuestra experiencia vivida y presenciada y sacamos lo que necesitábamos; la forma en que recogemos trozos del mundo físico y los llevábamos de vuelta a la página, traducidos al lenguaje. Trabajaremos para que el lenguaje funcione siempre al menos en dos sentidos a la vez, donde las metáforas bailen entre significados como gotas de agua parrilla demasiado caliente. Trabajaremos para desmitificar algunos de los componentes esenciales de la escritura en prosa (imagen, metáfora, estructura, diálogo, personaje, escena, entre otros) y convertirlos en herramientas comprensibles que estén a nuestra disposición. Sin duda, todos nos sentimos humildes ante la posibilidad ilimitada de los lenguajes, así como ante su limitación.  Al mismo tiempo, honraremos (y esperaremos) los inexplicables vuelos de creatividad (¿y locura?) que toman una buena historia y la hacen grande. 

Charla del Autor 5:30-8:30pm en La Antigua Iglesia (801 Harrison Ave, Leadville, CO 80461).

• 7:50 - Firma del Libro

• 7:00 - Entrevista con el autor seguida de preguntas y respuestas del público

• 6:30- Lectura del Autor

• Cena gratuita

• Apertura de puertas a las 5:30pm

¡Libros Gratis!

Para preparar la llegada de Pam, tendremos ejemplares de sus memorias, Deep Creek: Finding Hope In The High Country y Cowboys Are My Weakness, para regalar a los miembros de la comunidad. Pásate por la biblioteca y hazte con un ejemplar antes de que se acaben. Siéntete libre de leerlo y luego pasárselo a otro miembro de la comunidad cuando hayas terminado para que más personas tengan la oportunidad de familiarizarse con su trabajo.

Sobre la Autora:

Pam Houston es autora de las memorias Deep Creek: Finding Hope In The High Country, así como de dos novelas, Contents May Have Shifted y Sight Hound, dos colecciones de relatos cortos, Cowboys Are My Weakness y Waltzing the Cat, y una colección de ensayos, A Little More About Me, así como un libro de ensayos entre Pam y la activista medioambiental Amy Irvine, titulado Airmail: Letters of Politics, Pandemics and Place. Sus relatos han sido seleccionados para volúmenes de The O. Henry Awards, The Pushcart Prize, Best American Travel Writing y Best American Short Stories of the Century, entre otras antologías. Ha ganado el Western States Book Award, el WILLA Award de ficción contemporánea, el Evil Companions Literary Award y varios premios de enseñanza.  Enseña en el programa Low Rez MFA del Institute of American Indian Arts, es profesora de inglés en UC Davis y cofundadora y directora creativa de la organización literaria sin ánimo de lucro Writing By Writers, que organiza entre siete y diez encuentros de escritores al año en lugares tan diversos como Boulder (Colorado), Tomales Bay (California) y Chamonix (Francia). 

Las pasiones de Pam son los caballos islandeses (sobre todo los que viven en Islandia, adonde va siempre que puede), los perros lobo irlandeses, los viajes, la tutoría y la enseñanza, en particular la enseñanza de la escritura sobre el mundo más que humano. Vive en una granja a 3.000 metros de altitud, cerca de la cabecera del río Grande, en Colorado, con su marido Mike y dos perros, un caballo cuarto de milla, un burro en miniatura, cuatro ovejas islandesas, cuatro gallinas y un gallo. Su próximo libro, Without Exception: Reclaiming Abortion, Personhood and Freedom, se publicará en septiembre de 2024.

Get help applying for C4’s FREE Energy Assistance Programs, which can help with past due utility bills, purchasing firewood or propane and more! No appointment needed - just stop by Full Circle’s Family Resource Center at 115 E 7th St on Wednesdays between 1-4pm. //

Reciba ayuda para solicitar los programas GRATUITOS de asistencia energética de C4, que pueden ayudarle con facturas de servicios públicos vencidas, compra de leña o propano y más. No se necesita cita previa, simplemente visite el Centro de recursos familiares de Full Circle en 115 E 7th St los miércoles de 1 a 4 p.m.

Dear Friends of Lake County,

We are thrilled to invite you to the Friends of Lake County 2025 Kickoff Event on May 14th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Southern Fire Station, 141 County Rd. 10. This gathering marks the beginning of another exciting season dedicated to preserving and enhancing the natural beauty of our cherished community. Join us to learn about our upcoming projects, including trail maintenance, cultural resource preservation, waste management improvements, recreation infrastructure enhancements, and watershed restoration initiatives. Together, we can continue to make a lasting impact on Lake County’s public lands. Your participation and support are invaluable, and we look forward to embarking on this journey with you. 

Warm regards,

The Friends of Lake County Team

We need your help to make the area shine, come enjoy this annual community time with us!  May 17th from 9 am – 12pm.  Please RSVP if you haven’t already so we have an accurate lunch count!  RSVP friendsoftwinlakes@gmail.com.

• Please bring your favorite weed whacker, loppers, yard rakes, wheelbarrow or any garden clean up tools you like (we will have some available for use).

• Wear gloves, hat, long sleeves, long pants, sturdy shoes, sunscreen.  There will be water and snacks.

• We are planning on 30 for lunch provided by the Twin Lakes Inn with beverages provided by the Twin Lakes General Store.  If you haven’t RSVP’d, let us know so we can up the number.

• Thanks in advance for your participation!!!!

Get help applying for C4’s FREE Energy Assistance Programs, which can help with past due utility bills, purchasing firewood or propane and more! No appointment needed - just stop by Full Circle’s Family Resource Center at 115 E 7th St on Wednesdays between 1-4pm. //

Reciba ayuda para solicitar los programas GRATUITOS de asistencia energética de C4, que pueden ayudarle con facturas de servicios públicos vencidas, compra de leña o propano y más. No se necesita cita previa, simplemente visite el Centro de recursos familiares de Full Circle en 115 E 7th St los miércoles de 1 a 4 p.m.

Get help applying for C4’s FREE Energy Assistance Programs, which can help with past due utility bills, purchasing firewood or propane and more! No appointment needed - just stop by Full Circle’s Family Resource Center at 115 E 7th St on Wednesdays between 1-4pm. //

Reciba ayuda para solicitar los programas GRATUITOS de asistencia energética de C4, que pueden ayudarle con facturas de servicios públicos vencidas, compra de leña o propano y más. No se necesita cita previa, simplemente visite el Centro de recursos familiares de Full Circle en 115 E 7th St los miércoles de 1 a 4 p.m.

Join C4 every Thursday for fresh, locally-grown food at pay-what-you can prices!

📍440 McWethy Drive

⏰ 4pm - 7pm

Please join Friends of Lake County on Sunday, June 15th for our annual clean-up of the dispersed camping impacts on Halfmoon Road as part of Camp & Run with Runners for Public Lands. 

We will meet at the Halfmoon Road meadow (39°10’00.5″N 106°23’29.7″W.)

This project should take about 4 hours.

Dress appropriate for the weather and long pants and long sleeve shirts would be the clothes to wear for this project.

Bring gloves, water, sunscreen, and snacks or a lunch.

Come support local waste diversion efforts - while you have fun AND get paid!

C4’s Zero Waste team will be out at the Leadville Trail Marathon and Heavy Half on Saturday June 28th.

Stay tuned for more details about available shifts and how to sign up!

Join Friends of Lake County from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm on Saturday June 28th for a special Meet & Greet on the Interlaken Trail, where we’ll connect with fellow hikers, share insights about the area, and promote responsible recreation. Our team will be stationed at the trailhead, ready to welcome you with educational materials about the region’s history, ecology, and best practices for enjoying the outdoors sustainably. We’ll also be providing Leave No Trace (LNT) information to help ensure that everyone can explore and appreciate this beautiful trail while minimizing environmental impact. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or new to the trail, stop by to say hello, grab some resources, and start your hike with a greater appreciation for Lake County’s natural beauty!

Join Friends of Lake County for a hands-on volunteer project as we restore the Turquoise Lake Nature Trail Bridge! On July 11th, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM (with an additional workday on July 12th if needed), we’ll be replacing the bridge’s handrails and decking to ensure it remains safe and accessible for hikers and nature lovers. This project is a great opportunity to contribute to the upkeep of one of Lake County’s most scenic trails while working alongside fellow outdoor enthusiasts. We’ll meet at the Nature Trail parking area near Molly Brown Campground before heading to the worksite. No prior construction experience is necessary—just bring your enthusiasm, sturdy footwear, work gloves, and a willingness to lend a hand!

We’re excited to announce the 2025 replacement of the Hagerman Pass interpretive signage, a project made possible by the passion and dedication of regional artist David Castle and his generous support for our community. Join us on July 19th, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM as we install new, updated signs to replace the damaged ones along this historic and scenic route. We will meet at the Leadville Ranger District office at 810 Front St, Leadville, CO 80461.

These interpretive signs provide visitors with valuable insights into the rich history, geology, and ecology of Hagerman Pass, enhancing the experience for all who explore this breathtaking area. Volunteers will assist with installing the new signage, ensuring it remains a lasting resource for future generations. We’ll meet at the designated site, and all necessary materials will be provided—just bring sturdy shoes, work gloves, and a love for preserving our public lands!

Join Friends of Lake County at the Willis Gulch Trailhead on July 26th from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm for a special Meet & Greet on the Interlaken Trail. We’ll connect with fellow hikers, share insights about the area, and promote responsible recreation. Our team will be stationed at the trailhead, ready to welcome you with educational materials about the region’s history, ecology, and best practices for enjoying the outdoors sustainably. We’ll also be providing Leave No Trace (LNT) information to help ensure that everyone can explore and appreciate this beautiful trail while minimizing environmental impact. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or new to the trail, stop by to say hello, grab some resources, and start your hike with a greater appreciation for Lake County’s natural beauty!

Join Friends of Lake County on July 30th, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM for the Twin Lakes Mt. Elbert Forebay Clean-up, a community effort to restore and protect this beautiful outdoor space. We will meet at the South Elbert Trailhead parking lot. Our focus will be on removing trash, cleaning up abandoned fire rings, and ensuring the area remains safe and enjoyable for all visitors. Over time, litter and improper fire use can impact the environment and wildlife—this is a great opportunity to give back and help maintain the natural beauty of Twin Lakes. We’ll meet at the Forebay before dividing into teams to cover key areas. Please wear sturdy shoes, bring work gloves, and be prepared to get your hands a little dirty for a great cause. Let’s work together to keep this special place clean and pristine!

Join Friends of Lake County at the Tennessee Pass Trailhead on August 2nd from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm for a special Meet & Greet. We’ll connect with fellow hikers, share insights about the area, and promote responsible recreation. Our team will be stationed at the trailhead, ready to welcome you with educational materials about the region’s history, ecology, and best practices for enjoying the outdoors sustainably. We’ll also be providing Leave No Trace (LNT) information to help ensure that everyone can explore and appreciate this beautiful trail while minimizing environmental impact. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or new to the trail, stop by to say hello, grab some resources, and start your hike with a greater appreciation for Lake County’s natural beauty!

Come support local waste diversion efforts - while you have fun AND get paid!

C4’s Zero Waste team will be out at the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike on August 9th. Stay tuned for more details about available shifts and how to sign up!

Save the Date for C4’s annual Harvest Dinner - featuring farm-fresh local food, music, silent auction, and a celebration of community!