"Let's Doo It!" for National Public Lands Day

On Saturday, September 24, 2016 the nation will celebrate the 23rd annual National Public Lands Day, a volunteer effort aimed at preserving and protecting our public lands. For Jeffco Open Space, this special day provides an opportunity to engage park visitors around a very important issue in their parks: dog waste. Where are you most likely to find dog waste on the ground? The Elk Meadow Dog Off-Leash Area in Evergreen, CO is the chosen site for the volunteer effort for this year’s National Public Lands Day. This unique, 107-acre dog off-leash park is very popular, but with increased use comes problems. When owners leave dog waste behind it impacts water quality in streams and pollutes groundwater. Dog waste does not biodegrade like wild animal waste, due to what we feed our dogs. Left alone, dog waste pollutes ground water and can contain harmful organisms like E. coli, giardia, salmonella, roundworms, hookworms and cryptosporidium. All of these can be passed on to people and other pets through run-off or on the bottom of a shoe. Jeffco Open Space is using National Public Lands Day to kickoff what is intended to be a continuous stewardship act by all park visitors. The September 24 event will be a demonstration and education day around the environmental hazards of leaving dog waste on the ground. Going forward, it’s up to the park visitors to care for their beloved park. A “Friends of Elk Meadow DOLA” group is being formed to help lead this sustainable effort. This effort fits into the “Let’s Doo It!” campaign that is sweeping Jefferson County and is spearheaded by Jeffco Open Space and the City of Lakewood. The campaign started with a video and trailhead signs, and has expanded to include an online pledge and tools that make cleaning up after a dog easier. Let’s come together as a community. Let’s clean up our public lands. Let’s Doo It! Join forces on Saturday, September 24, 2016, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Elk Meadow Dog Off-Leash Area, Evergreen, CO. In addition to cleaning up pet waste, volunteers will help beautify the park by helping to restore trails. There will be activities for kids ages six and up throughout the event as well. Registration is required. More Information and Registration Jeffco Open Space was founded as a land conservation organization in 1972. Our mission is to preserve open space and parkland, protect park and natural resources, and provide healthy, nature-based experiences. Funded with a one-half of one percent sales tax, our organization contributes to city and recreation district projects, has preserved more than 54,000 acres, and manages 28 regional parks and more than 230 miles of trails in Jefferson County, Colorado.