(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Although it may not always feel like it, spring is here in Southern Colorado. As the weather continues to warm up, you might be looking for ways to get your family outside.
“We’re all so busy that sometimes, all we need is a little bit of inspiration,” said Chris Aaby, a Generation Wild Program Officer with Great Outdoors Colorado.
If you’re looking to shake up your spring, look no further than Generation Wild. They’ve kicked off their Wilderflowers program for the season. It provides free wildflower seeds to Colorado’s kids.
“We’re going to hand out over 120,000 packets of seeds, which is 151 million native wildflower seeds,” said Aaby.
You can pick up the seeds at one of nearly 600 distribution sites across the state, or you can head to this link to get them sent right to you.
“Pollinators are so important to our ecosystems and our food systems, that any time we can plant native wildflowers, especially helps out those native bees,” said Aaby.
Although it might seem a bit early to start planting, since the seeds are native to Colorado, they can withstand the chilly days.
“This is the perfect time of year. Especially if you want to see flowers in the summer,” said Aaby.
If you’re looking for other activities to do this summer, Generation Wild has more free resources on their website, including over 100 ideas to get kids outside.
“Spending time in nature has been proven through research, that it has positive effects on our physical health and our mental health. So we think it’s so important for especially kids to be spending time in nature,” said Aaby.
Colorado Springs is also a Generation Wild Community, meaning they fund local outdoor programs for kids in the area.
“We are part of Great Outdoors Colorado. We receive a portion of the lottery proceeds and reinvest those into the outdoors in Colorado. So, we want to provide those simple activities that are really easy, that you can spend some time out planting wildflowers, and then eventually you might want to go whitewater rafting or hiking in the mountains,” said Aaby.
Springtime activities like these help keep your kids busy, while still allowing them to get wild.
