To celebrate Earth Week in Lake County, Cloud City Conservation Center (C4) recently hosted a Climate Action Workshop, a High-Altitude Gardening Workshop and a Recycling Center Tour. 

After five-years of inactivity, the solar garden south of Leadville on County Road 10 is operational as of April 15 and is projected to produce around 960,000 kilowatts annually for its 26 subscribers. Cloud City Conservation Center (C4) purchased the facility on April 30, 2024 with the goal of repairing its equipment and bringing solar energy back to its subscribers.

Last weekend, Cloud City Conservation Center (C4) helped provide emergency heating assistance to Lake County residents ahead of a cold snap that gave Leadville some of its coldest temperatures this season. 

This fall, the Lake County Conservation District (LCCD) and Cloud City Conservation Center (C4) wrapped up the first year of a collaborative project aimed at reducing barriers to urban agriculture for Lake County residents. The project titled “Growing Gardens, Cultivating Community” was funded by the National Association of Conservation Districts’ Urban and Community Conservation Grant Initiative. 

The Board of County Commissioners selected The Brendle Group’s proposal to help the county develop a climate action plan, a locally adopted policy tool that outlines actions a community can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as counter the negative effects of climate change.

Cloud City Conservation Center’s (C4) Zero Waste initiative has collected over 30,000 pounds of waste so far in 2024. From the 2024 Leadville Race Series alone, the initiative collected 15,300 pounds of waste, 75 percent of which was diverted away from the Lake County Landfill.