76: Fountain Together, USA

Challenger Profile at a Glance

Meet the Fountain Together team from Fountain, Colorado! Find out how they are making a difference, as challengers in the 2020 International Climate Action Challenge! They are a brand new community/sustainability team working to do cleanups, plant trees, and build a strong community.

Team

#76 – Fountain Together
90-Day Challenge Goal: Start a community group in Fountain
Location: Fountain, Colorado, USA
Registered Challenger: Susan Kircher
90-Day Challenge Period: September 1 – November 30, 2020

Impact

Here are some impact highlights from the Fountain Together team during the 90-day challenge period:

Came together as a new team and grew to 11 members
Participated in two cleanups: Creek Week and Cleanup Fountain
Participated in the Silver Key food drive to raise funds and gather food for seniors for Thanksgiving
Distributed 2,500 packs of seeds with Fountain Together group info at Fountain Fright Night for Halloween
Raising 4,000 tree seedlings for distribution next year
Ongoing distribution of wildflower bee rescue seeds
Planted wildflower seed mix in 12 gardens to overwinter
Developed 5 partnerships: City of Fountain, Fountain Utilities, People and Pollinators Action Network, One Million Trees For Colorado, Blue Planet Becky
Created a logo, website and Facebook page

Challenge Experience

We asked Susan, what parts of the challenge were most helpful?

“I really appreciated the workbook and the book. That really gave me the structure and the information I did not have as far as putting the group together, what to do, and keeping me on a schedule to get things done. The information in the book and the workbook was just unbelievably valuable.

“And also the ability to mix in with other members, get advice from other members. That’s just so helpful.”

Next Steps

Moving forward, the team is planning to build on the momentum they’ve created by:

Planting trees in the spring
Continuing with wildflower seed plantings
Becoming a registered nonprofit
Growing their membership
Responding to community needs

Advice

We asked Susan, what is your advice for someone who wants to make an impact? Here’s what she said:

“Get yourself known to the public and word of mouth is just not going to be able to do it. You have to be able to get out there and let people know what you have to offer and how to get in contact. That is the key to making a successful group.”