Day Of Service Draws Thousands To Help Mother Nature

BOULDER, Colo (CBS) The Xcel Energy Day of Service drew thousands of Coloradans to volunteer on 9 different wildand projects. In Boulder, entire families came out to scour the grasslands.

"I think this is an important message for all of our children. It's an important lesson. You have to give back some," said Craig Eicher, an area manager for Xcel Energy.

"Get out there and help the environment!" added Colton Eicher, a volunteer.

The volunteers in Boulder worked with Wildlands Restoration to collect seeds from native plants. Those seeds will then be cleaned up and replanted in other areas.

"It's where the big fires have hit, we'll sprinkle the seeds to make the vegetation grow," explained Campbell Breithaupt, a volunteer.

The project in Evergreen focused on forest health. Volunteers worked with Jefferson County Open Spaces to cut down sapling Douglas Fir trees. Thinning the forest gives the other trees more room to thrive, it reduces the fuel for wildfires, and it creates better habitats for wildlife. CBS4's Alan Gionet and his family took part in that project.

"We're mulching," Logan Durham told CBS4.

Durham and her mother volunteered in Denver at the project in Silverman Park in Montbello. Dozens of people helped with park maintenance including painting a pavilion, mulching trees and weeding flow beds. CBS4's Lauren Whitney, Kelly Werthmann, Kelly Brown, and Gloria Neal joined dozens of Xcel Energy employees and other volunteers on that project.

"Our employees have a culture of giving back to the community. We live, work and play in the communities we serve," said Jerome Davis, regional manager for Xcel Energy.

PHOTO GALLERY: Day Of Service

In Highlands Ranch, volunteers dug deep including CBS4's Joel Hillan. They were helping the Highlands Ranch Metro District create a beautiful new entryway into the community. The group planted roses in the median at C-470 and Broadway.

Day of Service was an opportunity for families to work together, but many community groups also came out to fulfill their missions.

"It's very important to us to know that we're giving back to the community, " said Lisa Lumley of the Junior League of Denver.

When the day was done, some 2200 volunteers did work on 9 projects along the front range and truly made a difference in the Colorado landscape.

--Written for cbsdenver.com by CBS4 Special Projects Producer Libby Smith