We recently caught up with Coral Amayi, who took one of our original Community Adventure Programs (CAP Class) at New Vista High School 20 years ago back in 2004 with Ford Church, our Founder and Executive Director

How have you used the skills you learned in CAP Class in your career today?

I have absolutely used the skills I learned from CAP Class in high school in my career today. In 2004, I did an Action Project through CAP Class in which our class wrote an article called “What’s The Scoop On Dog Poop”. After our class ended, our article was published in the Boulder Weekly and The Daily Camera and I was invited to recorded a Public Service Announcement for KGNU.

I am now the Humane Education Coordinator for the Longmont Humane Society. Almost 20 years later after completing our Action Project, I got to use that very specific information and skill to create a “Scoop on Dog Poop” poster for our Earth Day booth for the Longmont Humane Society serving the Longmont, Lyons, and Lafayette communities. This time, I made the poster in both English and Spanish.

I remembered Ford Church teaching us about the man who recorded GPS markers for every pile of dog poop he found on a local trail in Boulder and he tallied 1,494 piles of dog poop on a one-mile stretch of the Mt. Sanitas Trail.

As the research from our original Scoop On Dog Poop article revealed, “Dog waste has severe environmental and aesthetic effects on an ecosystem. Studies in Boulder County have revealed the presence of dog waste has chemically imbalanced the ecosystem by depositing high levels of nitrogen, making it difficult for native plants to grow, while causing some “weeds” to flourish. Dog waste also releases harmful compounds into creeks and ponds. It upsets algae growth and may harm fish and other animals dependent on that water source. A single gram of dog waste contains up to twenty-three million infective bacteria, including E. Coli. Contaminated water can also pose a threat to humans because when the water is used for recreation, infections and gastro illness become more probable.”

This time, I urged the public to pick up their waste with a much bigger emphasis on compostable dog poop bags.

As Education Coordinator for the Longmont Humane Society, I work with kids now and I aim to impact them like Ford did for me by having enthusiasm and passion for being a good steward of the earth and all animals.

Where can we learn more about your work with the Longmont Humane Society?

Here is more information about the Kids and Critters Camp I will be running for the Longmont Humane Society this summer.

I am also offering free presentations around the St. Vrain School District called LHS CARES and I have included an attachment to our offerings if you know any schools or groups that might be interested. Check back soon to the Longmont Humane Society as our new website updates are soon to be published.

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