Take a peek at what life is like behind the scenes for Greeley, Colorado's Natural Areas & Trails staff.
The City of Greeley is in the process of restocking the Poudre Ponds, which reopened in 2022 after two years of construction. On April 6, Greeley Natural Area Technician II Kaitlyn Ikenouye waded into the water to check its temperature, as Colorado Parks and Wildlife has a 10-degree window it needs to meet to deposit hatchery fish safely.
To collect an accurate measurement in the right water depths, Kaitlyn MacGyver'd together a thermometer to a meter stick weighted down by a stone. While it may not be super sophisticated, it's accurate, which we know the trout dropped off the next day certainly appreciated!
When we shared Kaitlyn's story with the community, residents loved this innovative thinking, writing:
"Thank You ALL for the beautiful areas you provide and maintain for all of us as citizens to enjoy. Well done!!"
"Appreciate all your hard work and growing this area of our community's parks and recreation opportunities"
"Good job. Good way to improvise, adapt and overcome!"
"MacGyvering creative ways to meet needs! Awesome!"
We're proud of the ways City of Greeley employees find new ways to get things done every day. Our elected officials, staff, and volunteers truly help make Greeley "a story best lived in."