协会概况
美国派克斯峰水花园协会总部位于科罗拉多州科罗拉多斯普林斯市，主体活动区域围绕派克斯峰周边的埃尔帕索县一带，是一个非营利的同业爱好者团体，会员多数集中在本地区，也向外来爱好者开放旁听月会。协会最早的源头是1989年成立的派克斯峰水花园社（Pikes Peak Water Garden Society），随后在2009年另有一群锦鲤爱好者组建了南科罗拉多锦鲤俱乐部（Southern Colorado Koi Club）。2025年，这两家组织正式合并，沿用派克斯峰锦鲤与水花园协会（Pikes Peak Koi & Water Garden Society，简称 PPKWGS）的名称对外运作。协会的宗旨是为水景花园与锦鲤爱好者提供交流、推广与培训机会，并维护锦鲤福利。它既向初学者介绍如何建造和维护一个均衡的池塘，也帮助有经验的会员解决锦鲤饲养、水生植物搭配、季节性池塘维护等方面的具体问题。会员在年度会员费之外，还可以参加集体采购、年度植物拍卖、池塘参观日等专项活动。
月会与活动场所
协会的常规月会安排在每年3月到10月之间的第二个周四晚上，多数场次晚7点开始、9点到9点半结束。会议地点在科罗拉多斯普林斯市的 Mountain View Church of Christ（地址为 1080 East La Salle Street，位于宪法大道西端、西南角，从教堂北侧的东门进入）。会议向公众开放，对水景花园和锦鲤有兴趣的人都可以报名参加单次旁听，再决定是否加入。除月会外，协会每年固定举办的活动包括：一年一度的池塘参观之旅（2026年是第37届，日期为8月1日和2日）；春季植物销售（2026年的春季销售定在5月30日）；春季的池塘清洗工作坊（在当地两个示范池塘轮流进行）；秋季的沉箱越冬工作坊。会员还可在私有的会员区域内查看会议纪要、照片、分类广告、群购信息等。
组织架构与志愿者
协会的日常事务由一届理事会和若干专项协调人共同承担。会长由 Bob Oatman 担任，副会长是 Cathy Bulf，财务由 Brenda Walth 负责。理事会还设有四位 Member At Large，分别是 Allen Burbidge、Nicholas Simco、Ellen Simco 和 Robin Robbins，分别牵头募款、会员事务、锦鲤群购和再安置拍卖等方向。Bob Oatman 同时担任网站管理员，与 Chris Rigdon 共同维护协会网站；Rachel Lentz 是协会刊物的编辑；Linda Burbidge 负责会间茶歇；Phil Goulding 协调锦鲤饲料的群购。会员可发邮件到对应职能邮箱（公开列在协会网站的 Officers 页）与负责人联系。协会强调志愿性质，几乎所有工作都由会员轮值承担。月会现场的桌椅布置、池塘工作坊的工具准备、植物销售的搬运、池塘参观日的接待，都依靠会员投入时间。会员费只是补贴场地、印刷品和少数物料，并不为任何理事发放报酬。
示范池塘与社区服务
协会目前在派克斯峰地区维护两个示范池塘，分别位于 Union Printers Home 和当地 Humane Society 周边。这两个池塘既是活生生的样本，也是会员动手实践的培训场所。每年春天，会员会在有经验的同伴指导下清理池塘、更换基质、分株耐寒睡莲和边缘植物；每年秋天则一起完成越冬前的下沉作业，确保鱼类和植物在冰封期前得到妥善安置。工作坊通常从上午9点开始，到中午前后结束，向新会员和有意自建池塘的访客开放。协会常年得到几家本地商户的支持，包括 Phelan Gardens（春季植物销售和年度锦鲤再安置拍卖的东道主）、Hiner Outdoor Living、Multi-Duti Manufacturing（一家本地水泵厂家）、Crystal Ponds LLC 等。PPKWGS 会员在这些商户处购物可享受5%的折扣，是会员费之外的一项长期回馈。
出版物与公众参与
协会编发一份会员刊物，内容涵盖池塘维护技巧、植物与锦鱼品种介绍、季节性提醒和会员投稿。月度公告通常通过会员邮件列表发送，详细的活动照片、纪要和分类广告则集中在网站的 Members Area。协会也鼓励会员参加一年一度的锦鲤再安置拍卖，把自家不再需要的锦鲤重新安置到合适的家庭池塘里，既减少损失，也帮助新加入的爱好者建立鱼群。对公众而言，最直接的参与方式是先报名旁听一次月会，看看是否合自己的兴趣；之后通过 Membership 页面填写表格，按个人或家庭缴纳会费即可成为会员。所有公开信息，包括 Officers 名单、Meetings 地点、Plant Sale 时间、Pond Tour 路线，都汇总在协会的网站主页上，会员与非会员均可查阅。
Society Overview
The Pikes Peak Koi & Water Garden Society (PPKWGS) is a non-profit hobbyist club based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, serving water gardeners and koi keepers across the Pikes Peak region. It traces its roots to the Pikes Peak Water Garden Society, founded locally in 1989 to encourage interest in pond construction, aquatic plants, and pond keeping. A separate Southern Colorado Koi Club was started in 2009. In 2025 the two organizations merged into the current Pikes Peak Koi & Water Garden Society, combining decades of experience in water gardening and koi husbandry under one banner. The club’s stated mission is to cultivate a friendly and welcoming environment dedicated to the promotion, development, and expansion of water gardening, and to the care, admiration, exhibition, and responsible ownership of koi. Knowledge is shared through monthly meetings, hands-on workshops, an annual plant sale, and an annual pond tour. Membership is open to the public; interested water gardeners and koi keepers are invited to attend a meeting before joining.
Monthly Meetings and Event Calendar
Regular monthly meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month from March through October. Most sessions start at 7:00 PM and wrap up between 9:00 and 9:30 PM. Meetings take place at Mountain View Church of Christ, 1080 East La Salle Street, on the southwest corner at the west end of Constitution Avenue. Visitors enter through the east door on the north side of the building. Recurring items on the club calendar include the annual pond tour (the 37th edition is scheduled for August 1 and 2, 2026), the annual plant sale (May 30, 2026), and seasonal workshop days at the two demonstration ponds. The plant sale typically features hardy water lilies and marginal aquatic plants propagated by club members, with proceeds supporting club activities. Members are encouraged to help with setup, sales, and cleanup.
Organization and Volunteers
Day-to-day operations are carried out by an elected board and a roster of coordinators. Bob Oatman serves as President and Webmaster; Cathy Bulf is Vice President and leads the rehoming auction; Brenda Walth is Treasurer. Four Members-at-Large — Allen Burbidge, Nicholas Simco, Ellen Simco, and Robin Robbins — handle fundraising, membership, koi food group buys, and other projects. Rachel Lentz edits club publications, Linda Burbidge organizes refreshments, and Phil Goulding coordinates the group koi food buy. The club runs almost entirely on volunteer effort. Meeting setup, demonstration pond maintenance, plant sale logistics, and pond tour hosting are all done by members in rotation. Dues are kept modest and are used to cover meeting space, printing, and event supplies rather than staff compensation. Members can reach the appropriate officer or coordinator via the role-based email addresses listed on the Officers page of the club website.
Demonstration Ponds and Community Service
The club maintains two demonstration ponds in the Pikes Peak region, at Union Printers Home and at the local Humane Society. Both serve as training sites for new members and visitors interested in building their own ponds. Each spring, experienced members walk through the annual spring cleaning — removing winter debris, dividing hardy water lilies, and repotting marginal plants — beginning at 9:00 AM and continuing into early afternoon. Each fall, the same ponds host the lily-sinking workshop, where members learn how to prepare fish and plants for the coming freeze. Local sponsors include Phelan Gardens (host of the annual plant sale and koi rehoming auction), Hiner Outdoor Living, Multi-Duti Manufacturing (a local maker of sequence pumps), and Crystal Ponds LLC. PPKWGS members receive a 5% discount on store products at participating sponsors, a benefit that supplements the value of annual dues.
Publications and Public Participation
The club publishes a member newsletter with seasonal tips, member-written articles on pond and koi care, and announcements of upcoming events. Detailed meeting minutes, photo galleries, classified listings, and group-buy information are kept in the Members Area of the website. Members are also encouraged to use the annual koi rehoming auction as a responsible way to rehome koi they can no longer keep. For the general public, the easiest way to get involved is to attend a single monthly meeting as a guest. Visitors can ask questions, see club materials, and decide whether the club fits their interests before completing the membership form. Memberships are available for individuals and families at modest annual rates. Meeting schedules, officer contacts, plant sale dates, and pond tour details are kept up to date on the club’s main website for both members and non-members to consult.
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