Spring is turning Colorado green and we have seen all sorts of wildlife in the Village! Check out our Instagram @CHLP_CO for posts about white pelican and sharp-shined hawk sightings, community updates, and more. We hope that in these new, uncertain times you are finding moments to pause and take restorative walks through the abundant nature around us. However, while we encourage everyone to get out on the trails and love seeing you there, please remember to care for the nature and people around you:
Let’s protect the nature we love -
Thank you for doing your part, and stay safe!
Cherry Hills Land Preserve
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During this COVID-19 experience, we hope you and your families are healthy, safe, and spending time outdoors. We at Cherry Hills Land Preserve find ourselves deeply appreciative of family and friends, and even more grateful for the beautiful open spaces and rural character in our Village that provide respite during challenging times.To learn more about how CHLP is adapting our education programs, including Kids in the Creek, to the new normal, read our letter to supporters HERE. |
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We are adapting our Kids in the Creek programs to the new normal! The summer programs will be designed for small group sizes and with appropriate social distancing. In the event we cannot gather in small groups, we will adapt to live-streamed and pre-recorded presentations from our experts and most popular trail walk partners.
- Education programs will cover a range of topics in a learn-and-explore format. We will be highlighting bees, wolves, snakes, creek habitats, birds, gardening, and stargazing. Look for further updates in our newsletters and website.
- We are updating our popular CHLP Field Guide with activities and information in a downloadable format. The Field Guide includes fun family activities, wildlife identification, and a list of all 26 miles of trails in the Village.
Currently scheduled programs:
- Family Bird Walk on June 12
- Creek Habitats on July 18
- Gardening for Birds on July 22
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John James Nature Sketch Contest
Denver Audubon's John James Nature Sketch Contest is going on now through May 16, 2020! Keep those observation and artistic skills sharp with any newfound time by submitting your work. From Denver Audubon:
"Our namesake, John James Audubon, achieved great status as a naturalist, scientific observer, and artist during his lifetime from 1785 to 1851. To celebrate his 235th birthday (this Sunday, April 26), we are hosting an online “John James Nature Sketch Challenge.” Nature journaling can be an amazing way to reconnect with the great outdoors—it requires contemplative time observing wildlife and plants, as well as taking field notes and sketching what you see. Submit your favorite nature sketches for the chance to win a complimentary, one-year Denver Audubon membership and a customized box of organic Colorado native plants."
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Bioblitz
High Line Canal Conservancy and Denver Audubon are planning a Bioblitz! If you have not been to one of these, it's "a training for community members to learn valuable citizen scientist skills such as basic bird identification to mammal scat and track ID. The training will also cover basics of using apps like iNaturalist and eBird to help record the wildlife and plants observed."
When: July 31, 2020, 8:30 am - 11:30 am
Where: 1900 W Mineral Ave, Littleton, CO 80120 (check-in)
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Tools For Your Time At Home
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Generation Wild
Need more ideas to keep kids happy and healthy through these trying times? Check out Great Outdoors Colorado's Generation Wild website for a seemingly endless collection of ideas to get kids safely outdoors and learning about the world around them.
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Share Your Backyard Exploration Pictures!
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Don't forget to share pictures of all the exploring of our open spaces going on as the weather warms up. We got this one from Blair Watts with the message: "Watts Kids attempting to explore every trail in the [Village] during quarantine."
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Also, pelican sighting! If you were along the High Line Canal near Quincy Farm, you might have seen this group of migratory American white pelicans on their way back from their winter homes along U.S.'s southern coasts.
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What have you been doing outdoors as the weather warms? Tag us on Instagram @CHLP_CO #CHLPbackyard or send us an email:
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Construction at John Meade Park Continues
While observing appropriate safety and social distancing precautions, work at John Meade Park is ongoing. Work is still expected to be finished by September 2020 - for an idea what this will look like, check out this video. Some updates from the City of Cherry Hills Village include:
- The prefabricated restroom arrived and was installed;
- A front porch-like area is being constructed around the restroom building;
- Irrigation is being installed on both sides of the project;
- A concrete pad has been poured for a performance area;
- Decking is being installed through the wetlands and at both fishing piers.
You can read more about this and other Cherry Hills Village updates in this month's Village Crier:
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Giant Hornets
Commonly nicknamed "murder hornets" due to wiping out honeybee colonies and triggering fatal allergic reactions in humans, beekeepers in the Pacific Northwest are on high-alert for these giant hornets. They have not made their way down to Colorado, but it never hurts to be aware!
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Our open spaces are as important now as ever -
support CHLP's work to preserve and enhance open spaces and inspire land stewardship through education.
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