Nature Play
Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges (Friends) wants you to be a part of the future of the refuge!
Join Friends on January 24, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (RMANWR) for a special community event led by the GenWild NEMC Youth Council.
Activities:
This gathering will feature live birds, amphibians, and reptiles from Nature’s Educators, FREE food and coffee trucks, $25 stipend for youth feedback, and a hands-on art activity with local artist Michael Gadlin. Attendees will also have the unique opportunity to learn about and provide input on the upcoming Montbello landscape transformation project near RMANWR’s 56th Street trail entrances.
Initial designs for the new nature play site will be unveiled, and community members are invited to share their feedback while receiving compensation for their valuable contributions. Join us to help shape a vibrant, accessible natural space for all to enjoy.
Inspired by neighboring resident requests, this project is about more than just outdoor play—it’s about access, connection, and belonging.
Through community engagement, we’ve identified key barriers that prevent under-resourced communities from fully accessing and enjoying the Refuge. One major challenge is a lack of awareness about the outdoor recreation opportunities available here. To address this, the Nature Play area is a stepping stone—an invitation for all people, especially families and youth, to form lasting connections with this unique prairie ecosystem.
The design of this Nature Play site centers community input through multiple opportunities at multiple locations neighboring the refuge for resident feedback and two volunteering opportunities at the project site.
Nature Play encourages exploration, confidence-building, and safe risk-taking in a space that is culturally relevant to the surrounding communities. Interpretive signs in both English and Spanish will ensure that information is welcoming and accessible. Located next to the visitor center’s youth Discovery Room, this space will also be ADA accessible, reinforcing our commitment to equitable access to nature.
We know that when children spend time in well-designed outdoor spaces, the benefits are profound—better physical health, stronger social-emotional skills, and a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors. By investing in this project, we are investing in our future—a future where nature is not only preserved but experienced, stewarded, and shared by all.
