Twenty-five years ago, a group of volunteers formed an organization called the Jeffco Open Space Foundation, whose purpose was (and is) to raise funds for programs and initiatives that align with its vision, mission, beliefs and its focus areas.
From the beginning, the Foundation has been busy. They have provided partial funding for acquisition of Hildebrand Ranch, South Table, Alderfer/Three Sisters, and Elk Meadow Open Space Parks.
They funded improvements at Evergreen Lake, the Pioneer Trail in Evergreen, and Lair o’the Bear Open Space Park, as well as providing matching funds for the Open Space Grant program.
The Foundation didn’t limit itself to direct monetary support of parks and trails. In 2013, they, along with PLAN Jeffco and Jeffco Open Space, organized the celebration for the 100th Anniversary of Denver Mountain Parks, the 40th Anniversary of Jeffco Open Space, and the 20th Anniversary of Great Outdoor Colorado (GOCO).
The Foundation has funded transportation and fees for students from the Greater Metro Denver Area so that they could visit Dinosaur Ridge, the Hiwan Museum, the Lookout Mountain Nature Center, the Majestic View Nature Center, the Chatfield Botanic Gardens and Bear Creek Lake Park.
Following this amazing inventory of good works, the Foundation went quiet for a few years. But now the Jeffco Foundation is back, in a big way. https://www.jeffcoopenspacefoundation.org
The Vision: The outdoors for everyone, forever.
The Mission: We support initiatives that connect people to the outdoors and preserve nature.
The Beliefs: People need nature to thrive. Nature must be loved and cared for. Children are nature’s next stewards. Experiential learning is lasting.
What is the Foundation’s latest initiative? It’s a campaign to raise money for an adaptive bike or track chair for use by individuals who are experiencing a disability. This is RAD – Recreation Adventures for People Experiencing Disabilities. This aligns with the Foundation’s Vision: the outdoors for everyone, forever. Jeffco Open Space has been modifying some trails to accommodate these mobility devices.
Want to help get everyone on the trail? https://www.jeffcoopenspacefoundation.org/rad-recreation-adventures-for-people-experiencing-disabilities/
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If you’ve recently been out to Alderfer/Three Sisters Park recently, you’ll notice that there’s a lot of forestry activity happening, especially in the eastern one-third of the park.
