Past Accomplishments

SMLC has initiated or participated in conservation and land preservation projects in the south metro area totaling 10,300 acres.  They include:

  • Buffering S. Platte Park:
    • Newton Trust property: 18.75 acres (site of Aspen Grove Shopping Center); Advocacy and Financial Participation
    • Superchi Property:  22 acres; Advocacy and Financial Participation
    • Ensor property:  7.8 acres; Financial Participation and Held Easement
  • Chambers Farm (now Wynetka Ponds Park):  28 acres; Advocacy and Held and Disbursed funds raised by Chambers Farm Preservation Association
  • Chatfield Basin Conservation Network:  Financial Participation and Grant Writer
  • Chatfield Environmental Pool Stakeholder Group: Member and Purchaser of Water Share for Recreation on S. Platte River
  • Stockwell/Hildebrand Property: 1,450 acres adjoining Chatfield State Park and Denver Botanic Gardens; Advocacy and Financial Participation
  • Mineral Avenue Trail (former railroad spur); Advocacy and Financial Participation
  • Audubon Nature Center at Chatfield State Park; Advocacy and Fund Raising
  • Bowtie Property adjacent to Cherry Creek State Park: 8.6 acres; Provided Easement Monitoring
  • Marjorie Perry Preserve on the Highline Canal: 55 acres; Financial Participation and Held Easement
  • Oxbow Property along S. Platte River: 3 acres; Advocacy and Financial Participation
  • Lee Gulch Open Space:  5.5 acres; Held Conservation Easement
  • Marrs Ranch – West Bijou Creek (adjacent to former Plains Conservation Center land in Eastern Arapahoe County):  1,000 acres; Advocacy and Financial Participation
  • Carson Nature Center Solar Classroom Construction at S. Platte Park:  Financial Participation
  • Other:
    • South Platte Working Group
    • Arapahoe County Open Space Task Force
    • Arapahoe County Open Space and Trails Advisory Board
    • Cherry Creek Basin Working Group
    • High Line Working Group
    • Waterton Canyon Partnership
Photo courtesy of Maureen Ravnik Photography, maureenravnik.crevado.com

"Generation Wild" Great Outdoors Colorado Project with Bemis Library and the Village Preschool

Under the auspices of Great Outdoors Colorado’s “Generation Wild: Kids Grow Better Outside” program, SMLC took on a project in 2018 to reconnect children with nature. SMLC partnered with Bemis Library on its summer reading program by designing a scavenger hunt booklet to get children out in our parks and awarding them with a SMLC-purchased book about nature. In 2019 this partnership continued in conjunction with the Friends of the Library/Museum (FOLM), and the Village Preschool received free books and activity booklets. SMLC funded high-quality, nature-themed books for these reading programs.

Generation Wild is a campaign to reconnect children with nature.

Funds from the Grace Kramlich Memorial Fund were committed to the purchase of the books. This donation is noted in each book. Grace was a long-time supporter of SMLC.

Former board member John Hershey delivers books purchased by SMLC to Bemis Library for the summer reading program and scavenger hunt.
SMLC board member Scott Melin delivers nature books for the kids at Village Preschool in Littleton