Trail Talk: Third nature center should be welcomed
Do we really need a third nature center?
When that question was asked a decade ago, the answer was yes. When the El Paso County Master Plan was updated two years ago, the answer was still yes.
Some living near Fox Run Regional Park don’t want it in “their park.”
They say it will mean an increase in neighborhood traffic, impact wildlife and cause trees to be removed. I suspect they just don’t want their park to change. I connect with people who love and use their parks. I’m one of those people.
Growing up, my family lived near parks. That was no accident. My parents chose homes based on cost and location. Proximity to a park ranked higher than the location of a school.
I’m not sure my folks knew that living near a park improved property value. Both grew up on farms and they wanted us to have trees to climb and places to play.
I have to believe people chose to live near Fox Run Park for the same reasons.
Will a new nature center change their park? Of course it will. But what if that change turns a great park into an even better park.
As for existing amenities, a recently rebuilt park playground is very popular with young families. On weekends the sports fields are busy. The trails attract hikers, runners and mountain bikers who are generally cordial.
Playgrounds and sports fields are joyful places, excellent for exercise and developing motor skills but nature centers also teach children about trees, wildlife and taking care of their park. Nature centers are led by staff and volunteers, eager to educate and share the wonder of wild places.
According to research conducted by the North America Association for Environmental Education, “Nature centers connect community members with their surrounding environment through unstructured experiences and nature-based programming.” That research team surveyed 16 nature centers hoping to learn why communities value those centers. They wanted to know if such centers do more than promote pro-environmental behaviors and careers. People responding to their survey agreed that terms such as “environmental connection,” “leisure provision,” “community resilience” and “civic engagement” were all reasons why communities value their nature centers.
Do we value those things? Are we willing to trust that the park staff who built and maintain the beloved Pineries Open Space, Bear Creek and Fountain Creek Parks will create something wonderful in Fox Run Park? Say, a state of the art nature center that instills a love of nature and teaches children that they have a critical part to play in the long-term preservation of their park.
Susan Davies is the executive director of the Trails and Open Space Coalition.
Ducks search for food as the fall foliage reflects on a pond Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, in the Cattail Marsh Wildlife Area of the Fountain Creek Nature Center in Fountain.