Help us bring this vision to fort collins.
We recognize the former Hughes Stadium site is the traditional homeland of several Indigenous Nations. The city is also home to Indigenous People representing many Nations. We want to honor the people and stewardship of the area from thousands of years ago to the present day and into the future.
The Fort Collins community has long fostered a uniquely close relationship with local wildlife and nature. Accessibility to nature is a big part of why many people live and thrive here. Local non-profits now perceive an inspiring opportunity to honor and deepen that relationship. We propose a wildlife rehabilitation and nature facility surrounded by experiential natural space on a portion of the former Hughes Stadium property that helps our community connect more profoundly with our natural world. The facility will enhance engagement with nature and promote a better understanding of wildlife and conservation for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. It will also provide one-of-a-kind volunteerism, education, internship opportunities, and licensed and professional wildlife rescue services. The City of Fort Collins is following a Civic Assembly community engagement process and will also be engaging with the local Indigenous community. We look forward to learning and sharing more as those meetings are held.
The space will enhance engagement with nature and promote a better understanding of wildlife and conservation for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
In collaboration with local community members, businesses, and supporting partners, we propose a shared cooperative space. This space will allow residents and visitors to gather and experience impactful science, conservation, education, and raptor rehabilitation activities, providing a retreat into our natural world.
The space will function as a conservation “think tank,” providing a greater ability to collaborate and build closer connections to the community by merging our talents, resources, and programs. It will be open to the public, including school groups, college students, and community members, fostering advanced learning opportunities. Visitors will experience wildlife viewing, rehabilitation, and connections to nature and learn about everyday conservation actions they can take at home, at school, or in their neighborhoods. For those wishing to engage with the natural world, this open space has connecting trails to existing natural areas.
Envision a place where our community can explore, gain respect for, and learn the importance of our responsibility in living in Colorado. Centrally located near bike trails, wildlife habitats, public transportation, veterinary hospitals, regulatory agencies, and other visitor-friendly hubs, this space will enhance community connectivity and expand trails to neighboring natural areas while restoring the surrounding grassland, shrubland, and montane ecosystem.
Together, we can create a unique space where compassionate people can come together to serve and protect the local natural resources that make Fort Collins so beautiful and diverse. No other community in the Rockies brings together the ornithology and wildlife capacity that we have to offer. Help us bring this vision to Fort Collins. We need your ideas, thoughts, hopes, connections, and, yes, your financial support.
You can visit the City of Fort Collins’ dedicated page to Hughes’ future, learn more about the Civic Assembly process, and complete the community survey.
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