Rocky Mountain High
Just 10 minutes from downtown Denver, barely outside of hearing range of the city’s traffic, lies one of the gems of the National Wildlife Refuge System—the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. This sprawling 17,000 acre refuge invites busy city folk to come and enjoy lakes, wetlands, prairies, and forests, all of which are filled with wildlife.

Now, thanks to Wild Birds Unlimited, its customers, and a $25,000 grant through the Pathways To Nature Conservation Program to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Society, thousands of children and visitors can learn more about this unique site and its birds and wildlife through hands-on exhibits and activities. There is also a web-cam that can be accessed from the website below to do some wildlife watching while at your computer.

The Arsenals’ history is as unique as its location and wildlife. Originally inhabited by the Plains Indians and farmed by settlers, the site was transformed into a chemical weapons manufacturing facility in 1942. Chemical production stopped in 1982 and cleanup began in 1987 and will continue through 2011. Much of the habitat at this 27 square mile site has been left intact as a buffer for the chemical manufacturing process—that’s good news for birds and wildlife.

The Arsenal first came to the attention of conservationists when a large roost of Bald Eagles was discovered in 1986. After a groundswell of public interest, Congress designated the site as a future National Wildlife Refuge. Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the site “as if it were a refuge,” while environmental cleanup continues.

Delayed at the Denver airport? Grab your binoculars and start searching for the Arsenal’s Burrowing Owls, Ferruginous Hawks, and some of the more than 225 species of birds that have been recorded here.

For more information about the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, visit: http://rockymountainarsenal.fws.gov

The Pathways To Nature Conservation Fund is a partnership between Wild Birds Unlimited stores and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund environmental education and wildlife viewing projects. We encourage all of our customers to visit these incredible places. Your patronage helped make these projects possible!
 

This is a Pathways To Nature® Travel Log