Daniels Park Grassland Demonstration Garden: Reconnecting Metro Denver to Colorado’s native and culturally significant plants
Grassland Restoration at Daniels Park
As a recipient of one of our 2024 demonstration project grants, Denver Zoo is working to restore and highlight the importance of Colorado's native grasslands through the creation of a public demonstration garden at Daniels Park, a grassland landscape in Douglas County. The garden will be a public educational and conservation hub that empowers visitors to become advocates for grasslands by establishing similar spaces in their communities, supporting pollinators, and ultimately protecting Colorado's natural heritage.
Learning About Colorado’s Grasslands
The garden aims to engage nearly 222,000 annual visitors to Daniels Park by offering a space where they can learn about Colorado's grasslands and their ecological and cultural significance. Plants have been selected with the input of Lewis TallBull to include medicinal and ceremonial properties. It will serve as an educational tool to enhance learning opportunities for K-12 schools, DZCA’s Conservation Camp, and local college students from under-resourced areas, encouraging visitors of all ages to understand and appreciate the diversity of grassland plants. The garden will also feature interpretive signage in both English and Spanish, making it accessible to a broader audience.
Equity in Conservation
A major focus of the project is to promote equity in nature by making the garden accessible to everyone, including underserved communities. The project will provide programming, transportation, and hands-on participation opportunities to students, allowing them to help plant and care for the garden while learning about conservation. By connecting people to nature and cultivating traditional ecological knowledge, the garden aims to foster grassroots conservation efforts in the region.
Facilitated by:
This project is facilitated by Denver Zoo, and it is a collaborative effort with Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (DZCA), Denver Mountain Parks, TallBull Memorial Council, and Denver Parks and Recreation's Greenhouse Team and Open Space Team to create a 3,800 sq. ft. garden that will connect visitors to both the conservation and cultural value of prairies and grasslands.
