Volunteers Create New High Alpine Native Plant Demonstration Garden for Community
Sacramento Creek Ranch (SCR) is a community hub for people of all ages to experience nature and learn about conservation in Fairplay that is managed by Mountain Area Land Trust (MALT), a regional nonprofit that protects land, water, wildlife and Colorado’s way of life.
Over the past year, collaborations with several for-profit and non-profit agencies to enhance the property and offer new educational opportunities such as birding walks, experiential outdoor learning and nature walks have connected hundreds of children and adults to the outdoors.
Recently, MALT’s team partnered with staff at Breckenridge Grand Vacations (BGV Gives) and the Summit Foundation to establish a new High Altitude Native Plant Demonstration Garden near the entrance to the SCR property. Nearly 30 volunteers from BGV Gives spent two days creating walking paths, planting the garden, and installing interpretive signage.
Thanks to volunteers, the garden features more than 30 colorful plants and trees that include species native to Colorado like the Bristlecone Pine, Colorado Blue Spruce, Boulder Raspberry, Quaking Aspen, Rocky Mountain Columbine and Wild Strawberry. Visitors can learn about the hardiness of high alpine plants and how these support local ecosystems on a self-guided tour.
“We are incredibly grateful to BGV Gives for their generosity and support in creating this special place for the community. We are thrilled to open this space for the community to learn about plants native to Colorado that thrive in high altitude,” MALT Executive Director Lynn Caligiuri shared.
“Breckenridge Grand Vacations is proud of and grateful for our partnership with Mountain Area Land Trust to enhance Sacramento Creek Ranch. Through BGV Gives, we provided not only financial support but also volunteer hours to help build the garden. This collaboration offered us a valuable opportunity for teambuilding outside the office, while contributing to a space that benefits the entire community,” says BGV Gives Program Manager Tara Dew.
“This is all part of a larger plan to utilize SCR as a hub for outdoor and nature science-based education and to be a good community partner. SCR is truly a very special place where land, water, wildlife and people will forever be connected and protected,” Caligiuri said.
The SCR Native Plant Demonstration Garden is located at 2234 Busch Run, Fairplay and is free and open to the public daily from dawn to dusk.
