Bluff Lake Nature Center facts for kids
Bluff Lake Nature Center is a special place in Denver, Colorado. It's a 123-acre (50 ha) wildlife refuge and an outdoor learning center. This means it's a safe home for wild animals and a great spot for people to learn about nature. You can find it along Sand Creek, near where the old Stapleton International Airport used to be. Each year, almost 40,000 people visit Bluff Lake. Many visitors come from nearby Denver neighborhoods for school trips or public events.
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What Can You Do at Bluff Lake?
Bluff Lake Nature Center offers many fun and educational activities. It works with schools like Denver Public Schools and Aurora Public Schools. These partnerships help students learn about science in a hands-on way.
Summer Fun and Learning
During the summer, Bluff Lake hosts special events. There are "fireside chats" with The Nature Conservancy of Colorado. Kids can also join week-long Junior Naturalist camps. These camps run in June, July, and August. They are a great way to explore nature and learn new things.
Open to Everyone
Bluff Lake Nature Center is free to visit. It's open to everyone, including families and children from the local neighborhoods. It acts as an open space where people can enjoy nature and learn without planning ahead.
Animals and Nature at Bluff Lake
Bluff Lake Nature Center has many different natural areas. These areas are called habitats. They include wetlands, short-grass prairie, and areas along the creek called a riparian zone. There are also wetland woodlands.
A Home for Wildlife
For over 60 years, this area was a buffer zone for the airport. This helped it become a safe home for many urban wild animals. You might see different kinds of birds like waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors (birds of prey). Songbirds also live here. Larger animals like deer, fox, and beaver visit or live at Bluff Lake. You can also find reptiles, amphibians, and many other types of wildlife.
