A TRAIL IN THE SKY
A CAMPAIGN FOR FOX RUN NATURE CENTER
FOX RUN NATURE CENTER - CONTINUING THE LEGACY
PROJECT OVERVIEW
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As with the Bear Creek Nature Center and the Fountain Creek Nature Center, the new Fox Run Nature Center will be educational and interpretive, focusing on the Black Forest and its ponderosa forests. The visitor’s experience will balance the engaging indoor interpretations that reveal the adjacent natural setting of the forest with expanding their understanding and care for the quality of the forest and ecosystem beyond. A versatile media room will be available to the public for gatherings, from lectures to meetings. The Nature Center, nestled in the forest topography, will be the hub for interpretive trails of various lengths interconnected with the existing park trail system.
PROJECT MISSION
The Fox Run Nature Center is an investment in future generations to inspire and create stewards of nature in the Pikes Peak Region.
PROJECT VISION
The Fox Fun Nature Center will 'grow' from the black forest's unique setting and distinctive character by integrating the site, building, and exhibits into one holistic experience that celebrates the natural environment, fosters land stewardship, and connects people from all walks of life.
RECREATIONAL INTEGRITY
Our strategy is to ensure that the Fox Run Nature Center, including the canopy walk and trails, is welcoming, open to all, and universally accessible. Its programs will reflect the many historical and cultural influences shaping our connection to the natural world.
FIRST IN STATE 48TH ANNIVERSARY
El Paso County’s Bear Creek Nature Center was the first nature center in Colorado when it opened in 1976. The county added Fountain Creek Nature Center in 1980.
2024 marks the 48th anniversary of celebrating our county’s natural legacy through the El Paso County Nature Centers.
4,426 VOLUNTEER HOURS
El Paso County Nature Centers have a dedicated volunteer base at a value of over $70,000.00.
PROJECT IN REVIEW
PHASE I
As with any great project, El Paso County’s vision for the Fox Run Nature Center started years before with the inclusion of a Northern Nature Center in the El Paso County Master Plan in 2013. Our commitment to the project continued through the years with the completion of the Northern Nature Center Feasibility Study in 2019 followed closely by the Northern El Paso County Nature Center Interpretive Master Plan in 2020. Since then, we have engaged a team of designers, architects, and engineers to make this vision a reality.
PHASE II
The Fox Run Nature Center Design Project was launched in 2023. Work began in earnest by holding two workshops to identify and focus on the nature center's vision, mission, and programmatic requirements. The project team walked the site several times to determine the best location for the new center, one that balanced the proximity and separation to the park amenities, trails, utilities, and forest diversity.
The project team refined three preliminary designs into a 30% concept design delivered in fall 2023. Concept refinement through stakeholder and public input advanced concept plans to 60% design development in summer 2024. Final design plans are due at the end of 2024, at which point the project will move into a regulatory approval and permitting stage. Construction is planned to commence in late 2025 and be completed in 2026.
“As a champion for improving our environment and community when the opportunity arises, I believe in being a good steward of the earth and environment for the time we are given. I am proud to advocate for opportunities to create engagement and education with the great outdoors, so partnering with and supporting the Fox Run Nature Center is an easy decision for me.” ~ Sherri Heuberger, Owner/President Heuberger Motors Inc. ~
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