By Michael Ryno
Please join Douglas Land Conservancy (DLC) in celebrating National Nonprofit Day, which recognizes nonprofit organizations as well as their employees, volunteers, donors, and community partners. Together, these organizations work to make their communities stronger. National Nonprofit Day is an opportunity to recognize something at the heart of every successful nonprofit: its staff, volunteers and supporters working together towards a shared mission.
For DLC, our mission is protecting the lands and natural spaces that make Colorado’s Central Front Range such a special place to live, work, and play. DLC works alongside landowners, local governments, conservation organizations, volunteers, and community members to protect the natural character, wildlife habitat, ecosystems, and open spaces of our region. Since 1987, DLC has helped to permanently protect more than 28,000 acres across Douglas, Jefferson, and Elbert counties.
The public and private open spaces that DLC conserves provide wildlife habitat, preserve intact scenic landscapes, protect important ecosystems, and give people opportunities to experience nature close to home. Through partnerships with local municipalities like the Town of Castle Rock, Town of Parker, and Douglas County, DLC holds conservation easements on more than 14,000 acres of publicly accessible open space. Our conservation partners also include our private landowners, who share the same passion for stewardship that allows us to work together in preserving these lands in perpetuity.
Recent projects such as the 681-acre Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space demonstrate what nonprofit partnerships can accomplish. Permanently protected in 2024 and opened to the public in July 2026, Lost Canyon Ranch preserves grasslands, ponderosa pine forests, wetlands, riparian habitat, and an important wildlife corridor while creating new opportunities for recreation and environmental education.
National Nonprofit Day is also an opportunity to celebrate the multitude of people who make this work possible. DLC depends upon dedicated volunteers, donors, landowners, government partners, local businesses, and community supporters. Their contributions help ensure that the places we value today remain protected for generations to come. Thank you for supporting our work. We look forward to celebrating our 40th anniversary with you in 2027!