By Elizabeth Taylor   All of us are familiar with the saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” However, along Douglas County Open Space (DCOS) trails, we start seeing native wildflowers blooming in March or April, long before the predicted flower season in May. This year the U.S. Senate designated April as National Native Plant Month, providing wildflower enthusiasts with a

2/25/2022  After more than 21 years with DLC, I have made the difficult decision to retire by the end of 2022. I began my career with DLC in 2000 after working as a resident of Castle Rock helping protect what is now known as the Woodlands Bowl Open Space, in Castle Rock, which is still one of my favorite conserved

DLC’s Board of Directors is a dedicated group of volunteers. For Thankful Thursday, we’d like to share our heartfelt appreciation for outgoing Board President, Jane Boand. Jane is a founding DLC Board member and this was her second time serving as Board President. Please join us in welcoming our incoming Board President, Alan Clarke. Here are some of their thoughts

It was a call from a close friend, Mike, he and his wife will be moving.  Mike asked me if I wanted his observatory.  The kind with a dome, large telescope, computer controls and all matter of neat ‘stuff.’  He wanted it to be used for education, outreach and a place with clear skies.  He knew I did education, astronomy outreach,

Dear Friends of DLC, Earth Day began in 1970 and gave a voice to a growing consciousness about the state of our planet. Since then the movement has grown and today is marked by more than a billion people annually as a day of action to change both human behavior and policy. If you feel inclined to act in honor

Douglas Land Conservancy (DLC) increased its portfolio of conserved lands by more than 2,500 acres this week (Feb. 17) as the conservation easements for the Sandstone Ranch and the Schmidt property in Douglas County’s West Plum Creek valley were finalized. DLC, a non-profit land trust based in Castle Rock, worked in partnership with Douglas County on the conservation easements which

By Alan Clarke During times like these, when momentous events dominate the news on a daily basis and danger lurks everywhere, even at the corner market or in the coffee shop, the world may seem to constantly be on the brink of total chaos with no light visible at the end of the tunnel.  We can too easily get sucked

By:  Mary Ellen Fitzsimonds When we relocated from the Chicagoland area, my husband and I were in search of an area with open spaces and beautiful vistas. Settling in Douglas County, we have been blessed with both. We began looking for ways to connect with our new community and learned about Douglas Land Conservancy through the guided hike program. We

Douglas Land Conservancy would like your time outdoors to be memorable and educational. If you plan to spend time on the trail this weekend or over Fall Break with the whole family take along one of the activities we’ve created or check out the list of (free) apps that we find helpful. Click on these links below to view and

Historic 1,500-acre Ditmars Ranch protected in Douglas County One of Douglas County’s most historic ranches is now protected with a conservation easement made possible by County taxpayers, County Commissioners, The Conservation Fund, Douglas Land Conservancy (DLC), and the owner of Ditmars Ranch. The purchase of Ditmars Ranch conservation easement was jointly funded by The Conservation Fund ($1 million) and Douglas