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PLAN Jeffco Monthly April 2026

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PJ Monthly Newletter April 2026

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SLASH 2026

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SLASH 2026 full schedule

It’s SLASH season again!

The 2025 SLASH (Sustainable Lands and Safer Homes) season is upon us. From May 15th to October 25th, four SLASH collection sites will be open for business, mostly on Thursdays thru Sundays, 9AM to 4PM, unless otherwise posted. You should plan to arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to closing. Read more

Information Specialist Judy Smetana, Volunteer Program Coordinator Ronnie Terry, and Volunteer Gardeners Michelle Poolet and Sandy Bates stand in front of the Boettcher Mansion display at this year’s Volunteer Recruitment Fair, which was held at JCPOS Headquarters in Golden.

OPEN SPACE VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT FAIR 2026

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Information Specialist Judy Smetana, Volunteer Program Coordinator Ronnie Terry, and Volunteer Gardeners Michelle Poolet and Sandy Bates stand in front of the Boettcher Mansion display at this year’s Volunteer Recruitment Fair, which was held at JCPOS Headquarters in Golden.

Information Specialist Judy Smetana, Volunteer Program Coordinator Ronnie Terry, and Volunteer Gardeners Michelle Poolet and Sandy Bates stand in front of the Boettcher Mansion display at this year’s Volunteer Recruitment Fair, which was held at JCPOS Headquarters in Golden.

Volunteerism isn’t anything new – it’s been around for hundreds if not thousands of years. Officially, volunteerism can be traced back to the 12th century in Britain, where more than 500 hospitals were staffed by volunteers.

The word “volunteer” stems from the Latin voluntarius – “willing, of one’s own free will”. It became part of the English language via Middle French, initially referring to someone who willingly offered themselves for military duty. Today, it has evolved to mean anyone entering service freely, whether military or community service.

Every year, Jeffco Parks & Open Space (JCPOS) hosts a Volunteer Recruitment Fair, during which time folks who are interested in becoming more engaged with our parks can investigate what being a hands-on part of Open Space might be like, i.e. entering service freely. Read more

Boettcher Mansion Gardens Re-emerge with the Spring

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The Boettcher Mansion as seen from the Mule Deer garden.

By Victoria Gits, PLAN Jeffco Staff Writer and Board Secretary

Three years ago, the lovely, historic Boettcher Mansion on Lookout Mountain was surrounded by a mostly neglected landscape of overgrown grasses and weeds not really in keeping with the grand Arts and Crafts home known as a popular wedding venue.

Thanks to volunteer gardeners, today the grounds on three sides of the house are full of thriving annuals, perennials, shade-or-sun loving plants, flowering shrubs and vines. Even in mid-September one can peruse the zinnias, sunflowers, impatiens, daisies and mums – and petunias, calibrachoa, and sweet potato vine – lots and lots of them.

Instead of forgettable space, the outdoors is now a horticultural showcase and a destination worthy of taking visitors for a peaceful walk any time of day for free, with or without a wedding to attend. Read more

ENOR group hiking in the park

ENOR Environmental Discovery Camp Has Scholarships

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ENOR group hiking in the park

You’re hiking or cycling in one of our Open Space parks. You encounter a group of kids with a couple of adults, and they seem totally engrossed in a patch of shrubbery. You stop for a moment, you hear children’s voices exclaiming about what they’ve found – they seem so excited about everything around them.

Welcome to ENOR – Eagle’s Nest, Owl’s Roost – Environmental Discovery Camp, which is sponsored by the Jeffco CSU Extension office. ENOR has been in the business of getting kids outdoors for more than 50 years.

Jeffco Parks & Open Space was so impressed with ENOR’s achievements that, in 2024, they presented ENOR with the Gambel Oak Award, as a Pioneer in Environmental Education, at that year’s Conservation Awards Ceremony. Read more

2026 Conservation Awards nominees

2026 Conservation Awards

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2026 Conservation Awards nominees

By Vicky Gits Staff Writer                  Photos: Jefferson County Parks and Open Space

Conservation Awards night Jan. 29, 2026, at the Lakewood Cultural Center did not disappoint, with inspiring videos starring parks volunteers raving about how much they enjoy their duties, even cleaning toilets for Jefferson County Parks and Open Space.

The annual awards night is a tradition that has taken place since 2018 with the exception of 2021, when it was suspended because of COVID.

Currently there are about 550 regular, ongoing volunteers donating thousands of hours per year to educate visitors, build and maintain trails, restore vegetation, give advice to hikers, supply toilet paper, pick up litter and welcome visitors. A couple of thousand also turn out for one-time projects.

Emceeing the event this year was the newly appointed director of JCPOS, Aaron Roth, former National Park Service deputy regional director of eight states, in Lakewood for 20 years. His responsibilities there included oversight of Rocky Mountain and Great Sand Dunes national parks in Colorado. Read more

Snow in the Canyon - Chris Davel

PLAN Jeffco Monthly January 2026

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PLAN Jeffco Monthly January 2026

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Entrance to the Jenkins Peak Trail. The former dog park housed a popular fenced off-leash area JCPOS closed down the area in 2017.

Miracle Makeover: Stagecoach Trailhead Reopens

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By Vicky Gits, Staff Writer PLAN Jeffco

The map at the entrance to the refurbished and new trails in the former Bark Park in Evergreen.

After being closed for restoration since 2017, the former dog park and trailhead off Stagecoach Boulevard reopened Oct. 25, 2025, as a feature inside Elk Meadow Park in Evergreen. Dogs are still welcome in the park, as they are elsewhere in the system, but they must be on leash, as there is no fenced, off-leash area.

The Stagecoach Trailhead is about two miles west of Evergreen Parkway on the south end of Elk Meadow Park. The enclave has 107 acres compared to 1,600 acres in the whole of Elk Meadow Park. Read more