Hygge: Hot Chocolate in front of fireplace

Miss Manners – Winter Contemplation

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Hygge: Hot Chocolate in front of fireplace

In memory of our beloved Board member Bette Seeland, we’re republishing a few of the articles in which she was a major contributor…this is one of them.

It’s called hygge, defined as a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being. It’s a defining characteristic of Danish culture, where winters can be long and dark and cold.

Here in the middle of a North American winter, we’ve been experiencing some pretty darn chilly days.  A little bit of hygge (purse your lips and say hu-gue) might feel pretty good right now, so I invite you to join me in front of the fireplace.  Read more

Bette Seeland head shot

PLAN Jeffco Loses Co-Founder Bette Seeland

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Bette Seeland portrait

PLAN Jeffco co-founder Bette Seeland helped launch the campaign for Jefferson County Open Space and was a pillar of PLAN Jeffco for 52 years.

By Vicky Gits

Bette Seeland, one of three co-founders of PLAN Jeffco in 1971, along with John Litz and Margot Zallen, passed away March 2, after a long illness. Read more

Westminster Reverter - social trail heading west into Rocky Flats

Open Space agrees to forgo trail improvement near Rocky Flats in deal with Westminster

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Westminster Reverter - social trail heading west into Rocky Flats

Westminster social trail heading west across Indiana Street into Rocky Flats.

By Vicky Gits

Jeffco Open Space Advisory Board unanimously approved an agreement resolving a contract dispute between Open Space and the City of Westminster over completing a 0.4-mile-long trail connection between the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge and Westminster Hills Open Space. The advisory board endorsed the deal in an 8-0 vote in a regular meeting on March 6. Read more

John Litz Award plaque 2025

Jeffco Open Space Conservation Awards 2025

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2025 Conservation Awards Ceremony - Tom Hoby, Opening Ceremonies

2025 Conservation Awards Ceremony – Tom Hoby, Opening Ceremony, January 30, 2025. Article by Vicky Gits, photo courtesy of Michelle Poolet

Volunteers are the heartbeat of the Jefferson County Open Space system. In 2024, 6,038 individuals logged 57,000 working hours. They completed 549 projects, preserved 291 acres and created 17 miles of new trails.

All this effort represented the equivalent of 31 full-time workers, said Tom Hoby, executive director, at the 2025 Conservation Awards ceremony Jan. 30 at the Lakewood Cultural Center. Read more

Take Notice — Winter Is Here!

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A few years ago, Shaun Howard, who was the Jeffco Open Space Ranger lead at that time, wrote this post to help all Open Space Park visitors understand a little more about how to enjoy winter activities in the Parks. It’s time to republish as a reminder.

Our parks are “primitive” parks. Don’t expect the trails to be groomed for you. Make sure you have micro-spikes with you, just in case you need them. Be prepared for any type of weather, especially as you gain in elevation. Know before you go.

Temps have dropped and winter winds lick the landscape of the Jeffco Parks. Although the winter season has arrived, the parks are still great places to visit. Read on for essential winter safety tips.

Read more

PLAN Jeffco Monthly December 2024

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May your days be filled with peace, hope, and joy this Holiday Season and throughout the New Year. May your every wish come true; may your days be merry and bright and your evenings be cozy with contentment.

Download your copy of the December newsletter here.

 

 

 

 

Trails Through Time: A Geologist’s Guide to Jefferson County Open Space Parks

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Typical outcrop of 1.4 billion year old granite in Alderfer/Three Sisters Park.

Typical outcrop of 1.4 billion year old granite in Alderfer/Three Sisters Park.

This article was initially published in 2014. Between then and now, the link to the full document was lost. Thankfully, we’ve just been able to recover a copy of the document, thanks to generous efforts by the USGS. We’ve embedded the document in our own library, for safekeeping. This repost will lead you to the full story of the geologic history of Jeffco’s Open Space Parks, as they were in 2014.

Jefferson County straddles one of the most conspicuous and important geographic and geologic boundaries in western North America, the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains. To the east you can travel 1,100 miles across Great Plains and Central Lowlands before you sight the western foothills of the Appalachians. If you travel in the other direction you will cross or skirt mountain range after mountain range until you sight the Coast Range near San Francisco, more than 900 miles to the west. Many of these mountains have different ages and origins than the Colorado mountains, but they are all part of the great mountain belt called the North American Cordillera that extends along the western edge of the continent from Alaska through Mexico. Read more

PJ Monthly Nov24 thumbnail

PLAN Jeffco Monthly November 2024

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PJ Monthly Nov24 thumbnail

Join Us in Celebrating as we mark one year of the PLAN Jeffco Monthly. We invite you to reflect on the importance of community engagement in enhancing the quality of life in Jefferson County. Your participation plays a crucial role in our advocacy for open spaces, and we appreciate your commitment to preserving the environment. Together, we can continue to foster a deep connection with nature and encourage others to enjoy the diverse parks and recreational opportunities our county has to offer. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us!

Download your copy of the November newsletter here.