Red Feather Lakes library landscaping project sets up outdoor learning

If you’ve been by the Red Feather Lakes Community Library recently you’ve noticed continuing progress on our landscaping project, that, when finished, will provide outdoor seating for all and educational play areas for children, a small nature center building that will provide opportunities for library and community science learning, gardens that feature area native plants, and a more logical, usable parking lot that is intended to be easier (and safer) to use than our previous Z-shaped arrangement.

By Creed Kidd
Library Director

The intent is to provide outdoor opportunity with an emphasis on children’s nature education.

We expect most work to be completed in the coming warmer season with a grand opening projected now in September. We’ll provide more detail in coming columns here in the North Forty News.

Funding has been graciously provided by a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) competitive grant; a Larimer County grant; a small matching fund ($500) through the library itself, and last, but certainly not least, fundraising by Friends of Red Feather Lakes Community Library.

However, much of the project has been — and remains — a community-volunteer effort. For example, the volunteer efforts of Home Depot of Fort Collins whose employee crews constructed the garden bed walls and children’s sandbox/paleontological dig area; the arrangement and layout of the garden watering lines (with continuing assistance by the Red Feather Volunteer Fire Department); the capping and finishing of the garden areas; planning; donation of rustic materials by Fox Acres; donation of soil and plant materials for the garden beds by local residents; the construction of the rustic parking stall caps and, this coming season, log-based seating; and, a small, appropriate sculpture has been committed. Further along, we’ll comprehensively name names.However, our thanks now to all individuals, groups, organizations and companies that have, are, or will be contributing.

Inside the library, of course, we offer many options for the younger set and their parents.

Thrice-weekly programming is offered through the year (except the summer season, during which Summer Reading Program activities supplement or enhance ongoing programs). Offered from 11:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, “Little Explorers” provides preschoolers (ages 3-5) and parents with activities, stories and age-appropriate crafts. “Fun with Art,” an hour-long class starting at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Glacier View Meadows HOA facilities at Gate 8, is intended for children grades 2 and up and features varying art and crafts projects.

“Ready, Set, Go,” for elementary-school aged kids, is offered Thursdays from 3 to 4 p.m. and includes stories, activities, games, crafts and sundry other ways of engaging children for an hour.

No signup necessary for any of these programs — anyone and everyone within the appropriate age range is welcome. We do recommend, however, contacting children’s librarian Darlene Kilpatrick, darlene@redfeatherlibrary.org or 970-881-2664 Monday through Thursday, for more information and a rundown of upcoming children’s programs and events.