The fourth annual Cherry Hills Land Preserve Trail Walk at Quincy Farm, sponsored by the CHLP appeared to be a hit with the community of Cherry Hills Village. Quincy Farm was a perfect venue and got me pretty jazzed as to the future of the farm for this community. As the City of Cherry Hills Village and Cherry Hills Land Preserve are working towards an operational MOU (memorandum of understanding) it was evident that opening this farm up to public use could be an unquestionable asset to townspeople. This year’s Trail Walk event was hosted at Quincy Farm on October 3, which utilized both east and west sides of the farm. A windy nature trail was cut into a pasture on the west side so attendees could follow a path around the property. It was serene in the meadow, and although the middle of the day heat dissuaded many birds, thus disrupting my anticipated Snow White and the animals’ experience, there were still lovely sounds and smells of nature… and most importantly, peace and quiet away from all the hub-ub of life.
Several vendors participated at this nostalgic social, reminiscent of the quieter days of yesteryear. I nary saw a cell phone except for mine to catch a few photos. On the east side of the farm young residents gathered around Petey the horse and got to meet the volunteers that run the long standing Platte Valley Pony Club. Adults and kids showed interest in learning about beekeeping, tasted honey, and learned the value bees bring to the environment. Young kids were entertained by decorating little pumpkins and wooden farm houses. People were also pretty excited to gather on the west side of Quincy Farm, listening to upbeat music while enjoying Mountain Crust Pizza, the environmentally friendly, zero waste food truck. If you got past the fun of the food and music, you’d move into the large green yard where more vendors displayed their materials and shared their educational perspectives on a variety of topics.
Most people were fixated by Hawk Quest, which hosted a demonstration involving a Bald Eagle, hawks, and a Great Horned owl. The Cherry Hills Art Commission, Denver Audubon Society, Boy Scouts and the Highline Canal Conservancy were also present for the occasion. Aside from the bald eagle, the most impressive thing I saw was holding, reading and seeing the effort the CHLP put into the Field Guide for the kids. This complete booklet contained everything I would be able to think up to spur young naturalists to go outside. The booklet contained everything from a scavenger hunt off the highline, connect the dots to figure out the new six mile loop in CHV called the NEW 6 mile Village Loop Trail, to a walking bird safari checklist while exploring the open park spaces. Oh wait! There’s more…star gazing, learning astrology, word search for animals that pollinate, all the way down to the last page… Take the Kids in the Creek Pledge which stated, “As a Kids in the Creek Ambassador, I promise to help protect the open lands, nature and wildlife in Cherry Hills Village, throughout Colorado, and beyond… I will help keep parks beautiful by never leaving trash behind, I will help keep wildlife wild by not feeding animals, I will help protect plants by not picking them, and I will encourage others to do the same.”
As a journalist and a realtor, it’s best to keep personal opinions close to the vest, to let others decide what they think, no bias, etc… However, I’m into it, and I hope there isn’t an age cut-off to be an ambassador. I think it is worth also noting that Quincy Farm does seem to be a really nice community resource that is on track for opening up to the community. It was really nice to see so many come out to be a part becoming a naturalist, enjoy the farm and learn more about getting involved with CHLP. To become a volunteer, get event info +/or donate to CHLP, you can start by subscribing to the newsletter at www.cherryhillslandpreserve.org
Allison Crouder is our Community Contributor and a realtor with COMPASS, an avid horse lover and a busy mom of four.
allison.crouder@compass.com
www.Schossowgroup.com