By Shannon Lukens.
Yampa River Botanic Park opens for the season Wednesday. There is a ribbon cutting for the new entrances at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 24. Money was raised for the new entrance because the old gates were too narrow for wheelchairs and strollers.
Also, for those wanting to make a fairy house at the park, entries are due June 7 for the Annual Fair Garden House Contest. It’s for kids under 12 years old. (Details below.)
Here is more from the City of Steamboat Springs; May 19, 2023.
Botanic Park Opens Gates & Gardens on May 24
Opening Day & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Entrances
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-May 19, 2023-After emerging from a long dormant winter, the Yampa River Botanic Park (YRBP) will open to the public with a grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony at 10am on Wednesday, May 24.
“We’re so excited to welcome everyone to the park and officially christen the new entrances,” said Executive Director Jennifer MacNeil. “The entrances now look as inviting and beautiful as the gardens visitors admire inside and we couldn’t be happier.”
The entry project was conceptualized in 2020 with a goal to improve accessibility, recognizing that the former gates were too narrow for wheelchairs and strollers. The concept grew to incorporate an artistic element which creates a sense of place.
The Botanic Park board of directors embarked upon a schematic design process led by one of the board members, Cales Givens, a retired landscape architect. At a time when contractors were scarce, the late Chris Rhodes of Soda Mountain Construction was interested in helping with this project for the community.
The Botanic Park is grateful to all of the subcontractors who worked to create this project with their skills and talents including: Tim Wilson of Steamboat Steel, Journey Vreeman of The Fencing Specialists, Rosendo Calderon of Rams Masonry, Peter Sloop of Sloop Painting, and Dave Gittleson of SSX. Project Manager Zack Buckallew and new Soda Mountain Construction owner Chris Imbler stayed dedicated and passionate throughout and pulled the work together.
Grants and contributions from community members raised $455,000. A brass donor plaque will be installed once the fundraising campaign is complete. View progress photos and a list of contributors at yampariverbotanicpark.org/entrance-campaign/.
In addition to the opening ceremonies, park visitors can enjoy many of the plants blooming this week including daffodils, tulips, Daphnes, pasque flowers, Frittilarias, and tiny sub alpine plants in the tufa rock.
Once a sprawling horse pasture, the six-acre Yampa River Botanic Park is now home to more than 60 unique gardens, thousands of plant species, animals, and hosts special events of all shapes and sizes. An innovative experiment in private/public partnerships, the Botanic Park is free and open to the public from dawn to dusk, from May through October. www.yrbp.org
Fair Garden House Press Release from the City of Steamboat Springs; April 27, 2023.
Magic Is In The Air As Botanic Park Opening Day Approaches
Annual Fairy Garden House Contest Entries Due Wednesday, June 7
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-April 27, 2023-With opening day coming soon, the Yampa River Botanic Park is inviting local youth to celebrate community, have fun, and get creative by constructing unique houses for the park’s tiniest summer inhabitants.
The Annual Fairy Garden House Contest is open to children of all ages, but one builder must be under 12 years of age. Designs must be no larger than 18 inches square, and 12 inches high, and need to be made of natural materials, such as wood, stone and sand, no plastic or pixie dust. Most themes are welcome, but no religious or political themes.
Entries are due no later than June 7, 2023. Judging will take place at 11:30 p.m. on Friday, June 9 (immediately after Storytime) by the Yampa River Botanic Park Design Committee. Winners will receive an annual membership to the Yampa River Botanic Park and other special prizes. All submissions will be featured in the park’s Fairy Garden Village throughout the summer.
The nesting Osprey pair has returned and are settling into their aerial home above the gardens. Although the park is still sleeping under a blanket of snow, the YRBP staff is looking forward to another season of evolving landscapes, and hopes to announce an opening date soon.
Once a sprawling horse pasture, the six-acre Yampa River Botanic Park is now home to more than 60 unique gardens, thousands of plant species, animals, and hosts special events of all shapes and sizes. An innovative experiment in private/public partnerships, the Botanic Park is free and open to the public from dawn to dusk, from May through October.
For more information visit www.yrbp.org, or contact the Yampa River Botanic Park via email at office@yrbp.org or at 970-846-5172.