Join BLNC Alumni and Build the Future of BLNC!
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
Bluff Lake Nature CenterBLNC's former board, staff, committees, and volunteers are coming together to support this project!
25 donors
raised $133,052
50 donor goal
10 hours left
Update #1: Chris Rurik Alumni Story
As we have continued to engage with our alumni, we have loved hearing their stories and reminisces! Here is one from former Bluff Lake educator, Chris Rurik:
"I look back so fondly on my years at Bluff Lake. When I come back to visit and walk the site, it's incredible to see both the crush of houses around the preserve and how beautiful, mysterious, compelling, and beloved Bluff Lake remains. I spent so many hours in the sun, catching crawdads, playing games, sprawling out on the edge of the parking lot to eat lunch, breathing in the thick porta potty air, circling the lake again and again. Mostly I remember my coworkers.
We always held the vision of an on-site building with plumbing (man, summer camps would have been so much easier) but it always felt like a pipe dream, completely unattainable. To know that it's about to happen fills me with joy. Sure, a bit of bittersweetness that our scrappy era is gone, but mostly joy for the kids and staff who will have their basic needs met so they can direct more of their energy toward exploration and learning."
Over the years of Bluff Lake's existence, there have been many board and committee members, staff, and volunteers who have given their time, talent, and passion to making this special place what it is today. They have seen Bluff Lake grow, as have the neighborhoods surrounding the site, and there are more visitors, programs, flora, and fauna using the site than ever before.
Now we, these past and present members of the Bluff Lake Family, are asking you to join us as we stand on the precipice of Bluff Lake's next phase. This project will ensure the sustainability of Bluff Lake as a place and an organization for many, many years to come.
We hope you will rekindle your excitement and commitment and enthusiasm to Bluff Lake during this exciting time, and celebrate the work we've done together.
Read former board and staff testimonials below!
PLEASE NOTE: If you are making a gift of over $1,000, we ask that you consider sending a check to avoid the cost of high fees that would either be covered by the donor or Bluff Lake Nature Center. Checks can be mailed to: Bluff Lake Nature Center, 4760 Oakland St., Suite 200, Denver, CO 80239. Please add "Alumni" and "Capital Campaign" in the memo line.
Want to make a commitment for a future or multi-year gift? Make your pledge HERE to be counted towards this goal.
"As a board member, executive director and volunteer almost continuously for 25 years, I am proud of how BLNC has become a stable, trusted and valuable part of the community. I am amazed at how it has achieved financial strength, gained ownership of the property, protected its diverse natural habitats, created programs for children and families, and assured a future water supply for the lake.
It is remarkable to see what Bluff Lake has accomplished. It is also remarkable to see what Bluff Lake is poised to do next."
- Steve Norris, former executive director and board member, current volunteer and donor. READ MORE
“To me, this capital campaign is about daring to implement a joyous and transformative vision.
In my five-plus years at Bluff Lake, like everyone else who really gets to know those 123 acres, I grew to appreciate so much about the unique nature of the land and its place in the urban ecosystem, as well as the energy behind the daily programming, volunteer, and site management efforts. Just as much, though, I became astounded by the people who supported it with their time, skills, and energy.
Together, let’s finish this grand transformation of Bluff Lake Nature Center and complement the year-round lake with a welcoming and accessible visitor center and infrastructure that facilitates scientific learning, outdoor adventure, and wonder.”
- Jeff Lamontagne, former executive director of Bluff Lake Nature Center. READ MORE
“Bluff Lake Nature Center is a unique habitat and way station for animals traveling along Sand Creek. It is a refuge from the increasing human activity around it. As it is restored and reclaimed, its value to the native species of plants and animals increases greatly. In my opinion, it needs to remain, first and foremost, a natural area dedicated to sustaining the non- human inhabitants.
The success of the capital campaign and the campus improvements project will ensure that the Bluff lake site team has the space, support, and infrastructure to keep this work happening, even as development and site visitation increases, so that this unique place of nature does not get 'loved to death.'“
- Susie Crane, former board member and current volunteer, pictured at Bluff Lake with a GOCO intern at Weed Warriors. READ MORE
“Over the years I have pulled weeds, planted trees, rebuilt the boardwalk, led volunteer groups, picked up trash, improved trails, and talked to student groups, among many other activities.
Much has changed over the years. Central Park has been built out so that houses can now be seen from the Bluff Lake trails. More people are using the site. With inevitable change, Bluff Lake needs to change as well. The proposal for the building, I believe, is the beginning of the next chapter in the story that began with our original dream and the back-breaking labor to restore its 123 acres to a more natural condition for wildlife and plants to thrive in harmony with visitors. It will assure that Bluff Lake will be around for a long time fulfilling its mission and providing the same solace and contentment to others as it has provided for me.”
- Barry Levene, natural resource committee member and volunteer. READ MORE
Did you know that Bluff Lake donors in Colorado can take advantage of the 50% Childcare Tax Credit of up to $100,000 per year, in addition to other state and federal charitable contribution credits? We invite you to visit the campaign page for more information, including other ways to give and tax credit information.
For all campaign and donation questions, please reach out to our development director, Leila Regan-Porter at leila@blufflake.org.