Boulder County Parks & Open Space is celebrating its 50th anniversary! The department was formed on Jan. 1, 1975, and has grown tremendously over the past five decades. The theme for this milestone year is “Rooted and Reaching,” symbolizing both a reflection on our rich history and a commitment to building an enduring legacy.
Parks & Open Space 50th Anniversary
Rooted and Reaching: Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation and Community
By Therese Glowacki, Director of Parks & Open Space
Boulder County Parks & Open Space is celebrating 50 years of protecting and managing unique and priceless lands in Boulder County. This experiment in land use — dreamed up by visionary naturalists, planners, policymakers, and activists — has taken hold throughout Colorado and the United States. Protecting national parks and forests is not new, but coming together as a community to protect the small, important natural treasures in our backyards is what sets Boulder County apart.
Parks & Open Space is so special because of it’s major goals: preserving the unique biodiversity in our county, defining urban boundaries around towns, protecting agriculture, and providing quality recreation and places for the community to connect with nature and each other.
Podcast, Activities, and Special Events
Celebrate 50 years of protecting and managing the remarkable open space lands that define Boulder County!
To commemorate this milestone, we are creating an exciting new podcast series to inspire, educate, and connect listeners through engaging and diverse topics.
Our 50th-anniversary theme will also be incorporated into regular programs, along with special events to mark the occasion. Highlights include agriculture tours, interactive workshops to envision the future of open space, and much more.
Stay tuned for updates and join us in celebrating this incredible achievement!
Founders’ Legacy Video
This video takes you on a journey through the history of the open space program, highlighting its challenges and triumphs from 1970 to the early 1990s. Preserving the open space we cherish today required remarkable vision and dedication.
The video chronicles Boulder County’s journey to establish its open space program, highlighting the evolution from initial public skepticism to the successful passage of a dedicated sales tax in 1993. This pivotal funding enabled the transformation of a modest department into a robust organization that has preserved over 100,000 acres of diverse landscapes, from farmland to mountain properties, ensuring Boulder County’s unique natural character would be protected for future generations.