Prairie Restoration Project Wins Colorado Parks and Recreation Association’s 2025 Columbine Award for Programming

AURORA, COLO – The City of Aurora’s Prairie Restoration Project has won the Colorado Parks and Recreation Association’s Columbine Award for Programming, as announced at the organization’s annual Awards Reception held Thursday night in Vail.
Given annually, the Columbine Award recognizes creative, fresh and innovative park and recreation programs and initiatives in Colorado. Accepting the award for the city was Aurora Naturalist Fendi Despres, who created the Prairie Restoration Project in 2022 at the city’s Plains Conservation Center, where she serves as a site steward.
Since 2022, the restoration project has seen Despres and her team of volunteers collect and analyze data surrounding the introduction and protection of native biodiversity at the conservation center. Beyond the research element, the project has a holistic aim of restoring relationships between people and nature, as well as supporting healthy, thriving ecosystems through land stewardship rooted in respect and reciprocity.
The Prairie Restoration Project is additionally a recipient of a Blue Gramma Award for Outstanding Achievement in Ecological Restoration which was given at the 2024 Colorado Open Space Alliance conference in Grand Junction.
Established in 1949, the Plains Conservation Center opened to the public as an educational resource to teach farmers sustainable growing methods to help prevent another Dust Bowl, which plagued the nation in the 1930s, then started providing community education on prairie ecology and cultural history. Today, the center is managed by the city of Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department and has an educational partnership with the Denver Botanic Gardens.
Volunteers are welcome (and encouraged!) year-round, and can take part in initiatives like removing non-native invasive plant species, planting native prairie plants, and monitoring wildlife.
To get involved with the Prairie Restoration Project or any of the volunteer opportunities across Aurora’s Open Space and Natural Resources network, visit AuroraGov.org/OSNRVolunteers.