Thursday, May 22

2025 NPM Wildflower Walk at Roxborough State Park - May 22, 9:00am-1:00pm

This Foothills to Plains NPM wildflower walk at Roxborough State Park will study an array of fantastic Colorado native flowering plants.

By Native Plant Master Program - Foothills to Plains

Date and time

Thursday, May 22 · 9am - 1pm MDT

Location

Roxborough State Park

4751 Roxborough Drive Littleton, CO 80125 United States

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 7 days before event

Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.

About this event

Event lasts 4 hours

Roxborough State Park comes alive in May with beautiful spring flowering plants in a gorgeous setting. Join your instructors Lenore, Cynthia and Colleen for a fun and informal tour in the park to identify and learn about the native plants that will be flowering at this time. This walk is geared towards native plant enthusiasts and beginners alike. Basic botany concepts and plant families will be emphasized, so prior knowledge in these areas will be helpful, but not required. Please bring your Flora of Colorado book by Jennifer Ackerfield if you have one (not required) and a hand lens.

Please note: this one day wildflower walk does not count towards a Native Plant Master certification.

TRAINERS:

Lenore Mitchell has been a NPM trainer since 2006. Her previous endeavors include: Master Gardener through Jeffco, Docent at Mt. Goliath through DBG, Volunteer Naturalist at Roxborough State Park, and Metro Chapter President of CoNPS (Colorado Native Plant Society)

Cynthia Rohan - This is her 9th year being a Master Gardner and 3rd for NPM. She loves sharing and discovering new Native Plants in areas that she has not seen before and enjoys sharing new and old discoveries with interested plant nerds.

Colleen Greenan- Colleen has been a Colorado Master Gardener for 9 years and a NPM for 3 years. She enjoys learning about native plants and sharing that knowledge with others

NATIVE PLANT MASTER:

This wildflower walk does not count towards a Native Plant Master certificate. Please see our other 3-day NPM certification courses if you would like to become a certified Native Plant Master. Learn more about Foothills to Plains Native Plant Master program here.

WHEN & WHERE TO MEET:

Meet at 8:45am at the small parking lot on the left before you get to the main Vistor Center, as class begins at 9:00am sharp. The image below shows a yellow arrow pointing to where you should park. The Visitor Center is approximately 1.5 miles in on Roxborough Park Road. Bring park pass or purchase daily pass at the Kiosk at the park entrance ($10 per car). The class fee does not include this parking fee. Restrooms are at the Visitor Center .

DIRECTIONS from Wadsworth and C-470:

Take Wadsworth south past Chatfield State Park. Turn left on Waterton Road (just before the entrance to Lockheed Martin.) Continue on Waterton Road—crossing the South Platte River, until it ends at North Rampart Range Road (1.6 miles) Turn right (south) on North Rampart Range Road. Continue south past Roxborough Village and the Foothills Water Treatment Plant. (2.3 miles) At the intersection of North Rampart Range Road and Roxborough Park Road (just before the entrance to Arrowhead golf course), turn left onto Roxborough Park Road. Take the next right on East Roxborough Drive(about 50 yards away) to enter the park.

DIRECTIONS from Santa Fe and C-470:

Head south on Santa Fe (Highway 85) to Titan Road. (4.2 miles south of C-470 intersection.) Turn right (west) on Titan Road. Continue heading west on Titan Road. It will curve and begin to head south - becoming North Rampart Range Road (3 miles). Continue south on North Rampart Range Road past Roxborough Village and the Foothills Water Treatment Plant (3.5 miles). At the intersection of North Rampart Range Road and Roxborough Park Road, turn left onto Roxborough Park Road. Take the next right on East Roxborough Drive (about 50 yards away) to enter the park.

WHAT TO BRING:

Notebook, pencil, hand lens, daypack, water, snack, rain gear, sun and wind protection, personal items you will need on the trail where there are no restrooms, etc. Please come prepared for moderately strenuous walking on hot, cold, windy, rainy or snowy days. (~1.5 mile hike on uneven terrain with hills. Bringing hiking poles is encouraged if they would make you more comfortable on the trail.)

Organized by

Native Plant Master Program - Foothills to Plains

The Foothills to Plains Native Plant Master Program offers classes in Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties. We offer different ways to engage and learn about native plants, local ecosystems, and natural resources with courses geared for novice to advanced learners.

If you are new to learning about native plants, consider signing up for a one-day class. Topics may include: introduction to native plants, botany and common plant families, keying practicums, soil chemistry and watershed health, weed walks, and build your own native plant and pollinator garden.

To develop a deeper understanding of native plants, we offer full 12-hour Native Plant Master (NPM) courses that may be counted toward a Native Plant Master Certificate.

Training

Native Plant Master (NPM) courses are offered at various open spaces, state parks, and other public natural areas. Each NPM course is a 12-hour commitment made up of three, four-hour sessions that meet weekly. NPM courses are taught in the field using living examples of the native flora in Colorado. Each course offers a perspective on the local ecosystem and plant life. Topics for each course include:

Session 1: Plant identification with an emphasis on scientific names, families and use of a botanical key.
Session 2: Ecological relationships, including non-native plants.
Session 3: Landscape, food and other human uses.

Native Plant Master Certificate

To become certified as a Native Plant Master, complete 36 hours of field training in three NPM courses. Classes may be taken in any county. Upon successfully completing the training, participants are awarded the Native Plant Master certification.

For more information, visit the Foothills to Plains Native Plant Master Program website.

You can also sign up to receive notifications about future class offering here. For questions on specific classes, please email Dawn Fradkin at dfradkin@arapahoegov.com.

Colorado State University Extension provides information and education and encourages the application of research-based knowledge in response to local, state and national issues affecting individuals, youth, families, agricultural enterprises and communities of Colorado. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination. Colorado State University Extension, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Colorado counties cooperating. If you have a disability for which you seek accommodation, please notify dfradkin@arapahoegov.com at least 30 days before the event.