Preserving Colorado’s Natural Beauty and Wildlife Habitat
Residents in Castle Rock and Douglas County, CO, gaze up at soaring hawks instead of soaring high-rises. People share space with foxes and falcons and hear the howling of coyotes rather than the wailing of sirens. Outdoor splendor and the wildlife that goes with it are key components of the quality of life.
Two area organizations – the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance (RMWA) and the Douglas Land Conservancy (DLC) – are working to preserve the region’s natural attractions, and in the process help build a legacy of conservation for current residents and future generations.
“We are fortunate to have so much immediate access to open spaces and wildlife,” says Emily Davenport, founder and executive director of the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance, a wildlife hospital and rehabilitation center. “It is completely normal to see a bobcat during the day around here. That’s a huge part of what makes this area so incredible.”
Laura Sanford, executive director of the Douglas Land Conservancy, agrees. “The main priorities for a lot of the people who live here are outdoors, recreation and wildlife,” Sanford says. “They just care so deeply about the open spaces around them.”
Elevating Wildlife
Since opening in 2022, the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance has provided care for more than 4,000 animals and birds of prey. “Everything from hummingbirds to bobcats,” is the way Davenport puts it. RMWA takes in injured, sick and orphaned wildlife animals and cares for them until they are healthy enough to be released back into the wild.
“We don’t want to tame them and keep them in captivity,” Davenport says. “Our mission is to heal them, then release them back to where they belong.”
For the few animals that cannot be healed adequately enough for a return to the wild, RMWA provides permanent sanctuary at its facility in Sedalia. Those animals are then utilized for the organization’s education programs.
“We are big on getting into our community and doing educational outreach,” Davenport says. “We go into schools and libraries and have done events for the Town of Castle Rock. We reach more than 10,000 people every year through our education programs. And we partner with organizations like the Douglas Land Conservancy to enhance their educational messages.”
In recognition of its commitment to wildlife in the area, the RMWA received a 2024 Hero Award from the Douglas County Community Foundation.
“Our mission is to elevate the care and protection of wildlife by fostering a sense of community and collaboration through what we do,” Davenport says. “We believe in a proactive form of conservation. The better it is in the long run for wildlife, the better it is for our community.”
Community Connected to Nature
For nearly 40 years, the Douglas Land Conservancy has worked with landowners, government agencies, other conservation organizations and local citizens to promote and monitor conservation easements. These agreements protect large tracts of open space from development for perpetuity, ensuring that many of the area’s wide-open spaces will remain wild and open.
“Our goal is to protect the land for the greater good of the community,” Sanford says. “We strongly believe that having open spaces and opportunities to enjoy the outdoors is important to the people who live in Douglas County.”
That is why the DLC has been working directly with the Town of Castle Rock on a management plan for a 681-acre property called Lost Canyon Ranch, which in 2024 became the largest single open-space acquisition in the town’s history. Plans are underway to create trails and other amenities in preparation for opening the property to the public.
The organization also holds a variety of guided hikes throughout the year, including a geological tour at Sandstone Ranch (which has the oldest sequence of rocks in Douglas County) and a painting event in which participants take a short hike to a scenic spot and then paint what they see.
Sanford says the DLC is increasing its community engagement programs in 2026 by offering cleanup days on private conserved properties, allowing people to see areas they usually can’t access.
“We envision an empowered community connected to nature for the benefit of all, forever,” Sanford says. “We want to preserve these open spaces so that future generations will be able to enjoy the same spaces that people are enjoying today.”
Get to Know Castle Rock
Learn more about other transportation assets in and around Castle Rock at livability.com/co/castle-rock.