Explore Colorado’s Backyard
The much-anticipated Colorado Backyard exhibit opened at the Butterfly Pavilion on March 23, giving visitors a chance to connect with the animals and ecosystems found here in Colorado. The new space features live animals, play structures, and interactive technology. While signage teaches visitors about the unique invertebrates who inhabit Colorado’s mountain, wetland, desert, prairie, and urban ecosystems, the real draw for kids is the play structures. With a play camper, fishing canoe, tree house, interactive water playscape, and prairie dog town, the new space gives kids ample opportunity to burn off a little energy. When they’re tired from running around, they’ll be eager to hear about the invertebrates that can be found in their own backyard—including bumblebees, spiders, beetles, and wasps—before getting a chance to see some of these amazing animals up-close. Butterfly Pavilion is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 6252 W. 104th Ave., Westminster.
New Fees for a Colorado Favorite
Starting April 1, families planning a hike to the popular Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs must make a reservation online at visitglenwood.com/hanginglake. The $12 per person peak-season fee includes guaranteed free parking, access to the Hanging Lake Welcome Center, and shuttle service to and from Hanging Lake.
Bye Bye Overdue Books
With all the things to remember each day, it’s easy to forget about those library books. To help reduce fines from overdue items, Arapahoe Libraries recently moved to an automatic renewal system. Most items checked out from one of their eight libraries will be automatically renewed up to three times, as long as there is no one else on hold for the item.
Happy 50th Very Hungry Caterpillar
This year marks a very big birthday for The Very Hungry Caterpillar. First released in 1969, the classic picture book turns 50, and families can celebrate at a special birthday bash on April 18 at Second Star to the Right Books in Denver. Enjoy a storytime, activities, games, raffles, and a chance to meet and snap a photo with the Very Hungry Caterpillar VW Bug, making a stop in Denver on its tour through the United States. To commemorate the anniversary, a special 50th anniversary golden edition of The Very Hungry Caterpillar features bonus content, including historic photos and rare images of the book’s original sketches.
Milky Mile-High Milestone
On an average day at the Mothers’ Milk Bank (MMB) in Denver, the lab team pasteurizes around 4,000 ounces of donated human breast milk. The milk is distributed and used to nourish fragile babies whose mothers can’t supply the milk to meet their baby’s needs. On March 5, 2019, the bank hit a very Denver milestone, pasteurizing a miles’ worth—5,280 ounces—of donor milk in one day. All the milk from MMB will be analyzed and distributed to hospitals around Colorado and the nation.
