Red Fox Meadows Natural Area Restoration

Red Fox Meadows Natural Area is a 40-acre urban wildlife refuge and an important stormwater detention area for the city. It is jointly owned and managed by Fort Collins Utilities and the Natural Resources
Department. Based on a resolution adopted by City Council in 1995, the Watershed Approach is used in these areas to:

• provide recreational and educational opportunities;
• enhance wildlife habitat;
• prevent stormwater pollution; and
• improve water quality and flood protection.

Approximately 80 wildlife species and 126 plant species are found at Red Fox Meadows. It is an important part of a natural wildlife corridor in this part of Fort Collins. Unfortunately, more than half the plant species are not native to this region, and some are classified as noxious weeds.

Construction will be timed to minimize disturbance to denning or nesting wildlife. During construction, the City will use the opportunity to:

• Replant disturbed areas with native grasses, wildflowers, trees and shrubs;
• Install a planned system of trails with neighborhood access points;
• Construct a parking lot to accommodate a school bus and cars; and
• Build interpretive signage, education stations and informational kiosks.

The project will result in improved flood protection, better water quality and increased wildlife habitat in Red Fox Meadows for future visitors.

• Schematic Design (PDF 1.6MB)
• Slope Design (PDF 1.6MB)
• Master Plan Rendering (PDF 1.6MB)

Bauder Elementary students are frequent visitors to the Fairbrooke outdoor classroom.

Outdoor Education

Since the 1990s, schoolchildren from Bennett and Bauder Elementary Schools and Blevins Junior High have used Red Fox Meadows and Fairbrooke Detention Basin as outdoor classrooms for nature studies. Students identify plants and animals, discover food chains and food webs, experiment with ecological concepts, and conduct plant and animal surveys. They practice landscape design planning, plant native trees and shrubs and remove noxious weeds. Students learn how stormwater runoff from lawns and streets contains pollutants and how detention areas provide treatment by settling out these pollutants before the water enters streams and ponds.