The Richard Gary Black Jr. Nature Exploration Area, located outside Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch, 16002 E. Smith Road, received a prestigious recognition from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and the Colorado Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA), celebrating its innovative design and commitment to creating welcoming outdoor spaces that bring people closer to nature.
Designed for visitors of all ages and abilities, this space encourages curiosity, creativity and hands-on discovery, giving visitors the freedom to explore and connect with the natural world around them. Instead of swings and slides, visitors can climb through a human-sized beaver lodge, navigate an obstacle course, build with locally sourced natural materials and dig in the sand pit. Dinosaur Hill also features to-scale interpretations of a brachiosaurus and stegosaurus, two dinosaurs discovered in what is now Aurora.
Discover what makes this award-winning destination one of Colorado's best places to play at AuroraGov.org/Morrison.
For nearly four decades, Todd Steinkamp, a recreation supervisor with the city of Aurora's Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Department, has helped make sports and recreation a cornerstone of life in Aurora. From organizing youth leagues to mentoring colleagues and supporting generations of athletes, his dedication to the community he calls home has left a lasting mark on Aurora's recreation programs.
Steinkamp received the Legacy Award from the Colorado Association of Recreational Athletics (CARA) during the Colorado Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) Annual Conference in Breckenridge on Thursday, Oct. 22. CARA’s Legacy Award honors individuals whose dedication and contributions have made a lasting difference in recreational athletics.
While Steinkamp's recognition celebrates a remarkable career, his legacy is perhaps best reflected in the thousands of players, families and fellow recreation professionals whose lives he has touched along the way. For Aurora, his lifetime of service is more than an achievement. It's a legacy that will continue to shape the community for generations to come.
To learn more about the city of Aurora's sports and recreation programs, visit AuroraGov.org/Sports.