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About Friends
The Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges is a non-profit organization that supports the two largest national wildlife refuges in the Denver metro area – the Rocky Mountain Arsenal and Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge. Through active volunteering and fundraising, the Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges supports refuge programs, volunteers, environmental education for kids and habitat restoration among many other projects.
Each year, FFRWR sets a variety of goals in support of our refuges.
Please join us as we work with and for the Refuges we love!
Learn More on our Colorado Gives Foundation Page
Subscribe for Refuge Updates and Free Programs!
Check out previous Newsletters by clicking the links below.
Select the image below to join for Refuge updates and upcoming events.
FFRWR March-April 2024 Newsletter
FFRWR January-February 2024 Newsletter
FFRWR December 2023 Newsletter
FFRWR November 2023 Newsletter
FFRWR September 2023 Newsletter
Bison Book Club
Join the next meetings on April 21st and May19th of our Bison Book Club series in partnership with Rocky Mountain Land Library.
The Bison Book Club travels to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge to discuss Ken Zontek’s Buffalo Nation: American Indian Efforts to Restore the Bison. This on-the-ground account provides insights into the age-old relationship between Native Americans and buffalo, along with current day efforts to restore our continent’s bison herds.
“This is a complete book on Natives and their relationship to bison. It is an important historical record, yet is as up-to-date as today’s headlines in the continuing search for compromise and success in providing wildlife biodiversity once again in the Great Plains.” —Francis Moul, Lincoln Journal Star
Buffalo Nation Eventbrite Sign-up
We gather at the RM Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge to discuss Dan O’Brien’s Buffalo for the Broken Heart: Restoring Life to a Black Hills Ranch. This classic book tells the story of a rancher who dared to do something different — bringing bison back to a landscape they shaped for thousands of years.
“I love this book. Buffalo for the Broken Heart is elegant, visionary, and lives intensely with grace and power. A blueprint for dreams and dreamers.” — Rick Bass.
Buffalo for the Broken Heart Eventbrite Sign-up
Thank you for making Harvest Moon 2023 a success!
A special thank you to attendees and sponsors of our annual Harvest Moon Dinner.
![](https://ffrwr.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Sunset-O-Dorisio-2.png")
Credit: Adams County Commissioner Steve O’Dorisio
In The News
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge has been honored as the first “flagship” urban refuge in the nation by the Biden administration. Only one of a handful of Urban Refuges achieving that designation, RMANWR endeavors to share its many resources, such as excellent environmental education opportunities, fishing, archery, and fun with local communities and the public at large. Read about it and listen to an interview by clicking here.
Release of Black-Footed Ferrets
The National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center released Black-Footed Ferrets at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge this Fall. You can read about the release or click to watch the video below to learn more!
Black-Footed Ferret Release Video
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that Denver’s Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge will be awarded $1 million in additional annual funding to expand their Urban Wildlife Conservation Program. With this funding, the Refuge will be able to better support local communities in the metro Denver area by offering a safe outdoor place for the community and visitors to enjoy recreation in their nearby nature. The Refuge will also be able to improve infrastructure, provide more environmental education opportunities, and support community partnerships.
“We are thrilled to be able to invest additional resources in providing opportunities for diverse local communities to use and enjoy the Refuge,” FWS Regional Director Noreen Walsh said. “Our vision is for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge to be a place where all are welcome, and where visitors can enjoy access to the natural world and learn about our native wildlife. We are especially excited to be able to invest these new resources in connecting to and partnering with our neighbors in this urban metropolitan area.”
Here is a 10 minute video on the new Urban Wildlife Conservation investment:
CBS News
We are so proud to be highlighted on national news. Take two minutes and enjoy nature!
“CBS Sunday Morning takes us among the bison, rabbits and prairie dogs at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City, Colorado. Videographer: Michael Clark.”
The Board of Directors of the Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges are very excited to propose the new Lake Mary Education Center! Visits to the refuge have exploded and there is greatly-increased demand for environmental education. The board proposes to repurpose the fifty-year-old Contact Station into a full service Education Center. Please read the attached report for all the details. Click here to see the full proposal.
Getting outdoors and into nature is easy at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge – especially in the fall!
Click here to read an article from the Denver Post (requires a paid subscription).
Enjoy & Support your Denver-metro Urban National Wildlife Refuges
The Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges (FFRWR) is a community that supports the two largest national wildlife refuges in the Denver metro area–the Rocky Mountain Arsenal and the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuges.
Through events, communications, advocacy and fundraising, we support the refuges in
- Conserving and restoring native habitat and wildlife
- Giving the public opportunities to experience wildlife and nature near a major metropolitan area
- Providing environmental education in partnership with families and schools
We also support the refuges by:
- Keeping our congressional leaders and other Friends Groups informed about the successes and concerns of our refuges
- Soliciting expertise, ideas, funds, and materials from the community to help make our local refuges outstanding
Ultimately, our vision is to create two refuges in which native wildlife and habitat are maintained in a healthy ecosystem that is rich and diverse and that contributes to the education and recreational enjoyment of people from all walks of life.
The beautiful photos you see are above were taken by wildlife photographer Dave Showalter at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Roll over each image to see an expanded view of the site and the wildlife that calls the Refuge home.