By Terra Lenihan
Our open spaces in Broomfield are one of the main reasons people love living here! Most days, I like to walk through The Field, our very first open space in Broomfield! As I walk east from the Brunner House on Midway and Main, I often see a hawk flying overhead, cottonwood trees in the distance, and Ellie’s Pond. When I see a dog off-leash, I get worried.
In our open spaces, there is much more than meets the eye! These areas are not only natural habitats and hunting areas for birds of prey like hawks and eagles, but also coyotes, snakes, turtles, other animals, and, of course, a host of invertebrates! A healthy wetland provides food and habitat for various animals, while also cleaning the groundwater.
We keep our open spaces natural so that we have healthy ecosystems and so we can walk, bike, run, or just explore and nourish our souls in these beautiful places.
When humans and domesticated animals go “off trail,” those habitats are disturbed. Coyote dens can be agitated, which can lead to coyote aggression. Plus, you may not be able to get to your dog’s poop if they are off-leash, which is very harmful to our stormwater. Read more here.
It can be very tempting to let your pup run free, but please save that for dog parks like our Broomfield dog park near Sheridan and 136th. Or, if you love running your dog in large open spaces, take them to the Westminster Dog Park which was designed for that! Together we can keep our Open Spaces WILD.
