Imagine a space of community and serenity, where neighbors tend to colorful springtime bursts of nature while the sound of children’s delight over flapping butterfly wings fills the air.

This sacred space offers a reprieve from the haste of life and an opportunity to reconnect with the land, all within walking distance of the Colorado State University campus and only 2 miles from downtown Fort Collins.

That is the vision set forward more than three years ago for an expanded Gardens on Spring Creek. To date, more than $4.2 million has been raised for the $6 million phased expansion of Fort Collins’ botanical garden.

The names of donors to this project will feel familiar – Woodward, the Bohemian Foundation and the Community Foundation for Northern Colorado have all pitched in. The city of Fort Collins has supported the Gardens to the tune of $400,000 annually, with an additional $2 million pledged by taxpayers through the “BOB 2” tax passed in 2015.

Read more at The Fort Collins Coloradoan.