Honoring Ancestral Connections: Interpretive Signage for Montbello Open Space Park
Through support from the Metro Denver Nature Alliance’s 2025 Demonstration Project Grant, Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) is leading “Honoring Ancestral Connections: Interpretive Signage for Montbello Open Space Park (MOSP),” a project designed to celebrate the deep cultural and ecological roots of the Montbello community.
The new interpretive signage will help visitors connect with both the natural environment and the ancestral history of the region, going beyond traditional land acknowledgments to highlight the stories, practices, and ongoing presence of Native peoples from this area.
Connecting Culture, Community, and Ecology
Located next to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, MOSP serves as an important habitat anchor linking urban wildlife corridors to broader ecosystems. The park welcomes more than 7,500 visitors each year and provides a vital space for environmental learning and stewardship.
By incorporating Indigenous knowledge and storytelling, the new signage will enhance the park’s role as a welcoming and educational space. It invites visitors to see the land not only as an ecosystem, but as a living part of community identity shaped by generations of connection and care.
Inspiring Pride and Stewardship in Montbello
ELK youth and families are helping guide how Montbello’s story is told, ensuring the park reflects the voices and experiences of its own community. This project supports holistic well-being by strengthening residents’ connection to nature and inspiring pride in Montbello’s ancestral and ecological heritage.
Through this effort, ELK demonstrates how integrating cultural storytelling with environmental education can help address systemic inequities while deepening community engagement with nature. As a long-standing organization serving racially and economically diverse youth and families, ELK continues to create opportunities for connection, stewardship, and belonging in Denver’s historically marginalized neighborhoods.