Urban Prairies Project

Restoring native prairie habitat in urban areas to support pollinator populations and increase ecosystem resilience.

The Urban Prairies Project (UPP) improves the ecological health of urban and suburban open spaces along the Front Range and beyond by connecting community members with habitat conservation for pollinators and other wildlife.

UPP recognizes the strong connection between healthy green spaces and human well-being, and works with municipal and community partners to make nature close to home healthier for all.

Over the last century, the shortgrass prairie ecosystem that once dominated Colorado’s Front Range has declined to less than one-fifth of its original area. Alongside this loss, we’ve seen significant declines in native plant and animal species, key ecosystem processes, and access to nature that supports human health.

The Urban Prairies Project provides opportunities to directly counteract these losses—whether through one-time volunteer projects near home or through deeper engagement as a trained Restoration Master Volunteer.

Restoration Master Volunteer Program

Restoration Master Volunteers (RMVs) complete a core training in restoration principles and techniques, native ecosystems, crew leadership, and community outreach.

After training, volunteers can choose how they want to get involved:

Habitat Restoration: planting projects, invasive species removal, seed collection
Monitoring & Data Collection: tracking pollinators, plants, soil health, wildlife, and more
Community Outreach: leading nature walks, attending events, writing articles, and educating others

Volunteers are encouraged to participate in one—or all—of these opportunities based on their interests.

No experience is necessary. Everyone is welcome!

How to Get Involved

Attend an Urban Prairies Project community event to get started.
Become a Restoration Master Volunteer:
- Submit a volunteer interest form
- Attend a Restoration Master Volunteer training session
- Join the RMV community and receive updates on projects, monitoring programs, and additional training opportunities
- Participate in restoration projects, data collection, and community outreach

Training Information

Restoration Master Volunteer trainings are typically offered twice per year (Spring and Fall). Trainings include multiple sessions covering core restoration topics and hands-on learning.

For more information or to get involved, contact: awhite@butterflies.org

BioBlitz

A BioBlitz is a short, intense biological survey that aims to record as many species in a specific area as possible. Butterfly Pavilion researchers are experienced in surveying for invertebrates and we often work with partners to perform BioBlitzes around Colorado.

Invertebrate BioBlitzes usually consist of one day of intense fieldwork and weeks to months of specimen preservation and identification. Butterfly Pavilion experts lead these BioBlitzes then identify and analyze the invertebrates sampled so that we have an inventory of our native invertebrates and can monitor changes to these communities before and after restoration efforts.

Upcoming Bioblitz’s:

Community Bioblitz at Kneebone Open Space – Sunday, June 14, 2026

From 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. we’ll use iNaturalist to identify the plants and animals of Kneebone Open Space. the data we collect from this event will be compiled and shared with city of lafayette to help assess the biodiversity at Kneebone and to inform future habitat management decisions on the space. UPP RMVs are also collecting monthly pollinator surveys at Kneebone to assess pollinator abundance and floral visitation. We are also on the lookout for invertebrate SWAP (state wildlife action plan) species! Register here.