Nature in the City helps to fund projects that will bring natural spaces into your neighborhood and community!

The Planning grant application window for 2025 grant funds has closed. Applicants will be notified in mid December if their project will be awarded funds and an announcement of awarded projects will be made later in 2025.  

Learn more about Nature in the City Grants

The Nature in the City program started as an idea in the Planning Services Division of the City as City Planners wondered how they could better integrate nature into development projects. These ideas evolved over the years to the eventual City Council adoption of the Nature in the City Strategic Plan in 2015.

Nature in the City works with myriad partners to implement innovative and creative projects. Locations for Nature in the City projects may include City Parks, Stormwater Utility sites, open spaces in your neighborhood, community gardens, and more. While not every site will provide every experience, Nature in the City will ensure that residents have access to a variety of natural experiences close to where they live and work.

Vision:

A connected open space network accessible to the entire community that provides a variety of experiences and functional habitats for people, plants, and wildlife.

Goals:

• CONNECTIVITY across high-quality natural spaces through enhancement of urban lands that provide diverse social and ecological opportunities.
• ACCESS to nature by ensuring every resident can easily experience nature where they live, work, and play.
• STEWARDSHIP of the naturalized landscape by demonstrating that a shift in our community landscape can support healthy environments for people and wildlife.

Strategic Plan:

• Nature in the City Strategic Plan Executive Summary
• Nature in the City Strategic Plan, with appendices
• Nature in the City Strategic Plan, without appendices

Some current partnerships that help reach Nature in the City Goals:

• Participating in the City's Night Sky team.
• Integrating Nature in the City principles into efforts such as the Water Efficiency Plan, Climate Action Plan, and City Plan.
• Community Science Biodiversity monitoring volunteers are learning about urban wildlife and exploring Fort Collins' natural spaces as they conduct scientific surveys for birds and butterflies. Learn more.