Water’s Edge: Africa may be the biggest new addition under construction at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, but it’s not the only one. By summer 2019, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Membership and EdVenture departments will have a new place to call home.
Frank Haas, CMZoo landscape architect and planner, and project manager of the new building, describes the building’s design vision as, “rustic modern Colorado mountain architecture.”
Think stone, timbers and rusted steel. If you’ve seen Pizza with a View or Cozy Goat, you have experienced the flavor of this new building. Like those two eateries, this new project includes outdoor patio spaces, one of which features a modified shipping container, intended to be a fun space for kids as they gather for programs.
In line with CMZoo’s principle to grow the Zoo with respect for the mountain upon which it sits, it is being built to complement its surroundings rather than drastically changing the landscape to accommodate construction.
“We limited the size of the building to the flat open portion of the site,” Haas said. “By doing that, we preserved a sacred grove of trees on the east side of the building.”
CMZoo also focuses on outdoor education and adventure, and the EdVenture department leads that cause.
“In this new building, our team and our programs will be in the heart of the Zoo,” Stacey Graham, director of EdVenture programs said. “We’ll be more accessible to visitors and more in-tune with the Zoo’s daily activity, which will allow us to better grow our programs to meet the needs of our members and program participants.”
‘Growth’ is the key word in Graham’s mind as she looks ahead to occupying the new building next year.
“We’ll have a dedicated space for EdVenture programs, which means we can manage them more efficiently,” said Graham. “We want to start offering walk-up programs for people who come to the Zoo, but haven’t had the chance to participate in a camp, WildNight or animal encounter. Ultimately, we’ll have more resources to offer more programs and to offer our current programs more frequently and with a higher standard of quality.”
Emmaline (Emma) Repp-Maxwell, membership and annual gifts manager, is also looking forward to how available and connected this building will allow her and her team to be for CMZoo members and donors. There’s even a walk-up window, so members can drop by the office to say hello, manage their memberships and discuss ideas while they’re exploring the Zoo.
“Imagine being able to hear from the people we support directly and on a daily basis. We’re excited because this new location and its features, like the walkup window, will organically help us relate better with our members,” Repp-Maxwell said. “We’ll get to know our members on a more personal level while they get to know us and that we’re here for them.”
Repp-Maxwell points out that the membership department has a hand in almost every other department at CMZoo. Sharing a physical place with the EdVenture team will promote more collaboration, which Repp-Maxwell says will benefit members.
“The EdVenture team is made up of a really amazing group of people who so often interact with our members who participate in their programs,” Repp-Maxwell said. “Being closer to them and to our members is sure to elevate the quality of support we can provide.”
The EdVenture-Membership building is scheduled to open early summer 2019. For more information on EdVenture programs and CMZoo membership options and benefits, email Graham’s team at [email protected] and Repp-Maxwell’s team at [email protected].