Anythink Libraries and the City of Thornton will host an Anythink Nature Library Information Session on Wednesday, Feb. 28, from 6-7:30 pm at Trail Winds Recreation Center in the Cottonwood Room, located at 13495 Holly St., in Thornton. A Spanish language interpreter will be available. The meeting will also be held online via Zoom.

During the meeting, residents and community members are invited to learn about Anythink Nature Library project updates and open space improvements at the Aylor Open Lands property, located at 136^th Avenue and Quebec Street in Thornton.

In June 2022, Anythink and the City of Thornton entered an agreement to lease 15 acres to Anythink on the Aylor Open Lands property in order to build a 33,000-square-foot nature library. The other 140 acres of open space will be programmed by the Anythink team and reserved for nature learning and exploration on trails.

The Anythink Nature Library will be designed to help people find their place in nature and support the wellbeing of the Thornton community through spaces, experiences and collections. The library will act as a natural extension of the Aylor Open Lands and will encourage people of all ages to spend time outdoors learning about stars, water, wildlife and seasonal changes to help build a culture of environmental stewardship.

The following data illuminates how the Anythink Nature Library can support healthy communities by providing the benefits of nature access, appreciation, and learning to people of all ages in a growing and evolving Adams County:

• Around 8 in 10 Adams County residents support funding open space preservation and related projects, according to the 2019 Adams County Quality of Life Report.
• 52% of Adams County residents think open space, parks and trails are considered essential to the county’s way of life, according to the 2019 Adams County Quality of Life Report.
• Thornton residents say it’s most important to expand or grow the city’s running/walking/biking trails (53%), natural open spaces (49%), and parks with playgrounds (34%), according to the 2023 City of Thornton Resident Survey Report.

The design phase of the Anythink Nature Library continues into 2024 with architects Davis Partnership and THK Associates. Construction for the library will tentatively begin late summer 2024, with an anticipated open date in mid-2026.

— Event Details — 

Anythink Nature Library Information Session
Wednesday, Feb. 28
6-7:30 pm
Trail Winds Recreation Center
Cottonwood Room
13495 Holly St., Thornton, CO 80602

Learn more about the future Anythink Nature Library on the Aylor Open Lands property in Thornton during this info session. Staff from Anythink Libraries, Davis Partnership, THK Associates and the City of Thornton will provide an update on the project and answer questions from residents and community members. A Spanish language interpreter will be available. Free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

To participate in the Zoom meeting, visit thorntonco.zoom.us/j/83975846110 or call 1-346-248-7799 and enter Webinar ID: 835 1996 6887.