Observatory Park

This weeks site journal visit was to Observatory Park in Denver Co. While it is a small park just off of the University of Denver campus, it has a lot to offer. You can find yourself on a huge playground or in one of the big fields the park has to offer. They even have a tennis court! What makes the park historically famous is the Chamberlin Observatory located in the middle of the park. It's a beautiful old building that has stood for over 120 years, now owned and kept up by The University of Denver.

(Chamberlin Observatory)

Although the Observatory is definitely a main attraction with a lot of historic history to it, my friends and I were more focused on the other aspects of nature in the park. While there, we saw a variety of trees, plants and a surprising amount of mushrooms. We had fun running around and enjoying the fresh air within the park, while identifying the flora and fauna we found.

(Agaricus arvensis)

(Agaricus Xanthodermus)

Both the mushrooms seen above are more commonly known as The Horse Mushroom and The Yellow Stainer. They are both native to Colorado and the rocky Rocky Mountain region. Both of them seemed to love the cool damp shade the park trees provided for them and they were definitely thriving!

(Juniperus Virginiana)

The Eastern Red Cedar is a native tree to the Colorado and Rocky Mountain region. There were quite a few of these to be seen in Observatory Park. Their leaves have a very soft and silky feel to them unlike their spruce counterparts in the park. The Eastern Red Cedar is extremely important to Colorado as it is credited with being a safe home for many types of birds throughout the Rocky Mountain region. They also provide good, cool shade for the happy mushrooms seen above.

(Potentilla Indica)

You may be thinking "Wow that looks like a strawberry!" and if you are, you're not far off. These are Mock Strawberries. Introduced to the United States from India. They are edible, however are reported to taste bitter and sour. (Don't eat any type of plant you aren't sure about or are unable to identify. I am not responsible for any readers actions.) This little red berries are actually an invasive species in the United States and are often treated as weeds, but they are are pretty!

Observatory Park is definitely a great get away spot for anyone living close by. My friends and I had fun exploring this park and had time to talk and walk while in this beautiful park. Definitely a great get away for any stressed university student as it's about a 10 minute walk from campus. It's filled with other people from the surrounding neighborhood and is clearly a well loved park. If you are into history, going to see the Chamberlin Observatory might give you an excuse to come see it for yourself at Observatory Park!