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One man, two ponds

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Contributed by: Crawford Clark/YourHub.com on 2/6/2008

Editor's note: Visit our Faces of Arvada and Wheat Ridge page, where YourHub.com staff and readers can introduce you to more people who make this part of the metro area what it is.

In the heart of Arvada, it seems the fate of a natural oasis depends on one man.

Large suburban homes and busy streets surround the Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge. Established in 1992, the refuge is a home for local wildlife and a place for the community to meet the natural world on its own terms.

Seth Beres has been the outdoor recreation planner at Two Ponds for 10 years and is employed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Beres' job is to protect the plant and animal species of the refuge and to run educational programs that help local students foster more enjoyment and respect for the natural world.

"Students who have never seen a frog before can experience an outdoor classroom," Beres said. "We see thousands of kids each year from kindergarten through high school."

Two Ponds has the distinction of being the smallest urbansite in the National Wildlife Refuge System, encompassing just over 72 acres.

The refuge is home to foxes, ducks and deer, as well as 113 species of birds and myriad high prairie plants and grasses such as willows, cattails and prickly pear cactus, to name a few.

The Beres house is home to Seth, wife Suzanne and children Sylas and Talia.

Along with leading environmental education programs, managing service projects for groups such as the Boy Scouts, as well as general maintenance and habitat restoration, Beres is also responsible for writing articles, grant proposals, organizing volunteers and other general administrative duties that keep the Two Ponds Refuge a viable wildlife habitat.

"I absolutely love my job and feel that Two Ponds is an extremely rare and valuable resource,"the Arvada mansaid.

While Two Ponds lies fairly dormant in the winter,the Chicago nativeputs his wildlife and fisheries sciences bachelor's degree and education master' s to workperforming outreach and running the Colorado branch of Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program, a nationwide artistic and scientific competition that challenges students to draw waterfowl in its natural habitat, with the nationwide winners featured on a national $5 stamp.

One of Beres' long-term goals is to establish a freestanding visitors center at the refuge. The building would house offices and educational and guest facilities for the community to better lean about and enjoy the refuge.

The Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge east side parking lot is located 9210 W. 80th Ave. in Arvada and is open every day from May through September. The west side parking lot can be found at the corner of Kipling and 80th Street and is open all year from dawn to dusk. Dogs are not allowed on the refuge at any time, with the exception of service dogs. For more information, call 303-289-0867.

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Showing 1 of 1 comments

Submitted By: Gladys Mercier

posted on 2/14/2008 @ 6:58:26 PM

Rated Story

Two Ponds is very pretty. Thank you for taking care of it.

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