740 West Hwy 72 north, Nederland, Colorado

Music starts 7pm.  Optional reception begins at 5:30pm.

Cost: Suggested minimum contribution $20 in advance, $25 day of show; pre-concert reception $15 in advance, $20 day of show. 

Click on the image to learn more about The Duhks!

“The Duhks are a joyous phenomenon. They’re mining gold from a North American vein of World music, by taking tunes of folk, celtic, old timey, string band, and gospel extraction, and arranging them for five outrageous musicians and a very high energy presentation. In every one of the members you see something that sets them apart from their contemporaries.” -Frank Goodman, puremusic.com

Please join us for this wonderful evening of support to Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center and the Backdoor Theatre.

Silent auction…. an added plus!

Bike, bus, carpool, run or walk to celebrate our magnificent planet at the Wild Earth Day celebration, hosted by Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center at Boulder’s Central Parks (North and South Parks, located at 13^th Street and Canyon Boulevard in downtown Boulder).  This FREE action-packed family event joins the public with some of the nation’s best ecological talent and provides hands-on experiences for all ages from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Sunday, April 21, 2013.

Delve into experiential activities with masters in the field of environmental education from Colorado University (CU). Join the Climate Control Forum with keynote speakers from “Chasing Ice,” National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and Colorado Ocean Coalition (COCO) in the solar-powered presentation tent.  Meet the live raptors (bald eagles, hawks, owls, and falcons), and engage in hands-on activities about water, local flora and fauna, energy, nature crafting, and more!  Enjoy the Mud Lake Open Space exhibit by exploring habitats with live crayfish and other arthropods.

Satisfied with the weather report? Witness real weather balloon launches with NCAR and learn state-of-the-art methods to interpret and predict our changing weather patterns.  Getting fit for summer?  Train for your next “14-er” while ascending the climbing wall donated by Avid 4 Adventure.  Are you now ready to relax?  Bring your picnic to enjoy as you delight in live music at the Band Shell.  Do you know how to be “green,” ecologically aware, and a true steward of the natural world? Come join us and find out!

A highlight at this year’s Wild Earth Day will be our guest speakers, Synte Peacock, filmed in “Chasing Ice” and Climate Scientist and Oceanographer from NCAR, shares a global view of climate change and how we consumers can potentially help slow the thaw of our ice caps; Peter Lawrence, Senior Project Scientist from NCAR cogently delivers the latest research on how to potentially regain control of our climate through reforestation;; and Vicki Goldstein, Founder and Executive Director of Colorado Ocean Coalition, reveals how our actions in Colorado contribute to the largest ocean-based garbage patch known in the history of the planet and what simple changes we can take to improve the health of our seas.  Friends’ School, in conjunction with CU’s Climate Control Outreach, proudly presents a series of family activities that brings ecology straight into children’s hands via delightful, surprising, and science-based activities – get ready to roll up your sleeves!

Wild Earth Day is a Zero-waste event with EcoCycle. Powering the Wild Earth and Climate Control Forum tents, and the electric plug-in vehicles on display, Southard Solar’s mobile solar array gives people a close-up look at how accessible renewable energy is today.  Get to know your garbage as EcoCycle’s outreach not only ensures zero landfill material from the Wild Earth Day event, but also makes available new methods to reduce your quantity and cost of garbage.  Wild Bear will lead teams of volunteers to pick up trash along Boulder Creek every hour of the event…come help make your downtown community look beautiful.

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Wild Earth Day is Boulder County’s largest Earth Day event. Presented annually since 2001, Wild Earth Day is a free action packed day of entertainment and education about this magnificent planet earth.  Originally in collaboration with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, thousands of visitors of all ages and from throughout the region participate in hands-on experiential activities at booths provided by regional masters in the field of environmental education.

Mark your Calendar!  13th Annual Enchanted Forest is Saturday, October 5, 2013

We would like to sincerely thank the community of Nederland for contributing so greatly to another successful Enchanted Forest!  The 12^th annual Enchanted Forest was absolutely wonderful, with loads of fun at the Mountain Ecology Center, including live birds of prey with HawkQuest, enjoyed magic with Brent Warren and Erica Sodos, facepainting with Jennifer Heil, and arts and crafts.  THEN, they rode the bus up to Wild Bear’s property at Mud Lake to take a tour of the forest!  Families were led along Wild Bear’s trail to meet up with the wolf spider, mountain lion, tiger salamander, moose and bobcat!  And, they likely received a hug from the black bear!  Families took the bus back and enjoyed music with David Williams and hot soup donated by Wild Mountain Smokehouse!  We estimate over 600 people joined us at the 12^th annual Enchanted Forest!

We could not provide the community with this truly fun and educational event without the support of our volunteers.  What an amazing crew!  Thank you to:

Jordan Morrow, Brooke Stamper, Lindsay Stover, Deb and Takira Weiss, Lauren Pigott, Charlie Rawlins, Toni Marinkovich, Stephanie and Santina Silva and her sisters, Shawna Ford, Rand Sachter, Michaela Madalinski, Pippi Graham, Katie Hyzy, Amber Lesser, Tatiana Casey, Karen and Hunter Summers, Sam Rawlins, Laureal Boston, Makenzie and Doug Radandt, Wes and Susan Schneider, Adwoa and Cai Lemieux, Serene Karplus, Tyler Pelkey, Jessie, Anika Ramey, Willow Johnson, Michael Devine, Kathy Temple, Debora Martin, Sydney Monroe, Lori and Natasha Kinzel, Sarah and Parker Newby, Jane Curtis Gazit, David Felkley, Andy Johnson, Jenifer Atkinson and her family, Bradley Jorgenson, Cat Brantley, Laureen Phillips, Anna Marie Scott, Tony Scarnecchia, Michelle Pitcher, our BEAR, all of the Wild Bear families who prepped, Bo and Laura Dubose, Gea Franklin, Larry Higgins, Monica LaSalle, Elaine Mason, Graham Fowler, Sarah Holton, Teresa Keller, Kellie Bakke for designing the poster AND Stacey Pitschka for creating those MAGNIFICENT costumes!  THANK YOU SO MUCH for contributing so much time to this community.  It means so much!

We’d also like to extend heartfelt gratitude to our Enchanted Forest sponsors:  Mutual of Omaha Bank, My Therapy Company, Wild Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery, Back Country Pizza, United Power, WildSight, and B&F Mountain Market and the Town of Nederland.

Thank you so much for supporting Wild Bear Mountain Ecology and the Enchanted Forest! We hope you visit us soon!

Sincerely,

Jill Dreves, Executive Director

Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center

Clink this photo to see our fall/winter 2012-13 workshops when school is not in session!

See this link to download the school year catalog.  To register call 303-258-0495 or email registrar@wildbear.org or stop by the Center!  Inquire about scholarships!

2^nd Annual Wildflower Gala

Schedule of Events

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $20 or at the door for $25.  This event is 18 and older.  For more information call 303-258-0495,  or send an email to gala@wildbear.org.  We hope to see you all there! 4:00pm-5:00pm

Wildflower hike led by Kim Culver.  Kim Culver has been a practicing herbalist for 30 years, in the Wise Woman Tradition.  This optional walk is included in the cost of the ticket (tickets will be available for sale at the trailhead but it is highly recommended that you buy your tickets in advance and preregister    for the hike.)  Meet at the East Portal/Moffat Tunnel trailhead in Rollinsville at 3:45.

4:30pm-5:45 Back at the Stage Stop,   Enjoy live music with Lynda Bell featuring Ivy Rowe interspersed with wildflower poetry and other entertaining mysteries and surprises. 

6-7:00p  Enjoy live New Orleans Jazz and fun with  David Williams and Friends 

David Williams is an Emmy winning songwriter (for his work with PBS), cartoonist, writer, multi-instrumentalist, and professor. His new book, The Trickster Brain, deals with neuroscience, story making, and evolution.  He has also published numerous short stories, a book of fiction, and two children’s books with Knopf. His musical influences include everything from gypsy jazz to delta blues, bluegrass and folk. As a singer-songwriter, he is known for his way with words and melodies, which conjure up the American musical   landscape. His songs touch on everything from the difficulties of love to the people and places along old Route 66, or a carnival from his childhood, or swing tunes reminiscent of Tin-Pan-Alley.

7:00pm-8:00pm Live music entertainment by The Railsplitters

Based in Boulder Colorado, The Railsplitters are best described as an old  timey bluegrass band but admit that they often stray from the truly traditional sound of the Kentucky derived genre.  The band applies acoustic  guitar, banjo, mandolin, and upright bass, evoking the spirit of Bill Monroe’s earliest works. Far from being pigeon holed to one genre, however, their unique musical concoction hints at tonality reminiscent of Gillian Welch, The Dillards, and even Bill himself.  The Railsplitters are made up of a group of friends who met at different bluegrass jams across the county. “We’ve been pickin’ together for quite some time but only recently we decided to make it official.”

8:00pm-9:00pm

Guest speaker Louise Chawla.  Live auction of eco-art produced by the children of Wild Bear to follow speech. Award for best interpretation of   ‘wildflower gala attire’ will be awarded.

 Louise Chawla is a professor in the College of Architecture and Planning at   the University of Colorado. Professor Chawla’s work centers on child       development and environmental psychology and has led to a revival of the     Growing Up in Cities project of UNESCO.  She is the editor and co-author of  Growing Up in an Urbanizing World, author of In the First Country of Places,   and an editor of the journal Children, Youth, and Environments.  She also       contributed her knowledge and advice to Richard Louv’s national bestseller Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder.       

9:00pm-12:00am Live music and entertainment by Bonnie and Clydes.

Dust off your dancing shoes, real country music has returned.  Bonnie & the Clydes bring a brand of swingin’ music that makes it nearly  impossible to sit still. In a world overrun by alt and pop country, they conjure up the sounds of the genre’s legends. Led by Bonnie Sims, Bonnie  & the Clydes feature soulful vocals, dynamic fiddle and guitar solos, and a  solid country swing groove.

10:30pm   Silent auction will close at this time.  Winning bids must be closed out by        11:00pm.  Individuals must be present in order to claim winning bid.  

Thank you for coming out and supporting Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center!