How do Colorado animals survive through our winter season? Layer up and put some hot cocoa in your thermos- in this program, participants will connect with nature to explore strategies that animals use to thrive during the winter months.

Ages: Adaptable for PreK cubs - grizzly bear adults.

Locations: Mud Lake in Nederland, Chautauqua in Boulder, at your school, assisted living facility, or at another location near you!

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

This program showcases the variety of life in our montane ecosystem at Mud Lake! From creatures, plants, and trees that you find along the trail, to critters that are caught in nets at the lake, participants will experience the variety of life that is all connected as we explore water and air quality in a beautiful park that just 70 years ago was used as a local dumping ground. 

Ages: Adaptable from PreK cubs - grizzly bear adults.

Location: Mud Lake in Nederland

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

Gear up to explore how energy moves through an ecosystem as we investigate how organisms interact, how wolves change rivers, and we’ll illustrate the ever changing dynamic of wildlife in our forests from year to year.

Ages: Adaptable from PreK cubs - grizzly bear adults.

Locations: Mud Lake in Nederland, Chautauqua in Boulder, at your school, assisted living facility, or at another location near you!

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

What creatures, plants, and trees might we see on a winter day over and under the snow? Explore different species' survival strategies for adapting to our long montane winters. 

Ages: Adaptable for PreK cubs - grizzly bear adults. This is a great snowshoe program for PreK-2nd grade at Mud Lake.

Locations: Mud Lake in Nederland, Chautauqua in Boulder, at your school, assisted living facility, or at another location near you!

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

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Wild Bear partners with Winter Wildlands Alliance to deliver SnowSchool — a  snow science and winter ecology field trip on snowshoes!

Join Wild Bear and scientists from CU’s Mountain Research Station as we trek through the forest on snowshoes- exploring snowpack, our watershed, how scientists measure snow, and all the life that depends on it.

Participants will learn how scientists measure layers of snowpack that showcase different densities, consistencies, and stories that tell of water and survival in the Rocky Mountains.

Ages: Adaptable for students 2nd-8th grade.

Location: Mud Lake in Nederland

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

Join us in exploring the fascinating world of montane trees! Participants will learn how to identify local conifers, bask in the beauty of our gorgeous quivering aspen trees, and learn how montane and subalpine trees are specially adapted to survive bright Colorado days and long mountain winters. 

Ages: From PreK cubs - grizzly bear adults.

Locations:  Mud Lake in Nederland, Chautauqua in Boulder, at your school, assisted living facility, or at another location near you — in doing so, different trees and life zones may be explored!

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

Come along with Wild Bear as we take a look at how important natural fire is in our montane ecosystem and how our local wildlife is adapted to fire. We’ll explore what healthy forests look like, play games to illustrate forest succession, and discuss how indigenous peoples have been and continue to be in relationship with fire-adapted forests.

Ages: 3rd grade- 8th grade

Locations: Mud Lake in Nederland, Chautauqua in Boulder, at your school, assisted living facility, or at another location near you! 

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

Let’s explore different signs and patterns in nature. Join Wild Bear for mindful tracking that starts with noticing details in the world around us. Participants will learn differences in paw prints, walking styles, and explore clues that animals leave in the forest that tell a story that’s waiting to be discovered.

Ages: Adaptable from PreK cubs - grizzly bear adults.

Locations: Mud Lake in Nederland, Chautauqua in Boulder, or at another location near you!

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

Explore all the parts of plants and their pollinators as we explore life cycles and how plants and pollinators thrive! We’ll pretend to be bees and discover the many strategies that plants use to survive and appreciate the importance of plant pollinators. 

Ages:  PreK-2nd grade students.

Locations: Mud Lake in Nederland, Chautauqua in Boulder, at your school, or at another location near you!

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

Learn about our wild neighbors! Explore the critters you could find in your backyard or ours! Understand how all of these species are connected and how we as humans should (or shouldn't!) interact with them.

Ages: From PreK cubs - grizzly bear adults. 

Location: Mud Lake in Nederland, Chautauqua in Boulder, at your school, assisted living facility, or at another location near you!

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

Learn all about the owls of Boulder county! Explore their important role in our ecosystem, the adaptations they have for their lifestyles, and where and when you might see them!

Ages: Adaptable from PreK chicks - wise owl adults! 

Locations: Mud Lake in Nederland, Chautauqua in Boulder, or at another location near you!

* Also be sure to check out our Owl Moon program offered on the Saturday evenings closest to the full moon September through November.

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

Join Wild Bear educators on meditative nature walks- awakening our senses to the natural world around us. These walks can be tailored to fit the needs of your group including mindfulness activities, teambuilding and nature connection, birding, plant and tree identification, watercolors, and nature journaling.

Ages: Adaptable from PreK cubs - grizzly bear adults. 

Location: Mud Lake in Nederland, Chautauqua in Boulder, or at another location near you!

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

Join Wild Bear naturalists on a walk to explore the variety of birds that call the Rocky Mountains home, or are passing through during a magnificent migration. This program can be adapted by season and to participants that want to explore birds through birding walks, games, art, or stories. 

Binoculars are limited. 

Ages: Adaptable from PreK cubs - grizzly bear adults. 

Locations: Mud Lake in Nederland, Chautauqua in Boulder, at your school, assisted living facility, or at another location near you!

* Check out our spring migration birding walks in April and May!

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

Often overlooked but oh-so important to nature is the world of fungi. Join Wild Bear for a walk, games, and activities centered on our local mushroom species and to explore the importance of fungi in our lives. While this program is best in late summer with recent rainfall, we are happy to discuss mushrooms year round!

*Please note that mushrooms cannot be collected from Boulder County Open Space

Ages: From PreK cubs - grizzly bear adults. 

Locations: Mud Lake in Nederland, Chautauqua in Boulder, at your school, assisted living facility, or at another location near you!

* Check out our foraging classes held over the summer!

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

Let’s learn about how animals create and thrive in places that they call home! Participants will marvel and wonder at nature’s artists and then create structures that mimic these animals’ houses. Using imagination, creativity, teamwork, and natural materials- let’s play in the woods!

Ages: K-3rd grade.

Location: Wild Bear Nature Center at Mud Lake

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.

Join Wild Bear as we explore how to prepare and use gear and tools in nature that are key for survival situations. Learn skills such as how to create temporary survival shelters, make fire, pack your pack, and create bear hangs.

Fire-making is dependent on local fire regulations at the time of the program.

Ages: 4th- 12th grade

Location: Mud Lake in Nederland

* This program is limited to under 40 participants.

Teacher Guide, including learning standards and example activities.