Elevations Basis grantee profile: Wild Bear Nature Heart

“I took a stroll within the woods and got here out taller than the timber.”
~ Henry David Thoreau

Jill Dreves grew up within the mountains of Colorado. As a baby, she attended a tiny, nature-immersed public faculty of simply 32 youngsters in grades Okay-8. Throughout these adolescence, a deep reference to Mom Earth was solid, and a seed was planted.

“After educating public faculty for 9 years, in 1995 I went again to my roots of connecting youngsters (and now neighborhood) to their yard nature and took $500 out of my financial savings account to begin Wild Bear Nature Heart,” Dreves, the Government Director of the group, mentioned.

Wild Bear Nature Heart in Boulder County is an all-ages nature middle open to the general public 360-days a yr and a 2022 Elevations Basis grantee.

Sharing the fun of nature

The nonprofit nature middle in downtown Nederland is open 360 days a yr and free to the general public. Wild Bear supplies year-round studying experiences for kids throughout their days off from faculty together with weekends, summer time break and over the winter holidays.

As well as, you’ll discover all-ages actions and nature workshops geared towards adults, households and faculty teams on the calendar of occasions together with guided snowshoe and summer time hikes, nature lessons resembling snow science, water research, herbalism, birds and mushrooms, nature artwork lessons and extra.

“The mountain ecosystems are probably the most unbelievable academics to attach all ages to studying about water, geology, crops and animals,” Dreves added. “In the course of the summer time, youngsters journey from Boulder to Wild Bear in Nederland on the RTD bus with our workers. Wild Bear additionally enjoys guests and members from all around the world.”

Time for extra development

Wild Bear is at present engaged on constructing a brand new 8,500-square-foot nature middle (rendering proven above) on the gateway to three,000 acres alongside the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway with 16 miles of nature trails in western Boulder County.

Inside, guests will take pleasure in school rooms, nature reveals, a wildlife statement window and neighborhood program area. Head exterior to a nature playscape, an amphitheater, ADA-accessible trails and extra.

“Since its founding, Wild Bear has turn out to be a powerful and rising group, offering hundreds of individuals with alternatives to search out pleasure in nature, to unplug and really feel the therapeutic energy of the universe,” Dreves mentioned.

Getting exterior to breathe contemporary air, take heed to the birds and contact the Earth also can make us extra aware of the should be environmentally conscious and take steps to guard our planet.

Connecting with our neighborhood

Not too long ago, Wild Bear was awarded a grant from the Elevations Basis.

“I used to be actually excited after I obtained the information and couldn’t wait to share with the entire group!” Improvement Director Kat Barr mentioned. “I ran down the corridor to inform my coworkers immediately. Elevations Basis helps so many wonderful neighborhood organizations, and we couldn’t be prouder to be one in every of them.”

Barr and Dreves mentioned the funds will assist them proceed to offer free and nominal-fee alternatives to the character middle’s guests and transfer ahead on a brand new facility.

“Now we have lots happening and the overall working help supplied by Elevations Basis is crucial to our success as a rising group,” Barr added.

In the event you’d prefer to be taught extra about Wild Bear Nature Heart, turn out to be a volunteer or donate to their efforts, click on right here.

For extra data on Elevations Basis and the work it’s doing in our neighborhood, to be taught extra about its grant program or to assist help one of many Elevations Basis’s causes, click on right here.