Elevations Basis grantee profile: Wild Bear Nature Heart

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“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 college of simply 32 youngsters in grades Ok-8. Throughout these early life, a deep reference to Mom Earth was cast, and a seed was planted.

“After educating public college 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 thrill of nature

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

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

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

Time for extra progress

Wild Bear is presently 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 lecture rooms, nature reveals, a wildlife statement window and neighborhood program house. Head outdoors to a nature playscape, an amphitheater, ADA-accessible trails and extra.

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

Getting outdoors to breathe contemporary air, hearken to the birds and contact the Earth may also make us extra aware of the must 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 acquired the information and couldn’t wait to share with the entire crew!” Growth 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.

“We now have rather a lot happening and the final working assist supplied by Elevations Basis is essential to our success as a rising group,” Barr added.

If you happen to’d wish to study extra about Wild Bear Nature Heart, change into 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 study extra about its grant program or to assist assist one of many Elevations Basis’s causes, click on right here.

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