Nature Discovery Center
Love the outdoors but want to learn more about the natural and cultural histories of the Vail Valley? Gore Range Natural Science School’s award-winning interpretive programming can help you explore and appreciate the natural world, whether you’re atop Vail Mountain or alongside the banks of Gore Creek. To make summer planning a breeze, programs occur the same time, same place and are ideal for families, adults, visitors and residents. What are you waiting for? Get outside and explore!
Located in an all-seasons yurt atop Vail Mountain, the Nature Discovery Center is a community-based partnership between Vail Resorts, the US Forest Service and Gore Range Natural Science School (GRNSS). During the summer, GRNSS naturalists provide daily nature hikes that explore Vail’s high alpine habitat and assist walk-in visitors with natural science learning. Winner of the 2004 Environmental Business Awardfrom the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education.
SUMMER HOURS
| Sat - Thurs |
10 am to 4 pm |
| Fridays |
10 am to 8 pm |
SEASON: Open June 25 through August 30, 2009
COST: Free to all
PHONE: 970-754-4675
GUIDED HIKES
Join a Gore Range Natural Science School Naturalist for an hour long hike through the forest atop Vail Mountain.
| Guided Hikes from the
Nature Discovery Center |
| DATES: |
Daily |
| TIME: |
11 am and 2 pm: 60 minutes in length |
| LOCATION: |
Nature Discovery Center: All-seasons yurt adjacent Eagle's Nest gondola and Adventure Ridge atop Vail Mountain. |
| COST: |
Provided courtesy of Vail Resorts, USFS, and GRNSS |
|
| Nature at Night |
| DAYS: |
Thursday and Saturday |
| TIME: |
6pm (30-45min) |
| LOCATION: |
Meet at the Discovery Center |
| COST: |
Provided courtesy of Vail Resorts, USFS, and GRNSS |
Meet at the Discovery Center for a family
nature talk followed by outdoor activities
under the stars. Topics include astronomy
and nocturnal animals.
No reservations required
|
| Moonlight Snowshoe Tour - Call 970-754-4675 to reserve space |
| DATES: |
January 8, 9, & 10 |
| |
February 5, 6, & 7 |
| |
March 5, 6, & 7 |
| |
|
| RESERVE: |
Call 970-754-4675 to reserve your space in advance of the program. |
| TIME: |
7 - 8:30 pm |
| LOCATION: |
Nature Discovery Center: All-seasons yurt adjacent Eagle's Nest gondola and Adventure Ridge atop Vail Mountain. |
| COST: |
Provided courtesy of Vail Resorts, USFS & GRNSS |
Journey into the night under the captivating glow of the full moon. Learn about astronomy and the habits of nocturnal animals while you snowshoe through the pristine silence of the moonlit mountains.
Snowshoes provided
|
| Winter Wanderings |
| DATES: |
December 19, 2008 through April 10, 2009 |
| TIME: |
Fridays, 1:30 – 3:30 pm |
| LOCATION: |
Meet at the Holy Cross Ranger District Visitor
Center at the Minturn exit just off I-70 |
| COST: |
Provided courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service and GRNSS. Limited snowshoe supplies. Bring your own if you have them. |
Join a Gore Range Natural Science School naturalist for a snowshoe hike over the meadow and through the woods. Follow animal tracks in the snow and watch for elk on the distant hillside. Revel in the stillness and beauty of winter as you learn how this seemingly calm season is alive with activity.
Gore Range Natural Science School partners with the U.S. Forest
Service to offer weekly snowshoe tours from the front steps of the
Forest Service Minturn Visitor Center, just off Interstate 70 at the
Minturn Exit. Provided courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service and Gore Range
Natural Science School.
Minturn Visitor Center
970-827-5715
|
High Country Speaker Series 2009
People, Paths, Perspectives: Exploring Native Migrations
7th Annual High Country Speaker Series
Gore Range Natural Science School and the Eagle Valley Library District invite you to three dynamic evenings featuring engaging speakers who will share their knowledge and views of our unique western landscape. These events take place in the Avon Library community room and are free of charge.
Craig Childs
Tuesday, January 27th at 6:30pm
Author, master story-teller, and commentator for NPR's Morning Edition, Craig Childs will take us on a journey back in
time with his talk, The Anasazi Code. A thousand years ago the Southwest was a matrix of trade routes and elaborate
stone pueblos, the trappings of an up and coming desert civilization. Around AD 1275 everything changed. People
walked away, their population centers left in ruins. Childs offers a detailed explanation for what happened to these people,
who they were, and where they went. Following ancient migration routes, he walked over a thousand miles from the Four
Corners into northern Mexico on the trail of the Anasazi. Craig Childs is a writer focusing on natural sciences,
archaeology, and mind-blowing journeys into the wilderness and his books include The Animal Dialogues, House of Rain, and
The Secret Knowledge of Water. We are grateful to the Bookworm for providing his books on site for purchase. Mr. Childs will
be available for autographs.
Space is limited, so advance registration isrequiredby January 21.Library at 949-6797.
Bill Kight
Tuesday, February 10th at 6:30pm
Bill Kight currently is the Heritage Resource Program Manager for the White River National Forest and has over 30 years
experience in cultural resource management. He is passionate about saving the past while honoring America’s indigenous
Peoples. For over a decade he has demonstrated his commitment to indigenous People and the public by using the Forest
Service’s Passport in Time program to successfully complete the Ute Trail Project. His program, Walking the Red
Road: A Timeless Journey, presents his experiences of walking in the steps of the Ute ancestors by telling of his journey
along the Old Ute Trail with Ute Elders, scientists and Passport in Time volunteers. Though used for thousands of years, it
has only been studied by anthropologists for the last 25 years. The story of the Ute Trail Project will unfold from a unique
perspective, one of being allowed to step through the threshold of not only another culture but of another time.
Space is limited, so advance registration is recommended. To reserve your space, please call the Avon Public Library at
949-6797.
Peter Decker
Tuesday, February 24th at 6:30pm
Peter Decker will share a slide presentation on the incidents that led to the forced exit migration of the Utes. His lecture
will cover events during the 19th century including the migration of the settlers into native territory and the Meeker
Massacre. Peter has had a varied career, including merchant seaman, college professor, rancher, and government official.
Author of various articles and the book The Utes Must Go!, Peter is currently a director of the National Western Stock Show
and continues to operate his cattle ranch in Ridgway.
Space is limited, so advance registration is recommended. To reserve your space, please call the Avon Public Library at
949-6797.
Sincere thanks to The Christie Lodge for their support of this program.