Programs for All Ages
GEAR TO GO
Gear to Go is our program to put the often expensive and hard to find outdoor equipment in the hands of kids and families.
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SKI FIELD TRIP
We offer all 4th and 6th graders in Delta County and Olathe a chance to experience winter on the Grand Mesa. If you are a local educator or youth leader and would like to schedule an additional ski field trip- contact us! We also offer ski lending for classrooms. See Gear to Go for details.
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CUSTOM PROGRAMS
BIKE FIELD TRIP
Building confidence riding a bike requires new challenges to develop trail skills. That is why we offer field trips on our trails and bike parks at Confluence (Delta) or Crossroads (Hotchkiss). Contact us about custom-designed bike field trips for 4th-High School or bike lending to teachers. See Gear to Go.
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SUP FIELD TRIP
The Nature Connection has a SUP trailer that can accommodate groups large and small. Mid April – June 1st @ Crawford State Park . June 1st – Mid November @ Sweitzer State Park in Delta
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ROCK CLIMBING
Age-Based Programs
For Delta County School District & Olathe Students
K-3rd Grade
Learn to Bike
Designed for elementary students in K-3rd grade, this brand new program (in 2020) helps students build confidence on bikes and teaches stewardship of our trails. Nature Connection staff and volunteers will bring a trailer full of bikes to a participating school and offer instruction to students during PE class.
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Conservation Days
Brings 3rd grade students from throughout Delta County out of their classrooms for a hands-on environmental education experience in the spring, hosted by our partner Western Slope Conservation Center and others at the Paonia River Park.
4th Grade
Skis for Kids
4th graders are introduced to their first cross-country skiing experience on public land. We partner with the United States Forest Service to provide youth with an Every Kid in a Park pass as well as Junior Snow Ranger booklets. Winter wildlife and their adaptations are introduced as well as how to ‘dress like an onion’ while preparing for a day outdoors in the wintertime. At almost 11,000 feet on top of the Grand Mesa, youth learn to fall and get back up again on xc skis — in return they ‘grow their grit’.
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National Public Lands Day
Every Kid in a Park celebrates National Public Lands Day with the U.S. Forest Service at Lost Lake on the Gunnison National Forest. Students build bird boxes, hang with Smokey, learn about geology, wilderness, forestry, how to use a compass and discover the forest on an exploratory hike.
5th Grade
Explore Your Park
Colorado Parks and Wildlife hosts field trips to Sweitzer Lake State Park or Crawford State Park in the spring or fall. Students experience canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding, archery and fishing at their local reservoir.
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6th Grade
Cottonwood Days
Cottonwood Days is a field trip event for 6th graders across the Western Slope to learn about the vital waterways that shape our landscape. Students learn to tie flies, handle native fish, collect invertebrates, and much more in this seriously fun event targeting art, history, and science standards. Hosted by the Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Canyons Association and other partnering organizations.
Winter Ecology Days
Winter Ecology Days is a day-long event cross-country skiing on the Grand Mesa National Forest. Lessons are taught by professionals from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the United States Forest Service and educators from the Nature Connection. There are plenty of hands-on activities including watershed and snow studies, avalanche safety basics, plus winter ecology topics. Following a pre-trip classroom discussion, students are provided with a second opportunity beyond 4th Grade to learn and ski in the winter.
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7th Grade
8th Grade
9th-12th Grade
Summer Jobs & Internships
Jobs and internships are available through the Nature Connection each summer. Some positions include: Summer camp counselors, water sports leader at Sweitzer State Park, social media internships, bike techs, Wilder Bunch trail crew and backcountry youth trail crew with the Forest Service. We help partner organizations recruit high school students for other outdoor positions throughout the county. Check out our position openings page in the spring to apply!
Raft Trips
9th grade students explore the Gunnison River by watercraft while learning about geology, desert ecology and the cultural history of our area. Students will visit the Eagle Rock Shelter- the oldest continually occupied archeological site in North America. They will also experience the beauty and fragility of the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area on single a day raft trip with our partners at Western Slope SUP.
Cross-Country Ski Day
High school teachers can contact us for a winter adventure on their national forest as a custom field trip. Our staff may also be able to support teaching avalanche safety, snowpack tests and understand how interconnected they are to the local landscape. Another option is taking a group of students xc skiing by becoming a member of our Gear to Go Program.
High School Climbing Team
Stay tuned to learn more about the High School Climbing Team.
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Mountain Bike Clubs and Teams
Stay tuned to learn more about the High School Mountain Bike Clubs and Teams.
Wilderness First Aid Training
Stay tuned to learn more about the High School Wilderness First Aid Training.
