The Rocky Mountain Conservancy-Field Institute offers a wide range of scheduled learning adventures for all ages. From hiking to bus tours, our premier educational experiences have something to offer for everyone. Can’t take a class or tour on a day that we have scheduled? The Rocky Mountain Conservancy-Field Institute offers a variety of classes and tours at your convenience, based on days you have available to explore. Flexible scheduling is available for most classes and tours, so check out the list of options below for ideas about customizing your educational experience. Call us at 970-586-3262 to book your adventure!
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March 2020
Winter Ecology: A Snowshoeing Trek for Kids & Families
Discover the serene beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park in the winter during this four-hour snowshoe hike. This fun and educational program will lead participants through snow-covered pine, spruce and fir forests to learn how plants and animals survive winter using unique adaptations and keen survival skills. Learn about the properties of snow, and get outside to enjoy it yourself! Children 13 and under are free!
Find out more »Coyotes: Song Dogs of the West
Coyotes are among this country’s most successful and resourceful predators. Often misunderstood and maligned, the coyote has profound impact on our everyday life. Explore the natural history of North America’s second largest canine, Native American stories, coyote discovery by Lewis and Clark, and the animal’s expansion to the East. Examine the coyote’s anatomy and biology; then, head into Rocky Mountain National Park to explore coyote habitat, social structure and interactions. Learn how the coyote interacts with the ecosystem, its prey…
Find out more »Winter Ecology: A Snowshoeing Trek for Kids & Families
Discover the serene beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park in the winter during this four-hour snowshoe hike. This fun and educational program will lead participants through snow-covered pine, spruce and fir forests to learn how plants and animals survive winter using unique adaptations and keen survival skills. Learn about the properties of snow, and get outside to enjoy it yourself! Children 13 and under are free!
Find out more »April 2020
Beginning Watercolor for the Nature Enthusiast
Start your painting journey through learning the fundamentals of the watercolor medium and an exciting method of applying paint in a fresh and vibrant way. The day will be spent learning varied techniques, setting up a palette of colors, and studying the importance of shapes and values. This information will be the jump-start you need to become a watercolor artist in nature, both indoors and out. Meets at the Field Institute Instructor: Karen Ramsey
Find out more »May 2020
North with the Spring: Bird Migration
May in the high country is when we welcome back wildlife, such as birds, that have wintered in warmer climates. Ducks, shorebirds, warblers, swallows, flycatchers, sparrows, sapsuckers, bluebirds and many others return for the nesting season or stop to refuel before heading farther north. Explore several birding locations in and around Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park to identify as many species as possible by sight and sound while learning about each bird’s unique natural history. (CSM credit available)…
Find out more »Hawks in Flight: Birds of Prey
The diversity of birds of prey in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park during spring is impressive. In a few hours of field time, it’s possible to locate turkey vulture, osprey, golden eagle, bald eagle, Cooper’s hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, northern goshawk, red-tailed hawk, prairie falcon, peregrine falcon and more. Our focus will be on this group of diurnal hunters, but we’ll not ignore the opportunity to observe other spring migrants and year-round resident species as well. Join the discussion…
Find out more »Tracking Wildlife in Rocky: Signs of Creatures Big & Small
A story exists all around us as we walk through the woods. Animals use the same area we do, but often go unnoticed since much of their activity occurs off trails, at night, or early or late in the day. Do you know how to read the signs they leave behind? If not, this class is for you. Walking through the woods, along streams and in meadows we will look for animals and their signs, visit den sites used by…
Find out more »Fire in Ecosystems: Friend or Foe
Both managers and citizens are grappling with the complexity of how climate change may alter fire disturbance regimes. Is fire still a natural disturbance in these mountain forests? What relationship does fire have with other disturbances such as drought and bark beetle outbreaks? Explore the role of fire in mountain forest ecosystems, typical fire regimes, synergistic disturbances, and predicted changes with climate warming during this full-day class. Discuss the history of fire policy ranging from the “10 A.M. policy” to…
Find out more »Endangered Species of the Rockies: Evading Extinction
Concerned about threatened or endangered species, and their preservation as part of our natural world? How do species come to be at the brink of extinction, and how can they be recovered? The answers lie in the landmark Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), the emerging science of conservation biology, and the resulting actions taken by scientists and citizens. Using examples of species occurring in Rocky Mountain National Park, this class will delve into these topics and their application in…
Find out more »Orienteering for Beginners: Map & Compass Basics in RMNP
This course is intended for the recreational hiker who has little or no experience reading a topographic map or working with a compass. Learn about map sources, map vintage, next generation U.S. topo maps by U.S.G.S. and map symbology. Learn to read contour lines, recognize landforms, calculate percent and angle of slope and become familiar with compass components, compass bearings and correcting for magnetic declination. More topics include overland navigation via map and compass and triangulation. The class will combine…
Find out more »Birds at Twilight
Twilight marks the transition time when nocturnal birds become active. While many daytime species still can be located, Wilson’s snipes, owls, common nighthawks and common poorwills start their nightshift hunting at dusk. Explore the haunts of these elusive birds, and discuss their natural history and ecology as we visit, search and listen. Meets at the Field Institute Instructor: Jeff Maugans
Find out more »Owls of Rocky Mountain National Park
Participants will explore Rocky Mountain National Park in search of 3-4 species of owls during the spring courtship and nesting season. Students will be listening for the vocalizations of northern pygmy, northern saw-whet, flammulated and great horned owls. The group will head into the field well before dark as pygmy owls are diurnal which provides a great opportunity to get great looks at this species. After dark participants will listen for the other species and hopefully locate a nesting pair…
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