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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June 2020
NEW! Hunters of the Wind: Eagles, Hawks, & Falcons
Eagles, hawks & falcons are icons of power and speed that capture the human imagination. Rocky Mountain National Park has all three of these aerial athletes. With an illustrated lecture/discussion in the morning followed by an afternoon field trip, participants will learn how these beautiful birds are alike and different with respect to their diet and nesting requirements, behavior, evolution, and population status. Nesting areas will be viewed from a safe distance and live birds will be presented as part…
Find out more »Early Wildflowers of RMNP
Some of the park’s early blooms are the loveliest, from tiny alpine forget-me-nots to colorful Calypso orchids. Search out these beauties with former Rocky Mountain National Park interpretive naturalist Leanne Benton as we explore from high alpine ridges to lower montane meadows depending on what is blooming. Participants will get up-close with the mountain flora to discover their adaptations for survival and interesting stories behind their beautiful faces. Identification techniques will be honed, and participants will gain confidence using a…
Find out more »Rocky Mountain National Park Butterflies: East of the Divide
Butterflies are easily observed in every life zone of Rocky Mountain National Park. Learn basic butterfly biology, behavior and identification. In the field, visit several different habitats on the east slope of the park to search for summer species, such as pale swallowtail, blues, several fritillaries, hoary comma and Weidemeyer’s admiral. Learn to identify these species, and also discuss their life histories and ecology, host-plant associations and conservation concerns. Observation will rely on binoculars and digital photography; however, the instructor…
Find out more »NEW! Spring Mushrooms & Fungi of RMNP
Come learn the basics for identifying fleshy fungi (including mushrooms), their important role in the ecosystem and a brief overview of the fungal kingdom. Rocky Mountain National Park has some unique and pristine ecosystems that we will explore, including the areas near snowbanks. We will spend a good part of the day in the field, identifying mushrooms and other fungi, and gaining a first-hand appreciation of these interesting and important organisms. There will be emphasis on the Cup Fungi (ascomycetes),…
Find out more »Journey to the Top! A Trail Ridge Road Bus Adventure
One of the premier attractions of Rocky Mountain National Park is Trail Ridge Road, the nation’s highest continuous paved highway. Trail Ridge Road meanders through various life zones on its way through the park and over one of the largest, most pristine stretches of alpine tundra in the lower 48 states. Participants receive a unique overview of the park’s history, flora, fauna and geology while viewing landscapes from the comfort of a 14–passenger mini-bus or 12–passenger van, with opportunities for…
Find out more »Journey to the Top! A Trail Ridge Road Bus Adventure
One of the premier attractions of Rocky Mountain National Park is Trail Ridge Road, the nation’s highest continuous paved highway. Trail Ridge Road meanders through various life zones on its way through the park and over one of the largest, most pristine stretches of alpine tundra in the lower 48 states. Participants receive a unique overview of the park’s history, flora, fauna and geology while viewing landscapes from the comfort of a 14–passenger mini-bus or 12–passenger van, with opportunities for…
Find out more »Grand Lake Safari: An Educational Adventure by Bus
Rocky Mountain National Park contains breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife viewing, and opportunities to connect with the past along Trail Ridge Road, the awe-inspiring byway across the Continental Divide. Participants will receive a unique overview of the park’s history, flora, fauna and geology while viewing landscapes from the comfort of a 14–passenger mini–bus or 12–passenger van. Stops include Rainbow Curve, the Alpine Visitor Center, Milner Pass, Holzwarth Historic Site, and the historic town of Grand Lake. Both lunch and entrance into…
Find out more »Journey to the Top! A Trail Ridge Road Bus Adventure
One of the premier attractions of Rocky Mountain National Park is Trail Ridge Road, the nation’s highest continuous paved highway. Trail Ridge Road meanders through various life zones on its way through the park and over one of the largest, most pristine stretches of alpine tundra in the lower 48 states. Participants receive a unique overview of the park’s history, flora, fauna and geology while viewing landscapes from the comfort of a 14–passenger mini-bus or 12–passenger van, with opportunities for…
Find out more »NEW! Photographing Spring Wildlife in Rocky Mountain National Park
Spring is a wonderful time of year in Rocky Mountain National Park! The wildflowers fill the meadows, the peaks are still capped with snow, the temperatures are getting warmer, and the animals have given birth to their babies. Elk and moose calves are running around the meadows, pikas and marmots can be seen along Trail Ridge Road again, and birds are beginning to raise their chicks. We will head out each morning to a beautiful location to find wildlife in…
Find out more »Journey to the Top! A Trail Ridge Road Bus Adventure
One of the premier attractions of Rocky Mountain National Park is Trail Ridge Road, the nation’s highest continuous paved highway. Trail Ridge Road meanders through various life zones on its way through the park and over one of the largest, most pristine stretches of alpine tundra in the lower 48 states. Participants receive a unique overview of the park’s history, flora, fauna and geology while viewing landscapes from the comfort of a 14–passenger mini-bus or 12–passenger van, with opportunities for…
Find out more »Sunset Safari: An Educational Adventure by Bus
Take a sunset safari over Trail Ridge Road to experience the changing light, active wildlife, and the calmness of dusk with an ascent in elevation from 7,522 feet in Estes Park to more than 12,090 feet. Along the way, a professional education guide will lead interpretive walks and talks to discuss geology, flora, fauna and the cultural history of Rocky at a number of pullouts, before arriving at Rock Cut to view the sunset over the Never Summer Mountains. Participants…
Find out more »Estes Valley: History & Historic Sites
This course will provide an overview of the region’s past by mixing brief lecture-and-discussion format with visits to historical sites of significance. Site visits will range from an ancient Indian battlefield to early homesteads, from stately resorts to deserted cabins. The course will examine numerous historical sites in the Estes Valley to discover the outlines of settlement and change. This class is intended to be more than just an historical tour. Participants are urged to sample the bibliography listed below…
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