You are here: Home / Archives for Walking Mountains Science Center

2013 Founder’s Stewardship Award Call for Nominations

April 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Walking Mountains Science Center is currently accepting nominations for its 2013 Founder’s Stewardship Award.  Inspired by the vision of Walking Mountains’ founder Kim Langmaid, this award seeks to honor a Vail Valley individual who truly embodies the organization’s mission- to awaken a sense of wonder and inspire environmental stewardship.

Established in 2006, the Founder’s Stewardship Award is once again generously sponsored by Alpine Bank.  Previous recipients of the award include environmentalist Caroline Bradford, educator Ted James, Minturn Middle School student Tucker Cocchiarella, Vail Mountain School student Holly Domke, Vail Resorts Senior Environmental Affairs Coordinator, Luke Cartin and Eagle County’s Environmental Policy Planner, Adam Palmer.  Last year’s Founder’s Stewardship Award was given to Megan Gilman, President and Co-Founder of Active Energies, for her vital role in supporting environmental initiatives throughout our community.

Walking Mountains looks forward to presenting the Founder’s Stewardship Award to a worthy recipient at the organization’s new summer fundraising event, A Taste of Nature, being held at on the Science Center campus on Tuesday, July, 9th.  250 guests are expected to celebrate the evening and enjoy camaraderie, friendship, delectable food prepared by Vail Resorts premier chefs and wine tastings sponsored by the Bronfman Family.

Walking Mountains serves almost 3,500 students and 30,000 adults and families each year with natural science programs that take students into the outdoors to experience learning. School programs have a measurable impact on student’s achievement in science while connecting them to nature.

Nomination forms for the Founder’s Stewardship Award are available for download online.  You may also contact selection committee chair, Alix Berglund, at alixbadenhausen@yahoo.com.

Nominations will be accepted until June 15th.  Individuals are welcome to nominate themselves, co-workers or fellow community members.  To purchase tickets of for more information regarding A Taste of Nature, please contact Gina Garrett at (970) 827-9725 x130.  

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , ,

The Science Behind Coffee Roasting

February 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The Science Behind Cofee Roasting at Walking MountainsAre you a coffee lover? Do you depend on the dark, warm beverage to get your mornings started? Have you ever wondered about why various coffee brands and roasts taste differently? Join Walking Mountains Science Center for The Science Behind Coffee Roasting.

Travis Colbert, owner of City on a Hill Coffee & Espresso, in Leadville, CO, will share his love and appreciation for the fine details of coffee. At the presentation, he will talk about coffee origins including the regions where coffee plants grow and why coffee tastes different depending on where it comes from and how you roast and prepare it. Travis will demonstrate a sample coffee roast and talk about the roasting process.  This program includes the opportunity to taste various coffees.

The Science Behind series of classes highlights useful and fun skills that have underlying scientific principles.  Each class provides a hands-on, interactive component with instruction from a local subject matter expert and a Walking Mountains educator.  Classes are held once a month at Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon.

IF YOU GO…
What: The Science Behind Coffee Roasting
When: March 20th, 6:30pm
Where: Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon
Cost: Free!

Seating is limited, please call to reserve your spot today!  (970) 827-9725

The Science Behind Series is made possible by Slifer, Smith and Frampton Real Estate Company.

Filed Under: Events, Fun, The Science Behind Series Tagged With: , , ,

Walking Mountains Community Programs

December 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

There is something for everyone here at the Science Center in Avon.  While Walking Mountains is instrumental in teaching natural science education to the kids of Eagle County through field studies programs and summer camps, we also offer many programs just for the Vail community.  Did you know that we also operate the Vail Nature Center in the summertime and the Nature Discovery Center at the top of Vail Mountain during the winter season?  There are many, many fantastic and fun things to do with your family and friends right here in the Vail Valley.  Take a look:

Nature Walks and Snowshoe Tours
You can join a Walking Mountains naturalist almost every day of the week at one of our location for a free, guided hike in summer or a snowshoe tour during winter.  You will enjoy the outdoors while learning about our ecology and animal adaptations in our natural mountain environment.  Tours are free and available from WMSC (Mon-Sat) or the Vail Nature Discovery Center (Daily) at 2pm

Family Naturalists Club
Future naturalists explore the forest as they learn to observe, identify and understand the unique aspects of the plants and animals in our ecological community. $10/per adult/child pair

EarthKeepers Preschool Program
Children practice using their senses to explore the natural world and have fun with others while participating in activites such as songs, stories and games.  Indoor and outdoor activities.  $10/per adult/child pair

Eagle Valley Astronomical Society
Anyone at any age with an interest in astronomy at any level is invited to attend and learn about features in space using telescopes and interpreting the night sky.  These classes are free and open to the public.

The Science Behind Series
In the monthly Science Behind series a member of the Walking Mountains staff and a guest presenter explore the science behind factors in our everyday lives.  Previous topics have included brewing beer, worm composting, gluten-free cooking, and herbal salves and balms.  This series is made possible through a generous donation from Slifer, Smith and Frampton Real Estate.  Classes are typically free unless materials are required.

Walking Mountains Science Center is Now Open!The High Country Speaker Series
Offered in partnership with the Eagle Valley Library District, this series brings you experts from around Colorado to discuss important environmental issues.  The series is offered four times during the winter season, specific dates and times are posted on our events calendar as they become available.  These sessions are free to the public.

Wildflower Walks, Beaver Pond Tours, Bird Watching Tours in the Summertime
During the summertime, our naturalists lead many tours from the Vail Nature Center.  Always engaging and appropriate for locals and visitors alike, these treks are very low cost to attend.

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival
This environmental film festival typically happens in the fall.  Engaging, environmentally conscious films for adults and kids alike.

Fall Festival
This year we welcomed Nature’s Educators during our Fall Festival on campus.  The live raptor show and booth was awesome!  There was also much to be learned from the Walking Mountains educators at our own fun, family-friendly booths.

Partnered Events
We often hold special speaker or film events in partnership with other local entities.  In the past we have partnered with:

  • Eagle River Watershed Council
  • Vail Symposium
  • Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
  • Denver Museum of Nature and Science
  • Education Foundation of Eagle County

For events such as:

  • John Fielder Photography Tour
  • Jon Kedrowski, “Climb Your Own Everest”
  • The Robert Redford film, “Watershed”
  • Digging Snow Mastodon
  • Talks with Dr. Mark Varien on Pueblo Indian life

These are always one-of-a-kind events – an awesome collaborative effort and huge value to the community.

Come on out and explore your curious nature – there is so much to do right here in your own backyard.  Help us in our mission to become better environmental stewards and explore the natural wonders of our incredible mountain environs.

Please visit our events calendar online, sign up to receive news from our blog or call (970) 827-0725 for more information

 

Filed Under: Buck Creek Campus, Events, Family Activities, Film Series, Fun, High Country Speaker Series, Kids Activities, Nature Tours, The Science Behind Series, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Avon Elementary Secures National Blue Ribbon School Award

December 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The principal, teachers and students over at Avon Elementary School (AES) have much to celebrate these days.  AES was recently awarded the National Blue Ribbon Schools Award – a designation received by only 5 schools in Colorado and 269 across the nation.  What most people don’t know is just how hard everyone at Avon Elementary had to work to achieve this status.

In the last two years Avon Elementary doubled its standardized test scores and closed its achievement gap — the gap between the school’s highest performing students and its lowest performing students.  Reading scores soared from 25.53 percent proficient and advanced in 2007 to 67.83 in 2011, as measured by Colorado’s annual CSAP test. Math scores were up from 38.85 percent in 2007 to 69.23 percent in 2011.

87 percent of the students at AES are not native English speakers and 206 of 235 total students qualify as low income, based on their eligibility for free/reduced meal programs, according the school’s data.  Just five years ago Avon Elementary was one year from being forced into corrective action and taken over by the Department of Education.

Walking Mountains has been heavily involved with AES for the last seven years.  Dina Patsiavos is the Avon In-school science teacher at the elementary school.  All AES students visit her classroom once a week for science instruction as an academic special.  Some of these kids have now had exposure to science eduction from Walking Mountains since the first grade!  We also run our popular “Girls in Science” after school program at Avon Elementary.  Girls in grades 3-5 who elect to participate meet once a week for an hour and a half after school.  They dig in to topics like grossology, dissection and chemistry.  The girls absolutely love their time with our educators.

Everyone involved with Avon Elementary has been working so hard to move mountains – we are so proud of their success!

Filed Under: Girls in Science, News, School Programs Tagged With: , ,

Ways to Give to Walking Mountains

December 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Walking Mountains relies on gifts from individuals for 65% of our income. These funds are used to provide over 2,800 school children annually with experiential, outdoor programs in 20 schools, which are offered at a minimal price, since 85% of the cost of the programs is covered through generous gifts to the Annual Fund.

Grants from local, regional and national foundations, corporations and government provide the balance of our program cost,  enabling us to continue programs like our middle school biodiversity expeditions, natural science field studies, and our popular summer science camps.  No child is excluded from participation due to inability to pay, and we are able to meet requests for scholarship assistance because of your generosity.

YOUR GIFT MAKES AN INCREDIBLE DIFFERENCE!

$30 pays for 2 low income students to attend a field study program
$50 buys 1 pair of child’s snowshoes for a winter program
$100 sends 1 elementary school student to a forest ecology program
$250 enables 1 student in need to attend a week-long summer science camp
$500 sends 3 elementary students to a 2-day snow science program
$1,000 pays for 10 middle school students to attend a 3-day biodiversity program
$2,500 funds 1 month of Girls in Science classes at 1 elementary school
$5,000 staffs the Nature Discovery Center with our trained Naturalists for 3 months

Membership at Walking Mountains

Your membership gift to Walking Mountains Science Center supports our non-profit mission:  To awaken a sense of wonder and inspire environmental stewardship through natural science education.  Membership contributions at all levels are designated for the Walking Mountains Annual Fund that supports our programming and general operations of the Science Center.  Your Walking Mountains membership is especially important now that our new campus in Avon is open, as it enables us to continue to provide school and community programming for students, residents, and visitors AND have the Science Center open to the public six days a week from 10 am to 6 pm with no admission charge.  We look forward to welcoming you into our Walking Mountains family and thanking you for your generosity by offering you exclusive membership-only privileges.

There are four ways to make your membership gift in support of Walking Mountains Science Center’s Annual Fund:

  1. Your personal check mailed to Walking Mountains, PO Box 9469, Avon, CO  81620
  2. By credit card – we accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express – call us at 970.827.9725 with your credit card information
  3. By transfer of stock – please call the Development Department at 970.827.9725 for instructions
  4. Make a secure gift online

All gifts to Walking Mountains are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , ,

Walking Mountains Science Center: Our Mission

December 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

our mission to awaken a sense of wonder and inspire environmental stewardship through natural science education is carried on through a team of professionals, graduate students, and volunteers who deliver programs to thousands.

At Walking Mountains Science Center, we believe that nature is for everyone. Children and adults. Amateur naturalists and graduate educators. Residents and visitors.

Here we offer:

School Programs
Working in conjunction with the local school district and private schools, our goal is to serve every child in Eagle County through natural science programs that take place in nature, compliment classroom curriculum and help narrow the achievement gap by enhancing scientific and environmental literacy.

Community Programs
A variety of courses are offered throughout the year in close partnership with local organizations. From speakers and films to monthly Science Behind classes, we bring participants of all ages into the outdoors.

Graduate Programs and Internships
Those who are interested in applying their expertise in environmental sciences can expand their experience through graduate studies and internships where they create and teach courses that connect people to the natural world.

Changing lives through natural science research
Our educational programs engage experiential learning – techniques that foster critical thinking, and teach the scientific method through the gathering of data. Today, we are contributing our data to a body of scientific research, linking what we are learning in our backyard with research to advance global sustainability

Walking Mountains Science Center, a gathering place for environmental learning
Our centrally-located campus gives Walking Mountains a visible presence in the community and enables us to greatly expand our reach. Showcasing the highest levels of sustainable design and green building, the campus features spaces indoors and out for learning, research, multi-day excursions, interactive displays, and more.

Take a walk and change the world
At Walking Mountains Science Center, we share our passion for the natural world in ways that make a difference. As an award-winning non-profit, we have been recognized for our efforts to preserve our natural surroundings and to promote environmental awareness and conservation.

We invite you to join us. Come, explore your curious nature.

Filed Under: Environmental Education Tagged With: , ,

Use Simple Video Cameras to Get Great Celestial Movies of Celestial Objects

October 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Eagle Valley Astronomical Society will gather Thursday evening, October 18, starting at 7:30 PM at the Walking Mountains Science Center near the base of Buck Creek Road in Avon. Our speaker will be John Briggs, a regular presenter at Eagle Valley Astronomical Society.

Last month John travelled to Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona, to perform a historical reenactment of the first photographic observation of solar granulation. The project was in collaboration with veteran solar astronomer Dr. Jack Harvey of National Solar Observatory. John and Jack used electronic “still” photography, traditional film photography, and modern video imaging to record the fine, granular-appearing surface of the Sun.

At our meeting, John will explain and demonstrate how easy it is to make celestial movie clips with video cameras that cost only $100 or less. This can be done with almost any telescope and is a wonderful project for youngsters. Common webcams, for example, can be modified to image the Moon and planets with a small telescope, and the results are surprisingly impressive. John will also report on his adventure making video recordings at Kitt Peak and will show results including the Sun, Moon, and double stars.

FREE Event.  All ages are welcome, no reservations necessary.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Events, Family Activities Tagged With: , ,

Where Dirt Comes From: From Early Big Bang Universe to Dust Bunnies

September 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Eagle Valley Astronomical SocietyWhat:  Eagle Valley Astronomical Society
Where:  Walking Mountains Science Center
When:  September 13th, 7:30-9:00pm
Cost: FREE, all ages welcome

Wayne Green, an avid amateur astronomer since grade school, will share a presentation for all ages regarding the origin of matter. The show will include a look at the universe through different wavelengths beyond the light that we see.

Mr. Green is the Vice President of the Boulder Astronomy and Space Society, Regional Chair of the Astronomical League, and is a past-president of the Denver Astronomical Society. He also serves as the Secretary of the Deep Space Exploration Society, a radio astronomy oriented group in Longmont, Colorado.

For more information contact Lara Carlson: larac@walkingmountains.org or call (970) 827-9725

Filed Under: Astronomy Tagged With: , , ,

Wild & Scenic – Fun for the Whole Family!

September 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Join us this weekend (9/14 & 9/15) for the Wild and Scenic Film Festival at Walking Mountains Science Center!  These environmental films are sure to change your world.  Feature films include: Mother Nature’s Child, Nico’s Challenge, Walking the Valley: Mountain Pine Beetle and Green Fire. 

Walking The Valley:  This segment takes you out into the White River National Forest on Vail Mountain to discuss the life and cycle of the mountain pine beetle.  You’ll discover what the makes this little creature thrive and survive in our alpine environs.  Learn about the history of the infestation and find out what the experts know about biodiversity and the future of our lodge pole pine forests.  The documentary includes segments from Walking Mountains, Vail Resorts and the US National Forest Service and was filmed by TV8.

Mother Nature’s Child:  Calls us to consider the future of that which we hold most dear: the health and well-being of our children. Visually rich, inflected with humor and the unexpected, the film examines the benefits of unstructured outdoor play, risk-taking, urban connection with nature, healthy rites of passage, the use of technology, and what it means to educate the “whole child”. Intimate scenes with children of all ages are discussed by experts Richard Louv, David Sobel, Stephen Kellert, Jon Young, Brother Yusuf Burgess and others. The film is stirring intense discussion among parents, teachers and health professions nationwide.

Nico’s Challenge:  In this Documentary Meet Nico Calabria, a 13 year-old boy who faces special challenges as he climbs mount Kilimanjaro, the worlds highest freestanding mountain. His goal, to raise money and deliver free wheelchairs to the people of Tanzania. This coming of age adventure has some unexpected twists that push this child to his limits just before reaching the summit at nineteen thousand feet above sea level.

Green Fire:  The Life and Legacy of Aldo Leopold.  Green Fire describes the formation of Leopold’s idea, exploring how it changed one man and later permeated through all arenas of conservation. The film draws on Leopold’s life and experiences to provide context and validity, then explores the deep impact of his thinking on conservation projects around the world today.

Saturday’s event begins with Kids Films at 5pm and is followed by a fun fair with wild and wacky science experiment stations the whole family will enjoy.  The “Ice Cream Lady” will be on hand to deliver tasty treats while Walking Mountains educators display the magic and wonders of science.

Tickets are available online at www.wildandscenicvail.com or on location at Walking Mountains or the Patagonia store in Lionshead.  Adults $10, Kids program $5 (for adults or children, kids 2 and under are free). 

Filed Under: Buck Creek Campus, Events Tagged With: , , ,

Wild and Scenic Film Festival Comes to Avon!

August 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Join us for the Wild and Scenic Film Festival On Tour at the Science Center on September 14th and 15th in Avon!

Wild and Scenic Film Festival, Avon CO 2012

Get Tickets Online

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is celebrating its 10th year with a collection of films from the annual festival held the third week of January in Nevada City, CA! Wild & Scenic focuses on films which speak to the environmental concerns and celebrations of our planet. “Films featured at Wild & Scenic give people a sense of place,” says Tour Manager, Lori Van Laanen. “In our busy lives, it’s easy to get disconnected from our role in the global ecosystem. When we realize that the change we need in this world begins with us we can start making a difference. Come watch and see!”

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival was started by the watershed advocacy group, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) in 2003. The festival’s namesake celebrates SYRCL’s landmark victory to earn “Wild & Scenic” status for 39 miles of the South Yuba River in 1999. The 3-day event features over 100 award-winning films and welcomes over 100 guest speakers, celebrities, and activists who bring a human face to the environmental movement. The home festival kicks-off the national tour to over 100 communities nationwide allowing SYRCL to share their success as an environmental group with other organizations.  Building a network of grassroots organizations, they are connected by a common goal of using film to inspire activism. With the support of their National Partners: Patagonia, CLIF Bar, Osprey Packs, Sierra Nevada Brewing and Mother Jones, the festival reaches an even larger audience in tour venues coast to coast.

GET TICKETS

Support from Patagonia will enable Walking Mountains to hold the film festival at our Center this year!  Films on tour will feature topics such as the impact of plastic, the education of “today’s child”, land ethics and 21st century ecological challenges, impact of the mountain pine beetle, and more.  The event at Walking Mountains will also offer plenty of activities for adults and kids alike.  Saturday’s event will include a family fun fair with outdoor (weather permitting) kiWild and Scenic Film Festival, Walking Mountains Science Centerds films, science experiment stations, food, and family fun.

Adult program highlights include Mother Nature’s Child and Green Fire films.   Mother Nature’s Child is an extension of the discussion sparked by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle, offering a thought provoking overview of the benefits of unstructured outdoor play, risk-taking, the use of technology and what it means to educate the “whole child”.  Green Fire is a film about Aldo Leopold, conservationist, forester, philosopher, educator, writer, and outdoor enthusiast.  The film provocatively examines Leopold’s thinking, renewing his idea of a land ethic for a population facing 21st century ecological challenges.  Kids will be inspired by Nico’s Challenge, a film cataloguing the journey of a 13 year old boy who climbs Kilimanjaro on one leg raising money to bring wheelchairs to handicapped people in Tanzania.  To see the full film program or purchase tickets, please visit www.wildandscenicvail.com.

This festival is a natural extension of Walking Mountain’s work to inspire environmental stewardship through natural science education.  The Science Center focuses on improving science literacy among the students in Eagle County, CO, providing innovative science and environmental education programs for adults and families, and involving members of the community in fun and educational activities such as the Wild and Scenic Film Festival.  Our exhibit hall is open from Monday to Saturday, 10am – 6pm with free entrance.  For more information about Walking Mountains events, please visit www.walkingmountains.org.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date and Time:
9/14 – Doors open at 6:30pm and shows start at 7pm
9/15 – Kids Program and Family Fun Fair starts at 5pm, adult programming starts at 7pm

Location Address: Walking Mountains Science Center, 318 Walking Mountains Lane, Avon CO

Ticket Prices: $10 Adult programs, $5 Kids

Tickets can be purchased at Walking Mountains or online at: www.wildandscenicvail.com

For more information: Contact Kristen Belschner, kristenb@walkingmountains.org or (970) 827-9725 x113

Filed Under: Environmental Education, Events, Family Activities, Kids Activities Tagged With: , , , ,
« Older Posts