2018 Spring: Education Programs In Full Swing!
Spring has been an eventful time for CCA as we roll into our busy education season! This year we've been partnering with The Nature Connection (TNC) to bring more students than ever before from Delta and Montrose counties out into the Dominguez-Escalante and McInnis Canyons National Conservation Areas. With additional support from our incredible volunteers and partners, we've had the opportunity to take nearly 1,000 students into the NCA's and we're just getting started!
Delta/Olathe Nature Knowledge Days in Domingez-Escalante: 261 students!
At the end of April, we hosted the Delta/Olathe Nature Knowledge Days event at the Escalante Boat Ramp in Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. An adaptation of our popular Mesa County event, this event got students from Olathe, Cedaredge, Delta, and Hotchkiss out to learn about historic and prehistoric archaeology, native and invasive plants, wildlife, geology, and fossils - all from experts in their fields!
7th Grade Escalante Field Experience in Domingez-Escalante: 371 students!
The following week CCA, TNC, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) brought 371 7th grade students out to Escalante Canyon to learn about pioneer history and the web of life. Students hiked 4 miles to the Gunnison water wheel, explored the desert around the Captain Smith cabin, and got to learn the basics of radio telemetry.
Riverside Educational Center Trips & Trainings in McInnis Canyons: 30 students!
That same week was a busy one for us at CCA as 24 students from the Riverside Educational Center (REC) joined us on a paleontology tour of McInnis Canyons NCA. Additionally, 6 high school students from REC were trained as youth leaders and will accompany REC and CCA staff on numerous trips throughout the summer and into the next school year.
3rd Grade Nature Knowledge Days in McInnis Canyons: 263 students!
This week has seen the kickoff of Nature Knowledge Days in McInnis Canyons NCA. 263 3rd graders from across the Grand Valley joined us and our volunteers at Devil’s Canyon, a great start to the next week of programming with MCNCA and Nature Knowledge Days!
A huge thanks to all of our partners, including the Bureau of Land Management, The Nature Connection, Riverside Educational Center, the Museums of Western Colorado, Metcalf Archaeology, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the US Forest Service, and the offices of Congressman Tipton and Senator Bennet for all their support, time, and hard work in making these events a success.
Interested in becoming an education volunteer? Contact our Education Director, Rob Gay, via rob@canyonsassociation.org or at 970-263-7902