Pre-registration is required for most programs. General cancellation policy: No refunds are given for public program registrations unless the program is cancelled by the Nature Centers.
Saturday, September 16, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Fountain Creek Nature Center 320 Peppergrass Lane, Fountain CO Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors can register for fun sessions to meet badge requirements for these badges: 9:00-11:00 Daisies-Buddy Camper 9:00-11:00 Brownies-Cabin Camper 1:00-3:00 Brownies-Outdoor Adventurer 1:00-3:00 Juniors-Eco Camper Sessions are limited. Prepaid registration required. $5 per girl scout…
Friday, September 22, 4:30-9:00 p.m. Bring out your friends, family, and fur-pals to decorate and launch a water lantern, participate in a light parade, roast marshmallows, drink some hot chocolate, hear stories about the stars, doggy-light-costume contest, and gather with your fellow community members for a wonderful evening of beautiful lights, music, food trucks, and…
Paint Mines Interpretive Park 29950 Paint Mine Rd, Calhan, CO 80808 Monday, September 18, 9:00 p.m.- Tuesday, September 19, 7:00 a.m. These guided overnight photography workshops led by Mike Pach of 3 Peaks Photography & Design will include how to photograph the Milky Way and the stars as points of light, how to photograph star…
It’s the cleanup’s 10 year anniversary, so make history with us as we clean the trails, woods, and creek in the park. Fountain Creek Nature Center- Saturday, September 30, 9:00 a.m.-noon 320 Peppergrass Lane, Fountain CO Call 719-520-6745 to register. Bear Creek Nature Center- Saturday, October 7, 9:00 a.m.- noon 245 Bear Creek Road, Colorado…
Lego Habitats Saturday, September 30 9:00-10:30 ~ 11:00-12:30 ~ 1:00-2:30 Bear Creek Nature Center, 245 Bear Creek Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Let your imagination run wild! Build Lego habitats at Bear Creek Nature Center with the Bricks and Minifigs team. Learn about Lego’s commitment to sustainable practices, reduce your footprint by reusing Legos, and…
El Paso County Community Services Department has implemented a Trailability Trail Access Program. As part of the new program, the county has acquired two (2) Terrain Hopper off-road mobility vehicles with the generous support from The Independence Center. Terrain Hoppers are the ultimate off-road mobility power scooter designed to provide access to adventure, making the…
245 Bear Creek Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
719-520-6387
Caregivers, drop off your child (ages 7-12) for an evening of exploration, fun activities, and night hiking as we learn all about moths. Dinner is included. Prepaid registration required.
$25 per person/$20 per member
Experts from the Mile High Bug Club will be onsite with their specialty black light setups for a relaxing, sit-and-wait event. Enjoy an enchanting evening while learning fascinating facts about moths, the importance of their role in our ecosystem, and witness the captivating beauty of moths, beetles, and other insects that are attracted to sheet lighting
after dark. You’ll be amazed by the diversity of nocturnal life that reveals itself. Please dress comfortably and consider bringing a flashlight. $3 per person
If bugs make you go “ewww!” come learn about all the amazing things to love about bugs and turn that “ew” into “ooh!” If you already love bugs, learn even more about the amazing little critters that inhabit the shrublands, meadows, and creek at Bear Creek. Be a camper for a day and enjoy camp songs, games, and lots of hikes in an adult learning environment. Bring water shoes for creek time and a lunch.
Prepaid registration required. $30 per person/$25 per member
Experience the therapeutic practice of Shinrinyoku and awaken your senses with a slow, mindful walk through the woods and a beautiful tea ceremony. More info at: www.listeningpines.com
$30 per person/ $20 per member. Prepaid registration required.
Homeschooling families, join Bear Creek naturalists for a field trip through foothills habitats. Learn about the magnitude of geologic forces at work in and around Colorado Springs. Geared towards grades 5-8. Children in grades 5-8 can be dropped off and picked up. $4 per person. Prepaid registration required.
Come talk with the Colorado Wildlife Council outreach team as they table at Bear Creek Nature Center. Learn about wildlife, wildlife conservation, and the benefits of outdoor recreation.
Ever wonder what happens to a stream during a rainstorm? Join us to learn how rainfall affects stream current, sediment, and riparian buffers in an interactive, hands-on approach. Experience a healthy stream in real time. Ages 12 and up. Prepaid registration required. $3 per person
Discover the world of nature with your 2 or 3 year-old. Interactive activities and a short hike make this the perfect introduction to the outdoors for your child. Child must be accompanied by an adult. $3 per person including siblings and adults. Preregistration and prepayment required.
Children, ages 4-5 with an adult, will enjoy hands-on activities, puppet shows or stories, crafts, and a hike. $3 per person including siblings and adults. Preregistration and prepayment required.
It’s the cleanup’s 10 year anniversary, so make history with us as we clean the trails, woods, and creek in the park. Bear Creek Nature Center will be clearing trails of downed trees and conducting fire mitigation. To volunteer, please email kyleetaylor2@elpasoco.com
Find more information at www.fountain-crk.org
Pre-registration required. FREE
Homeschooling families, join Bear Creek naturalists for a field trip through foothills habitats. Fine tune your senses on a discovery hike. Geared for Pre-K and Kindergarten. Must have accompanying adult. $4 per person. Prepaid registration required.
Discover the world of nature with your 2 or 3 year-old. Interactive activities and a short hike make this the perfect introduction to the outdoors for your child. Child must be accompanied by an adult. $3 per person including siblings and adults. Preregistration and prepayment required.
Traverse the trails at Bear Creek Nature Center, meeting creepy creatures along the way that will unravel and dispel myths about things that go bump in the night. Preregister for specific times. Recommended for ages 7+. $8 per person/ $7 per member includes spooky educational trail walk, meeting live crawly critters, and a craft.
Caregivers, bring your “lil’ pumpkins” to Bear Creek Nature Center for an easy guided walk by “The Keepers of the Woods” to learn about some of nature’s “creepy” creatures. Costumes encouraged! Educational Halloween fun geared towards children 3+.
$5 per person. Prepaid registration required.
Homeschooling families, join Bear Creek naturalists for a field trip through foothills habitats. Hike through Bear Creek’s three habitats to compare and contrast each. Geared towards Grades 1-2. Children at least 6 years old can be dropped off. $4 per person. Prepaid registration required.
Children, ages 4-5 with an adult, will enjoy hands-on activities, puppet shows or stories, crafts, and a hike. $3 per person including siblings and adults. Preregistration and prepayment required.
Join us for Bear Creek’s 9th Annual Bear Run; a silly, charity fun run and walk for a cause. Choice of 3k or 5k course along the trail! All new runners receive a bear suit to wear during the run and to keep! Returning runners register at a discounted rate. Come early for pre-run festivities including bear yoga and costume contest!
Find more information and register at
elpasoco.com/bearrun
Caregivers, drop off your child (ages 6-11) for a morning exploring the foothills for all things sticky! Games, crafts, and lunch included. Prepaid registration required
$25 per person, $20 per member
Homeschooling families, join Bear Creek naturalists for a field trip through foothills habitats. Learn about the adaptations of local wildlife in winter. Geared towards grades 1-3. Children at least 6 years old can be dropped off. Preregistration required. $4 per person.
Discover the world of nature with your 2 or 3 year-old. Interactive activities and a short hike make this the perfect introduction to the outdoors for your child. Child must be accompanied by an adult. $3 per person including siblings and adults. Preregistration and prepayment required.
Children, ages 4-5 with an adult, will enjoy hands-on activities, puppet shows or stories, crafts, and a hike. $3 per person including siblings and adults. Preregistration and prepayment required.
320 Peppergrass Lane, Fountain, CO 80817
719-520-6745
Children ages 3-6, with an adult, will enjoy puppet shows or stories, crafts, hands-on
activities, and discovery time on the trail. $3 per person including siblings and adults.
Saturday, September 9, 7:30-10:30 a.m.
Join the annual tradition and help record the number of bird species and populations found in Fountain Creek Regional Park during fall migration.
$5/person donation
Explore nature with your 2 or 3 year old through interactive activities a story and a short hike. $3 per person including siblings and adults.
Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors can register for fun sessions to meet badge requirements for these badges:
9:00-11:00 Daisies-Buddy Camper
9:00-11:00 Brownies-Cabin Camper
1:00-3:00 Brownies-Outdoor Adventurer
1:00-3:00 Juniors-Eco Camper
Sessions are limited. Prepaid registration required.
$5 per girl scout per badge activity
Homeschooling families, join Fountain Creek Naturalists for a field trip through wetlands habitats. Not “bugs” – arthropods! Learn about insects, spiders, and their relatives with a puppet show, arthropod activity, and guided hike to catch arthropods. Designed for grades K-2. $4 per person. Prepaid registration required.
Fish, frogs, turtles, macroinvertebrates: Fountain Creek is home to an abundance of creatures. Together with Nature Center staff and a DNR fish biologist, using a variety of tools and techniques, we will get into and explore Fountain Creek to see who lives in the creek. For ages 10+. Prepaid registration required.
$5 per person, $4 per member
Ages 7-10. What could be better than a walk in the woods in fall? How about adding a haiku or two as you go? Drop your kids ages 7-10 off for an afternoon of creativity and connecting their five senses with writing. Prepaid registration required, $30 per child, $25 per member child.
Alive to the earth
You and the sun and the trees
Fountain Valley calls
The Autumn Equinox marks the transition to longer nights and cooler temperatures. Welcome this season of change with a slow, mindful walk through the park. Bring a journal and pencil to record observations and practice gratitude along the way. Afterwards we’ll make festive fall candles to take home!
Prepaid registration required. $10 per person, $8 per member
Kickoff this annual week-long clean up event at Fountain Creek Nature Center! It’s the cleanup’s 10 year anniversary, so make history with us as we clean the trails, woods, and creek in the park. Call 719-520-6745 to register. Find more information at www.fountain-crk.org
Registration strongly recommended; Free!
Children ages 3-6, with an adult, will enjoy puppet shows or stories, crafts, hands-on
activities, and discovery time on the trail. $3 per person including siblings and adults.
Explore nature with your 2 or 3 year old through interactive activities a story and a short hike. $3 per person including siblings and adults.
Join us for a morning to learn, explore, and discover with a professional archaeologist! We’ll have an interactive discussion, examine real artifacts showing you how archaeologists them to interpret the past, and enjoy a leisurely hike to discuss archaeological sites on our public lands. For ages 10+. Prepaid registration required.
$5 per person, $4 per member.
Let’s play Bunco in the Nature Center! Join us for a wonderful evening of excitement, laughs, and rolling dice. We will provide the dice, score cards, nacho bar, and prizes. Unlike other Bunco parties, this Bunco party is for everyone ages 13 and older. All minors must be accompanied by an adult but can venture on their own during game play.
Pre-registration required, $8 per person
Ages 11-13. What could be better than a walk in the woods in fall? How about adding a haiku or two as you go? Drop your kids ages 7-10 off for an afternoon of creativity and connecting their five senses with writing. Prepaid registration required, $30 per child, $25 per member child.
Alive to the earth
You and the sun and the trees
Fountain Valley calls
Homeschooling families, join Fountain Creek Naturalists for a field trip through wetlands habitats. Explore the five habitats at Fountain Creek Regional Park. Watch a short video, do a wetland metaphor activity, and go for a hike with a pond study. Designed for grades 3-6. $4 per person. Prepaid registration required.
Carve pumpkins to leave for the lighted trail at the Jack-o-Lantern event! Pre-scooped pumpkins, patterns, and carving tools provided. Return at night to see your creation in action along the trail (separate fee). Pumpkins may be retrieved after 7:30 p.m.
$5 per pumpkin and you will receive a ticket to the Jack-o-Lantern Trail event for each pumpkin you carve. Prepaid registration required. Sponsored by Milberger Farms, Pueblo.
Enjoy the lighted Jack-o-Lanterns along the trail, make a craft, hear stories, and roast a marshmallow! Costumes are encouraged at this festive event! Carved pumpkins may be picked up by their owners starting at 7:30 p.m. Sponsored by Milberger Farms, Pueblo. $5 per person, $4 per member.
Children ages 3-6, with an adult, will enjoy puppet shows or stories, crafts, hands-on
activities, and discovery time on the trail. $3 per person including siblings and adults.
Homeschooling families, join Fountain Creek Naturalists for a field trip through wetlands habitats. Use your senses to explore the wetlands and learn about the animals that live there. Includes a puppet show, animal inquiry activity, and a guided hike. Designed for grades Pre-K – 2. $4 per person. Prepaid registration required.
Explore nature with your 2 or 3 year old through interactive activities a story and a short hike. $3 per person including siblings and adults.
Local artists and vendors will display and sell their unique creations. Enjoy the sights and smells of the season and support local community artists and the nature center through your purchases. Free to attend and shop!
Pre-registration is required for most programs. Space may be limited. General cancellation policy: No refunds are given for public program registrations unless the program is cancelled by the Nature Centers. In the case of severe or dangerous weather staff may deem the conditions unsafe and may reschedule or cancel an event or program. All refunds will be paid by check. Check refunds may take 3-4 weeks to process.
