Boulder Public Private Partnership
Boulder Valley School District, in conjunction with Boulder Open Space maintains a wonderful learning facility: Thorne Nature Experience. The land was, for the longest time, a garbage dump. Then 44 of the 45 acres were purchased as Open Space. The remaining acre site is home to this one-of-a-kind learning center. Though the facility is on school district space, it still requires funding. Become a contributor to Thorne Nature Experience! Make a difference in the life of a child.
BVSD Field Trip
Every 4th grade class in BVSD Is invited to come out to Thorne Nature Experience. This gives students a unique opportunity for hands on field trip to one of Colorado’s rarest treasures: a natural salt water lake. The 45 acre Sombrero Marsh is home to unique plant and animal life. Students participate in bird watching, investigating aquatic life and more. Thorne also is home to a working wind turbine and an impressive photovoltaic solar system. Great opportunities for youngsters to start to have an appreciation for passive energy.
History of Thorne Ecological Institute
This amazing learning facility was founded in 1954 by “Oak” aka Dr. Oakleigh Thorne II. Initially, the institute pursued a wide range of activities. Everything from conservation to adult education. In the nineties, the focus was placed on environmental education for Boulder and Denver youth. Renamed, The Thorne Nature Experience, today operates two facilities. Sombrero Marsh in Boulder and Waterton Canyon in Littleton. Over 200,000 students have benefited from a six decades long stewardship of nature by Oak.
Kids Today
Spend too much time indoors and on computers. Thorne’s core mission is the integration of children and the environment. The organization believes in a joyful, educational and interactive, place based experience. Sombrero Marsh is unique and special. If you haven’t been, visit today. In Boulder an array of options exist from After-School programming to summer camps and of course the 4th grade program.
Directions to Thorne Nature Experience
Directions from Boulder: Head east on Arapahoe Ave. Turn right/south on 63rd Street. Ignore the “no outlet” signs. After a short distance the road will turn left/east and there will be a fence on your right beyond which you can see Sombrero Marsh. Continue driving until you see a set of gas pumps on your left. Once you reach the gas pumps, look to the right and you will see the Sombrero Marsh Environmental Education Center beyond the fence. The Center is easy to identify by its wind turbine and the solar panels mounted on the roof. Please park along the fence and enter the Center on foot at the opening in the fence marked by a large Thorne Nature Experience sign.