Environmental Institute Expeditions
The Environmental Institute
The Environmental Institute was created in 2019 with the purpose of bringing students outside to engage with nature through hands-on field science experiences. Combining field investigations and adventure education, Environmental Institute programs take students behind the scenes to connect with real-world scientific studies in a cooperative learning environment. We believe in a future where all members of our community have the skills, knowledge, and passions to engage with environmental science topics in a positive way.
Whether you join us for a day trek, hybrid camp, or field expedition, EI programs give participants the chance to take an active role in scientific study, applying the same science and engineering practices students work on in the classroom to projects out in the real world.
The landscape is a laboratory, there are countless phenomena to discover. Join us for one of our programs and get ready to explore!
Our adventure camps are rated based on physical ability levels. Please reference the suggestions below:
- Beginner: Little to no experience camping or hiking. Students should be able to hike Mica Mine Trail or Serpents Trail.
- Intermediate: Some prior experience camping or hiking. Students should be able to hike Serpents Trail and Monument/Wedding Canyon Trail.
- Advanced: A lot of experience camping or hiking. Students need to be able to carry a pack with camping items throughout the day between campsites, and while gaining elevation. Students should be able to hike Mt. Garfield and Liberty Cap Trail.
EUREKA! will be requiring immunization records for all student campers. If the school your student attends is within Colorado, you will not need to upload these records, as we have access to them through a database.
If your student does not attend school yet, or is homeschooled, you must upload immunization records to the account. Registration will not process without uploaded records to each student's account. Please follow these steps to upload the documents.
- Log into Dashboard
- Click FAMILY & FRIENDS on the left
- Click EDIT on the student's account
- On the right, you'll see a button +ADD DOCUMENT
For immunization exemptions, please submit this form.
Additional forms are required for all students participating in overnight programming.
Each student needs to fill, sign, and submit:
If your student carries epinephrine for anaphylaxis or is asthmatic, we will need copies of the following forms filled out and signed:
Forms must be filled and submitted at least 10 days prior to the first day of an overnight camp. Forms can be emailed to abavier@eurekasciencemuseum.org or dropped in person at the museum. Please be thorough in filling out your student's medical information. In order to be successful, our students need to be well-rested, well-fed and have everything they need to feel healthy in the field. Please help us to set your student up for success.
Prior to each camp, we have included a document with a general packing list and basic course policies. Everything on the packing list is required. We have gear to loan, but the sooner we know a student’s needs, the better. If you have any questions about the paperwork process, gear, or course policies, please reach out to us at info@eurekasciencemuseum.org. We are looking forward to getting your student out into the world for a science expedition!
Thank you to our title sponsor, Alpine Bank. Their generous support makes these programs possible.
2021-2022 Environmental Institute Programs
Science of Ski Touring
January 3, 2022
3rd - 5th Grade
Cost: $45 members / $60 non-members
Geared for beginners, we’ll start the new year learning how to safely navigate the winter landscape on cross-country skis. Cross country skiing provides an incredible opportunity to connect with the winter landscape. Join us for a day of exploration and learn to love a new sport. All ski gear will be provided.
Pick up and drop off will take place at the EUREKA! Students will be transported by bus each day to our ski area. This is a beginner course designed for students interested in getting comfortable on cross country skis.
Please send your campers each day with a backpack, warm boots, clothes to keep them warm and dry in the snow, 2 L of water, a lunch, snacks, and sunscreen.
The Science of Ice
February 21, 2022
3rd - 5th Grade
Cost: $45 members / $55 non-members
We’ll spend this no-school day getting up close and personal with the Ice Caves in Rifle Mountain Park! Each year in mid-winter the limestone walls around Rifle take on magnificent columns, walls, and spires of Ice. We’ll take a day trip up to explore the Ice Palace and learn about freeze-thaw cycles while performing some icey experiments! Bring along a headlamp or flashlight because we'll make time for some limestone cave exploration!
Pick up and drop off will take place at the EUREKA! Students will be transported by bus each day to our ski area.
Please send your campers each day with a backpack, warm boots, clothes to keep them warm and dry in the snow, 2 L of water, a lunch, snacks, and sunscreen.
Fossil Hunters
March 10, 2022
6th - 8th Grade
Cost: $45 members / $55 non-members
Join EUREKA! as we explore and investigate science in the field! We'll learn where and how to search for fossil specimens then gear up and head out to the boundary between Utah and Colorado to search up some fossils! Who knows what minerals we might uncover? Bring your rock hammer and a sense of adventure.
Pick up and drop off will take place at the EUREKA! All campers will need to come to camp with a packed lunch, two portable snacks, a large water bottle, and appropriate clothing for hiking including layers and hiking shoes.
Students will travel by bus to a BLM fossil site and spend the day exploring and searching for specimens.
Winter Wild Adventures
December 20 - December 23, 2021
3rd - 5th Grade
Cost: $160 members / $180 non-members
Grab your thick boots and warm jacket and join us for a week of day trips dedicated to getting you hands-on with winter! Each day will be filled with science and adventure activities while we learn firsthand the wonders of winter on the West Slope
Monday: Learn how scientists measure snow, the science of avalanches and make time for some sledding on the Grand Mesa
Tuesday: Spend a day on snowshoes on the Grand Mesa as we look for winter animal signs and think about what makes a winter ecosystem unique.
Wednesday: Compare the Mesa to the desert as we spend a day learning about winter desert ecology and take a hike in our own backyard through the National Monument
Pick up and drop off will take place at the EUREKA! All campers will need to come to camp with a packed lunch, two portable snacks, a large water bottle, and appropriate clothing for hiking including layers and hiking shoes. Students will travel by bus to a local trailhead and spend the day on the trail.
Winter clothing (winter jacket, water-resistant shoes, such as hiking boots, scarves, gloves, and hats) is required. Snowshoes will be provided.
Science of Ski Touring
January 17 - January 18, 2022
5th - 9th Grade
Cost: $80 members / $100 non-members
Geared for beginners, we’ll start the new year learning how to safely navigate the winter landscape on cross-country skis. Cross country skiing provides an incredible opportunity to connect with the winter landscape. Join us for a day of exploration and learn to love a new sport. All ski gear will be provided.
Pick up and drop off will take place at the EUREKA! Students will be transported by bus each day to our ski area. This is a beginner course designed for students interested in getting comfortable on cross country skis.
Please send your campers each day with a backpack, warm boots, clothes to keep them warm and dry in the snow, 2 L of water, a lunch, snacks, and sunscreen.
Science, Snowshoeing, and Sledding, Oh My!
March 23 - March 25, 2022
3rd - 5th Grade
Cost: $120 members / $150 non-members
During the Spring we find ourselves warming up, why does the Grand Mesa stay so cold? During this adventure camp, we'll spend 3 spring break days learning about snow science. Why is weather different at higher elevations? What sort of animals spend the winter here? How do the trees and plants survive. We'll strike out each day (on snowshoes) to answer these questions and more about our spring Grand Mesa landscape.
Pick up and drop off will take place each day at the EUREKA! All campers will need to come to camp with a packed lunch, two portable snacks, a large water bottle, and appropriate clothing for hiking including layers and heavy boots.
Students will travel by bus to the Grand Mesa and spend the day on the trail.
Winter clothing (winter jacket, water-resistant shoes, such as hiking boots, scarves, gloves, and hats) is required. Snowshoes will be provided.