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! requires immunization records for all adolescent campers. Registration will not process without uploaded records to camper 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
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.
Summer Programs 2021
Expeditions
Ever wonder what it’s like to live and work as a scientist? Want to improve your adventure and outdoor living skills? Our Field Science expeditions provide students grades 6 - 9 the opportunity to join their peers on a team dedicated to scientific study, heading out into the wild spaces of the world for 5 days of adventure. Climb mountains to measure snowpack, read the temperature of boiling pools, lay out in the desert at night to count stars and name galaxies, the Environmental Institute at EUREKA! is dedicated to introducing students with an interest in the natural world and a love of adventure to the challenge and rewards of a science expedition.
Hybrids
Are you curious about the natural world? Are you looking for an introduction to the fun of hiking and camping? If your answer is yes, then our Hybrid Explorer Camps are the perfect opportunity to connect you to the wonders of the Western Slope. These programs are designed to give learners grades 4 – 6 some of their first exposure to field science in a safe, inclusive, and caring environment. Each adventure starts with 2 days here at EUREKA! preparing our minds and our hearts for 3 days of camping and science exploration in the field. Hybrid explorer camps are a fantastic way to put on your scientist hat and connect with the natural world in a brand-new way.
Adventure Day Camps
Spend a week with the Environmental Institute walking in the boots of a scientist. These day and evening programs are a wonderful opportunity for junior scientists to get outside and think creatively about the scientific phenomena right in their own backyard. Let your curiosity run free and enjoy a few days exploring with the Environmental Institute!
Explorers Day Camps
Our Environmental Institute Explorers take science education to the next level! Each week, our students will become junior experts in a different environmental science theme by getting hands-on and exploring the phenomena in their own backyard. We’ll put on our scientist hats, grab our data collection tools, and spend every day building a connection to environmental science. And don’t worry, we’ll make time each afternoon to cool off with some wading in the river and still be home for dinner.
Family Events
Always on Saturdays, Environmental Institute Family Events offer outdoor science education for your entire crew. Join us for a wildflower hike, a day of Stand Up Paddleboarding instruction, or come celebrate the summer at our Science Symposium Campout.
Expeditions
Peaks and Pikas: Crested Butte Alpine Backpacking Expedition
July 26 - July 30
Member Tuition Cost: $350
Non Member Tuition Cost: $420
Location: Crested Butte
Program Description: You’re ready for an epic adventure in the Rocky Mountains. You dream of scrambling up peaks, studying alpine ecosystems, and making smores in the wilderness. You’re not afraid to work hard, get dirty, and learn hands-on skills with a group of your peers. If you’re excited to spend a week in the mountains making new friends and learning how to live in the wilderness, then this is the course for you. Investigate alpine ecology and the geology of mountain building while perfecting your backpacking skills. Experience what it's like to build an inclusive community dedicated to scientific understanding as you set goals and tackle challenges. Take a journey into the backcountry and learn the mood of the mountains. Register now for an experience you won’t forget!
Hybrids
San Juan Mountains Field Science
July 19 - July 23
Member Tuition Cost: $300
Non Member Tuition Cost: $360
Location: San Juan Mountains
Program Description: The San Juan mountains are some of the most rugged and beautiful peaks in the west. Join us for a week as Mountain Researchers, where we’ll learn how to stay safe and study the high alpine environment. Two days here at the EUREKA! will get us ready for a three day camping trip at the base of the San Juans where we will explore the slopes and valleys, turning over rocks, looking into rivers, and becoming expert on the science of mountains
Adventure Day Camps
Cycle with Science: Subalpine Trails - Beginner
August 2 - August 6
Member Tuition Cost: $250
Non Member Tuition Cost: $300
Location: Grand Mesa
Program Description: This mountain biking camp will get your student outdoors, exercising, and learning the physics behind fast turns, the geology of hero mud, and the climatology of an epic day to ride your bike in the Grand Valley! We might even do some bird watching, water quality testing, and botany along the trail. Bring your bikes, helmets, and a smile for this adventure-themed science camp!
Pick up and drop off will take place at the Botanical Gardens. Must have previously taken a mountain biking course or able to confidently ride 1 mile of single track at the Lunch Loops area. This is a beginner course.
Please send your camper with their mountain bike, a helmet, a backpack, comfortable shoes to walk and ride, 2 L of water, a lunch, snacks, and sunscreen.
Cycle with Science: Subalpine Trails - Intermediate/Advanced
August 2 - August 6
Member Tuition Cost: $250
Non Member Tuition Cost: $300
Location: Grand Mesa
Program Description: This mountain biking camp will get your student outdoors, exercising, and learning the physics behind fast turns, the geology of hero mud, and the climatology of an epic day to ride your bike in the Grand Valley! We might even do some bird watching, water quality testing, and botany along the trail. Bring your bikes, helmets, and a smile for this adventure-themed science camp!
Pick up and drop off will take place at the Botanical Gardens. Must have previously taken a mountain biking course or able to confidently ride 1 mile of single track at the Lunch Loops area. This is an intermediate to advanced course.
Please send your camper with their mountain bike, a helmet, a backpack, comfortable shoes to walk and ride, 2 L of water, a lunch, snacks, and sunscreen.
Cycle with Science: Subalpine Trails - Beginner
August 2 - August 6
Member Tuition Cost: $250
Non Member Tuition Cost: $300
Location: Grand Mesa
Program Description: This mountain biking camp will get your student outdoors, exercising, and learning the physics behind fast turns, the geology of hero mud, and the climatology of an epic day to ride your bike in the Grand Valley! We might even do some bird watching, water quality testing, and botany along the trail. Bring your bikes, helmets, and a smile for this adventure-themed science camp!
Pick up and drop off will take place at the Botanical Gardens. Must have previously taken a mountain biking course or able to confidently ride 1 mile of single track at the Lunch Loops area. This is a beginner course.
Please send your camper with their mountain bike, a helmet, a backpack, comfortable shoes to walk and ride, 2 L of water, a lunch, snacks, and sunscreen.
Cycle with Science: Subalpine Trails - Intermediate/Advanced
August 2 - August 6
Member Tuition Cost: $250
Non Member Tuition Cost: $300
Location: Grand Mesa
Program Description: This mountain biking camp will get your student outdoors, exercising, and learning the physics behind fast turns, the geology of hero mud, and the climatology of an epic day to ride your bike in the Grand Valley! We might even do some bird watching, water quality testing, and botany along the trail. Bring your bikes, helmets, and a smile for this adventure-themed science camp!
Pick up and drop off will take place at the Botanical Gardens. Must have previously taken a mountain biking course or able to confidently ride 1 mile of single track at the Lunch Loops area. This is an intermediate to advanced course.
Please send your camper with their mountain bike, a helmet, a backpack, comfortable shoes to walk and ride, 2 L of water, a lunch, snacks, and sunscreen.
Explorers Day Camps
Location: Western Colorado Botanical Gardens
Times: Drop off between 8:30 - 9:00 AM, Pick up between 5:00 and 5:30 PM
Tuition Cost: $175 for members, $210 for nonmembers
Description: Our Environmental Institute Explorers take science education to the next level! Each week, our students will become junior experts in a different environmental science theme by getting hands-on and exploring the phenomena in their own backyard. We’ll put on our scientist hats, grab our data collection tools and spend every day building a connection to environmental science. And don’t worry, we’ll make time each afternoon to cool off with some wading in the river and still be home for dinner.
Science, Adventure, and Play. It’s going to be a great summer.
August 2 - August 6: Space Explorers: Outdoor Investigation
Our Astronomy Explorers program will get students outside and hands on with science phenomena. We’ll spend the week exploring the stars in the sky and learning basic concepts about our solar system. Students can expect a science lesson, time for exploration, river time, structured games, and story time each day.
Location: Western Colorado Botanical Gardens
Times: Drop off between 8:30 - 9:00 AM, Pick up between 5:00 and 5:30 PM
Tuition Cost: $175 for members, $210 for nonmembers
Description: Our Environmental Institute Explorers take science education to the next level! Each week, our students will become junior experts in a different environmental science theme by getting hands-on and exploring the phenomena in their own backyard. We’ll put on our scientist hats, grab our data collection tools and spend every day building a connection to environmental science. And don’t worry, we’ll make time each afternoon to cool off with some wading in the river and still be home for dinner.
Science, Adventure, and Play. It’s going to be a great summer.
July 26 - July 30: Wildlife Explorers: Outdoor Investigation
Our Wildlife Explorers program will get students outside and hands on with science phenomena. We’ll spend the week exploring the ecology and biology of local wildlife and make time each afternoon to cool off in the river. Students can expect a science lesson, time for exploration, structured games, and story time each day.
Family Events
Saturday, August 7th
Member Tuition Cost: $20 per family
Non Member Tuition Cost: $30 per family
Program Description: It’s time to celebrate! Come and help us celebrate all the incredible work our students have put in this summer at our 2021 Environmental Institute Science Symposium Campout. We’ll have work and photos from all our Expeditions, Hybrids, Adventure and Explorer camps on display for you to enjoy. Check out your student’s hard work, relax in the summer sunset, roast a few marshmallows and enjoy an astronomy presentation at our 2021 E.I. Science Symposium.