Saturday, June 20 Falcon Regional Park Come out to celebrate mother nature’s gift of wind and help us fill the sky with color! Bring your friends and family to fly a kite, create a wind propelled craft project, eat a delicious treat, explore vendors, and enjoy other colorful attractions. Free, All Ages, Open to the…
Saturday, August 22 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. Bear Creek Nature Center, 245 Bear Creek Road Party like a bear! To celebrate the Bear Creek Nature Center’s 50th Anniversary, El Paso County is hosting a Bear-thday Party at Bear Creek Nature Center. Join us on Saturday, August 22, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bear Creek…
Thursday, July 2 – Friday, July 10 – Saturday, July 18 8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Fountain Creek Nature Center 320 Peppergrass Lane, Fountain, CO 80817 Yes, over the years, we’ve spotted lightning bugs in the wetlands by Fountain Creek Nature Center! Learn more about the lives of fireflies, make a firefly craft, and hike…
245 Bear Creek Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
719-520-6387
Discover the world of nature with your 4 or 5 year old. $3 per person including siblings and adults. Preregistration required.
Discover the world of nature with your 2 or 3 year old. $3 per person including siblings and adults. Preregistration required.
Be a steward of our parks and join the Restoration Crew at Bear Creek Nature Center. Work includes trail maintenance, introduced species removal, fire mitigation, and habitat restoration. Varying levels of work available at each workday.
Email kyleetaylor2@elpasoco.com to join!
Join Native Plant Masters, Jan Berry and Pat Shepperdson, in exploring the native flora of Bear Creek Park. We will hike uphill along the creek and then cross the meadows to complete a three-mile loop. You will learn to identify native and non-native plants as well as some noxious weeds. Come prepared for 2 hours in any weather: sun hats, sunscreen, hiking poles, rain jackets, and water. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to class (7:45) to check in and complete an emergency contact form. $5 per person
Observe the sun though special solar telescopes operated by CSASTRO members. These telescopes enable amazing views of surface features, filaments, prominences and flares on the Sun that can’t be seen with ordinary telescopes. CSASTRO members will also discuss the benefits and dangers of UV. Drop-in program, $2 per person suggested donation
Cyanotype is one of oldest and most accessible forms of photography. An elegant combination of chemistry and botany practices came together in Anna Atkins’ work to produce the first book of photography, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. Before modern print practices, blueprints were made by layering original architectural designs over cyanotype-treated paper. Now, artists and hobbyists across the globe use this process to develop their own designs and images, using all kinds of materials. Join us as we walk in Anna Atkins’ footsteps by foraging for specimens on a nature walk. In Foraged Refresh, explore and experiment with this process on different materials. Participants are strongly encouraged to bring a clothing item from home they’d like to transform. $40/person. Preregistration required
Celebrate the importance of our native pollinators and what you can do to support pollinator habitats, health, and biodiversity. Learn about the insects of Bear Creek Nature Center through hands-on activities including bug sweeps! $5/person, great for the whole family!
Learn to paint brilliant summer greens with soft pastels, a wonderful, colorful, and forgiving medium! Follow a step-by-step demonstration as you learn about composition, value shapes, perspective, and pastel painting techniques. Lisa provides a welcoming workshop environment that encourages students to abandon fear and find their own joyful artistry in the creative process. This class is for beginner students interested in exploring painting techniques with soft pastels. $55/person includes pastels, paper, and desktop easel. Ages 18+.
Living in Colorado Springs means learning to live alongside our bear neighbors! Chat with Colorado Parks and Wildlife volunteers at the pop-up booth to learn about bear biology, bear/human interactions, and bear populations in Colorado Springs and surrounding areas. Keep bears safe this summer and learn to avoid bear/human conflict. Free!
Discover the world of nature with your 4 or 5 year old. $3 per person including siblings and adults. Preregistration required.
Aspen capture our imagination, especially in Colorado, though they remain quite enigmatic in the practice of bonsai. Join Hardy Bonsai for this beginner friendly bonsai course focusing on aspen where you will learn about the fundamental techniques and artistic goals of wiring a young aspen bonsai, basic horticultural and bonsai practices adapted for the species, and interesting facts about the iconic aspen we admire. You will leave our course with a young aspen bonsai, a care sheet, and the knowledge to continue developing your aspen bonsai! $40/person. Prepaid registration required.
Join naturalist and community scientist, Susan Crick, on the trail to discover the secret lives of bumblebees. We will learn how to identify common species and explore how bumblebees help our wildflowers (and tomatoes) bloom. Learn how you can create bumblebee habitat and help declining populations.
$5/person, prepaid registration required
Discover the world of nature with your 2 or 3 year old. $3 per person including siblings and adults. Preregistration required.
Caregivers, drop off your child (ages 7-11) for an evening of hiking, playing games, & learning about the wonders of Bear Creek while celebrating all things summer around the Nature Center. Dinner provided. $25 per child // $20 per member child. Prepaid registration required.
Join the CSPM to critically reflect on the meaning of and connections to the commemoration of the America 250/Colorado 150 anniversaries. In 2026, how can we make sense of the 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, and 150 years of Colorado statehood? Join a knowledgeable guide on this 90-minute, approximately 1 mile walking tour, exploring how we have marked time throughout the history of Colorado Springs. Consider different regional anniversaries through the built environment and reflect on your own memories and observations of important events and dates.
$10 per person. Preregistration required.
Discover the world of nature with your 4 or 5 year old. $3 per person including siblings and adults. Preregistration required.
Level up your plein air practice or start something new with soft pastels, a wonderful, colorful, and forgiving medium! Follow a step-by-step demonstration as you learn about composition, value shapes, perspective, and pastel painting techniques. Lisa provides a welcoming workshop environment that encourages students to abandon fear and find their own joyful artistry in the creative process. This class is for beginner/ intermediate students interested in exploring painting techniques with soft pastels. $55/person includes pastels, paper, and desktop easel. Ages 18+ only. Prepaid registration required.
Did you know Bear Creek Nature Center was the first nature center to open in Colorado? 2026 is our 50th Anniversary and you are invited to our Bear-thday Party! Snacks and cake, living history walks (pre-registration required, limited capacity), pollinator walks, art sale, and activities a-plenty that celebrate Bear Creek Nature Center through the years. Free to the public
Discover the world of nature with your 2 or 3 year old. $3 per person including siblings and adults. Preregistration required.
320 Peppergrass Lane, Fountain, CO 80817
719-520-6745
Explore nature with your 3-6 year old. $3/person. Prepaid registration required for all attendees.
Learn some basic stitches then practice those skills while you embroider an iconic plant or animal from Colorado! This is a beginner friendly class, and all materials will be provided. After completing your piece, take a guided walk along the nature trail searching for summer inhabitants of the park. For ages 18+. Program is free but space is limited. Pre-registration required.
Explore nature with your 2 or 3 year old. $3/person. Prepaid registration required for all attendees.
A dead tree, or “snag” can spend decades providing new life and opportunities for a host of living things, from microbes to mammals. It acts as a “high-rise” habitat for wildlife, providing food and nesting cavities. Join us in discovering the secret life of our dead trees in the park. Best for ages 5+. $4/member, $5/nonmember. Prepaid registration required.
Yes, over the years we’ve spotted lightning bugs in the wetlands by Fountain Creek Nature Center! Learn about the lives of fireflies, make a firefly craft, and hike to find these rare wonders in the park. Best for ages 5+. $4/member, $5/nonmember. Prepaid registration required.
This Intro to Wildlife Tracking will take youth/teens through the process of interpreting tracks and signs from various common wildlife. Topics covered will include foot shape/morphology, animal behavior, and gait/movement patterns. Instructor Shane Cote has experience with multiple CyberTracker evaluations and is an instructor for The National Rescue and Response Institute. $25 per child. Prepaid registration is required. Parents may attend but do not need to register or pay.
Explore nature with your 3-6 year old. $3/person. Prepaid registration required for all attendees.
Explore nature with your 2 or 3 year old. $3/person. Prepaid registration required for all attendees.
Join Mile High Bug Club for a fascinating night of sheet lighting! Witness the captivating beauty of moths, beetles, and other nocturnal insects drawn to light after dark. You’ll be amazed by the diversity of life that reveals itself. Dress comfortably and bring a flashlight! FREE! Call the Nature Center at 719-520-6745 to RSVP.
Explore nature with your 3-6 year old. $3/person. Prepaid registration required for all attendees.
Explore nature with your 2 or 3 year old. $3/person. Prepaid registration required for all attendees.
Join us for afternoon tea and let’s talk about plants, baby! Plants have some pretty amazing tricks up their stems. Beyond the beauty, smells, and tastes we appreciate daily, we’ll see when plants are weird, ruthless, and deadly. You’ll make some herbal infusions to sip while you learn plant facts that will give you a new appreciation for our photosynthetic pals. $4 per member, $5 per nonmember. Prepaid registration is required.
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.
