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After an extensive search, Thorne is proud to announce our new Executive Director – Brian Sense!

Brian brings over 25 years of experience in mission-driven leadership, most recently as Chief Strategist at the Wend Collective and Executive Director of Great Work, Inc. His expertise will be key in enhancing our programs and ensuring equitable access to nature for all youth and families. Brian’s vision is all about empowering children and fostering a deep connection to nature. We are confident that Brian’s leadership will guide us into an exciting new chapter.

LETTER FROM THE BOARD:

Dear Thorne Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we are thrilled to share some exciting news about the future of Thorne Nature Experience. After an extensive search process, guided by deep reflection on Thorne’s mission, values, and aspirations, we are proud to welcome Brian Sense as our new Executive Director!

Brian is an inspiring leader with over 25 years of experience in mission-driven organizations. His journey is one of building, innovating, and reimagining how we can connect youth, families, and communities to the transformative power of nature. From leading multimillion-dollar initiatives to scaling programs that serve thousands of young people, Brian’s work reflects a remarkable combination of strategic thinking and hands-on leadership.

But what stood out most about Brian wasn’t just his impressive résumé—it was his passion for creating opportunities for kids to experience the wonder of the natural world. His career is a testament to his commitment to empowering youth, fostering sustainability, and designing programs that are both meaningful and impactful.

In speaking with Brian, it was clear that his vision for Thorne is deeply aligned with our mission. As he puts it, “Thorne’s legacy of connecting kids to nature is not only inspiring—it’s essential. I’m honored to join this incredible community and look forward to building on Thorne’s strong foundation while expanding opportunities for growth, inclusion, and impact.”

As Thorne moves into its 8th decade of serving our community, we couldn’t be more excited to see how Brian’s leadership will propel us into this next chapter. Thorne has an incredible staff and leadership team, and Brian’s ability to balance strategic vision with heartfelt community connection is exactly what we need to lead our team as we continue to grow and respond to the challenges and opportunities of our time.

We are so excited for you, our community of supporters, partners, educators, and nature lovers, to meet Brian in the coming weeks and months. Together, with his leadership and your continued support, we are confident that Thorne will keep inspiring lifelong connections to the natural world and creating Earth stewards for generations to come.

With gratitude and excitement,

John Ricotta
Chair, Board of Trustees

David Kirk
Chair, Executive Director Search Committee

 

A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER, DR. OAKLEIGH THORNE, II:

It’s exciting to have Brian as our new Executive Director. This bodes well for Thorne. As a member of the Executive Director Search Committee, I was excited to see the enthusiasm for him grow as he was interviewed by us and the leadership team, then introduced to the staff. His friendly, down-to-earth, laid-back manner made him immediately likeable to all. As we launch into our 71st year of Thorne blessed with our own land, buildings, new director, and wonderful dedicated staff, our future is indeed bright. The possibilities are endless for our growth into new areas of environmental education for kids and youth. In these difficult times, we must remind ourselves that “we are the ones that we’ve been waiting for.”

Dr. Oakleigh Thorne, II

 

LETTER FROM BRIAN SENSE:

Dear Thorne Community,

I am beyond honored and thrilled to step into the role of Executive Director at Thorne Nature Experience. Thorne’s mission of connecting youth to nature resonates deeply with me—not just as a leader, but as someone who believes wholeheartedly in the power of the natural world to inspire, heal, and transform.

Throughout my career, I’ve been privileged to work alongside incredible teams to create opportunities that empower young people, strengthen communities, and connect to nature. Joining Thorne feels like a natural continuation of that journey—a chance to work with all of you to build on the remarkable legacy of this organization and help it thrive for decades to come.

As I step into this role, I do so with humility and gratitude. It has an incredible legacy and foundation to build upon, from the inspirational early years with Oak’s initial vision, drive and will to most recently when Keith and the whole Thorne team and community stewarded this organization into the incredible Lafayette Nature Center. It is an organization whose strength has always been rooted in its dedicated and passionate team members, and the tireless support of our community.  It is their work, the experience of our preschoolers, our campers, our promotores and partners that I will be looking to elevate and center as we collectively continue to deepen Thorne’s impact to ensure that every child and family has the opportunity to experience growth through the wonder of nature.

Over the coming weeks and months, I look forward to getting acquainted with all of the people and community who make Thorne the incredible organization that it is. Whether you’re a long-time supporter, a new friend, a passionate volunteer, or a family whose life has been touched by Thorne, I want to hear your stories, learn about your connection to this mission, and explore how we can work together to take Thorne to new heights.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out. Whether it’s for a cup of coffee, a hike, a quick chat, or just an email hello, I’d love to connect with you. I believe that our collective passion and commitment are what make this work possible, and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together.

Thank you for welcoming me into this incredible community. I’m so excited for what lies ahead and for the opportunity to be a part of Thorne’s future.

With gratitude,

Brian Sense
Executive Director
Brian@nullthornenature.org

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¡Luego de una exhaustiva búsqueda, Thorne tiene el orgullo de presentar a su nuevo director ejecutivo, Brian Sense!

Brian trae consigo más de 25 años de experiencia en el liderazgo enfocado en una misión, y recientemente fue el director estratega en Wend Collective y director ejecutivo de Great Work, Inc. Su experiencia profesional será clave para mejorar nuestros programas y asegurar que todos los jóvenes y las familias puedan acceder de manera equitativa a la naturaleza. La visión de Brian es darles el poder a los niños y cultivar una profunda conexión con la naturaleza. Estamos convencidos de que el liderazgo de Brian nos guiará hacia una nueva etapa muy emocionante.

 

CARTA DE LA MESA DIRECTIVA:

Estimada comunidad de Thorne,

A nombre de la Mesa Directiva, estamos entusiasmados por contarles noticias emocionantes sobre el futuro de Thorne Nature Experience. Luego de un exhaustivo proceso de búsqueda, donde reflexionamos a profundidad sobre lo que significa la misión, valores y anhelos de Thorne, ¡tenemos el placer de darle la bienvenida a nuestro nuevo director ejecutivo, Brian Sense!

Brian es un líder inspirador que trae consigo más de 25 años de experiencia en organizaciones enfocadas en una misión. En su trayectoria, él ha desarrollado, innovado y reinventado formas en las que podamos conectar a los jóvenes, familias y comunidades con el poder transformador de la naturaleza. Desde encabezar iniciativas de miles de millones de dólares, hasta ampliar programas que sirven a miles de jóvenes, el trabajo de Brian refleja una excepcional combinación de pensamiento estratégico y liderazgo práctico.

Pero, lo que más sobresalió de Brian no fue solo su impresionante currículum vitae, sino, su pasión por crear oportunidades para que los niños experimenten las maravillas de la naturaleza. Su carrera es un testimonio de su compromiso por darle el poder a los jóvenes, fomentar el desarrollo sostenible, y diseñar programas que sean relevantes y llenos de impacto.

Al conversar con Brian, fue claro que su visión para Thorne coindice muchísimo con nuestra misión. Tal como él lo dijo, “el legado de Thorne, de conectar a los niños con la naturaleza, no solo es inspirador, sino también, esencial. Tengo el honor de unirme a esta increíble comunidad y deseo con ansias fortalecer los sólidos cimientos de Thorne, así como expandir las oportunidades para el crecimiento, inclusividad e impacto.”

Mientras Thorne se acerca a los 80 años de servir a nuestra comunidad, no podríamos estar más emocionados por ver cómo el liderazgo de Brian nos impulsa hacia esta siguiente etapa. Thorne tiene un personal y un equipo de liderazgo increíbles, y la capacidad de Brian por balancear la visión estratégica con una conexión sincera con la comunidad, es exactamente lo que necesitamos para liderar nuestro equipo mientas seguimos creciendo y respondiendo a los retos y oportunidades de nuestra época.

Estamos emocionados de que ustedes, los que apoyan a la comunidad, los socios, educadores y amantes de la naturaleza, conozcan a Brian en las próximas semanas y meses. Juntos, con su liderazgo y vuestro constante apoyo, estamos seguros que Thorne seguirá cultivando una conexión de por vida con la naturaleza y creando protectores de nuestro planeta Tierra por muchas generaciones más.

Con gratitud y emoción,

John Ricotta
Presidente de la Mesa Directiva

David Kirk
Presidente del Comité de Búsqueda de director ejecutivo

 

UNA NOTA DE NUESTRO FUNDADOR, DR. OAKLEIGH THORNE, II

Es fabuloso tener a Brian como nuestro nuevo director ejecutivo. Es un buen presagio para Thorne. Como miembro del Comité de Búsqueda de director ejecutivo, me emocionaba ver cómo crecía el entusiasmo hacia él cuando nosotros y el equipo de liderazgo lo entrevistamos, y luego cuando lo presentamos al personal. Su forma de ser, amigable, humilde y tranquila hizo que simpatizara con todos de inmediato. Mientras nos acercamos a los 71 años de Thorne, bendecidos con nuestro propio terreno, edificios, nuevo director, y un maravilloso y dedicado personal, nuestro futuro es, definitivamente, prometedor. Las posibilidades son infinitas para nuestro crecimiento en nuevas áreas de educación medioambiental para niños y jóvenes. En estos tiempos difíciles, debemos recordar que “nosotros somos por los que hemos estado esperando.”

Dr. Oakleigh Thorne, II

 

CARTA DE BRIAN SENSE

Estimada comunidad de Thorne,

Estoy más que honrado y emocionado de ingresar al puesto de director ejecutivo de Thorne Nature Experience. Me identifico profundamente con la misión de Thorne, de conectar a los jóvenes con la naturaleza, no solo como líder, sino, como alguien que cree de todo corazón, en el poder que tiene la naturaleza para inspirar, sanar y transformar.

A lo largo de mi carrera, he tenido el privilegio de trabajar con equipos increíbles, a fin de crear oportunidades que le den el poder a los jóvenes, fortalezcan comunidades, y los conecten con la naturaleza. Unirme a Thorne es como una continuación natural de esa carrera, una oportunidad de trabajar con todos ustedes para forjar un excepcional legado en esta organización y hacer que florezca por muchas décadas más.

Al ingresar a este puesto, lo hago con humildad y gratitud. Tiene un impresionante legado y cimientos en que apoyarse, desde la inspiración de los primeros años, con la visión, determinación y voluntad inicial de Oak, hasta cuando, recientemente, Keith y todo el equipo y comunidad de Thorne llevaron esta organización a lo que ahora es el fabuloso Lafayette Nature Center. Es una organización cuya fuerza siempre ha nacido de los dedicados y entusiastas miembros del equipo, y del inagotable apoyo de nuestra comunidad. Es su trabajo, la experiencia de los niños de prescolar, nuestros campistas, promotores y socios a los voy a impulsar y poner en el centro, mientras en conjunto, seguimos profundizando el impacto de Thorne, a fin de garantizar que cada niño y familia tenga la oportunidad de crecer al experimentar las maravillas de la naturaleza.

En las próximas semanas y meses, espero con ansias poder conocer a todas las personas y a la comunidad que han hecho de Thorne la increíble organización que es. Así sea un simpatizante de hace años, un nuevo amigo, un voluntario entusiasta, o una familia donde Thorne haya estado presente, quiero escuchar sus historias, saber sobre su conexión con esta misión, y analizar cómo podemos trabajar juntos para llevar a Thorne a un nuevo nivel.

Por favor, no dude en comunicarse conmigo. Ya sea para tomarnos una taza de café, caminar, tener una breve charla, o solo saludar por correo electrónico, me encantaría conversar con usted. Creo que nuestra pasión y compromiso en común, es lo que hace este trabajo posible, y no puedo esperar por ver lo que podemos lograr juntos.

Gracias por darme la bienvenida en esta increíble comunidad. Estoy muy emocionado por lo que viene y por la oportunidad de ser parte del futuro de Thorne.

Con gratitud,

Brian Sense
Director ejecutivo
Brian@nullthornenature.org

We are writing to share the news that Keith Desrosiers will be transitioning out of the role of Executive Director for Thorne Nature Experience.  This is a time to celebrate all of Thorne’s many accomplishments under Keith’s fifteen-year tenure and a time to embrace our future opportunities. We hope you will read below the letters from Keith and Thorne’s Board of Trustees, both of whom are enthusiastic about the future here at Thorne.

LETTER FROM KEITH:

What began 15 years ago as an 18-month transitional leadership consulting contract with an organization whose mission I deeply valued (I was serving on the Board at the time), turned into the most impactful chapter of my career in the environmental nonprofit sector.  Today, Thorne is transformed, as am I.  And, now is the right time for both Thorne and me to explore new opportunities and to continue to build towards even brighter futures.

Both Thorne and I have grown and changed so much in the past decade and a half.  I now have a home in Lafayette and a wife and two beautiful children.   Thorne Nature Experience has expanded from 5 employees to nearly 30 and from an annual budget of $400,000 to $3.2 million.  Today Thorne serves more than 15,000 youth and families annually, with a focus on equity and inclusion to ensure NATURE FOR ALL.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the board and staff I have worked with at Thorne over the years as well as the donors and volunteers and partnering nonprofits and agencies.  I also want to thank the parents who enrolled their kids in our programs, because they, like Thorne, know that “Kids Grow Better in Nature.”  Together, we achieved so much, including:

• Rebranding Thorne as a nature connection organization
• Establishing Thorne Summer Camp as the gold standard for day camps in Boulder County
• Developing the Nature Immersion Initiative and expanding School Year Programs to serve Title 1 Schools
• Creating the NATURE FOR ALL Initiative, which now awards more than $600,000 annually in scholarships
• Establishing the Collective Impact Projects E-Movement and Nature Kids Jóvenes de la Naturaleza – NKJN is the nation’s largest community scale environmental education project
• Opening Boulder County’s first licensed nature preschool
• Rising to the challenge of the Pandemic by creating and expanding programming to support those families most vulnerable to the Pandemic’s impacts
• Dreaming and building the $6.5 Million Lafayette Nature Center

We did all this together, and along the way Thorne earned recognition in 2019 as the nation’s top regional environmental education center.  THANKS TO ALL OF YOU for being on this journey with us and for your support in helping to make Thorne Nature Experience what it is today – a vibrant organization with a talented team of staff and board and volunteers which profoundly impacts our community by both changing the lives of the youth we serve and building the next generation of Earth stewards.

Through the end of the year, I will pour my energy into supporting Thorne with this transition and ensuring Thorne’s next leader and the Thorne staff are well positioned to continue to grow the organization to meet the needs of our community and build Earth stewards through Thorne’s unique brand of joyful, hands-on, place-based environmental education programming.

Yours in gratitude,

Keith Desrosiers

LETTER FROM THE THORNE BOARD:

Greetings Thorne supporters,

The Thorne Board of Trustees is excited about the future of Thorne Nature Experience as we begin our search for Thorne’s next great leader to replace Keith Desrosiers when he moves on from the organization at the end of this year.

Seventy years ago, our soon to be 96-year-old founder Oak Thorne had the vision to create Thorne Nature Experience.  It has been amazing to see how Keith has added to the organization’s long history of accomplishments during his tenure in support of our mission to build Earth stewardship by providing youth with joyful, hands-on, place-based environmental education experiences that foster an emotional connection to nature.

We are very thankful to Keith for his 15 years of service and for all the successes that have been achieved under his leadership.  We also want to thank all of Thorne’s past and current staff and board members, volunteers, donors, collaborators, and program participants for your role in these successes.  This team approach has made Thorne what it is today: one of the most outstanding nature connection organizations in the country.

Through summer camps, school programs, early childhood education programs, and the Nature Kids Jóvenes de la Naturaleza collective impact project, Keith and the dedicated team at Thorne have been working hard to make sure kids in Boulder County are provided the opportunity to joyfully connect with nature.   We assure you that the Thorne Board of Trustees remains committed to continuing the effort to make all our programs more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible.

We have organized a search committee that will guide the process of hiring Thorne’s next Executive Director.  We look forward to continuing to work together to allow more kids of all backgrounds to connect with and receive the benefits afforded by time spent in nature.  We are very excited that our new Lafayette Nature Center, completed with the help of so many of you, will provide a hub for this critical work.

We know that with this focus and your support that Thorne Nature Experience will continue to thrive in the years ahead!

Yours in Nature,

The Thorne Board of Trustees

Thorne Nature Experience turned a dream into reality with the grand opening of the Lafayette Nature Center on June 15th, 2024. We welcomed over 1,200 members of our community with delicious food, fantastic performers, and a beautiful day of nature connection.

Smiles were ubiquitous when Jeff and Paige took to the stage in their signature rainbow socks, a nod to the Rainbow Socks nonprofit “that helps bring affordable nature and science-based musical and theatrical programming to all.” Audience members danced, clapped, and sang along to favorites. The crowd was left in high spirits for Payaso Salarín’s engaging performance that included everything from potato sack races to tug-of-war.

Children of all ages enjoyed swinging, climbing, and sliding on our nature play structures. Curious minds sifted through the sandpits, while makers transformed the loose materials into grand buildings. Grupo Folklórico Bailes de Mi Tierra & Grupo Folklórico’s mesmerizing dance stylings brought us to our feet as the dancers helped us find our rhythm, just in time for us to feel the heart of Bateria Alegria’s percussion-style music. Miguel & Guillermo closed the event with a composition like no other.

After months of planning and years of dreaming, the Grand Opening of Lafayette Nature was far better than we ever could’ve imagined. Thank you to all who came to celebrate with us. We can’t wait to embark on this next chapter with the Lafayette community.

CLICK HERE to see the event photo album!

Thorne Nature Experience has officially opened the Lafayette Nature Center (LNC), a home for nature connection. This world-class facility has something for everyone. Gazebos, field space, and a BBQ pit serve as the perfect backdrop for gatherings among friends and family. Little and big adventurers alike can swing, climb, dig, and slide in our outdoor nature play areas. Sandpits with water features provide the perfect opportunity for getting small hands dirty. Log structures offer a new challenge to the burgeoning climber. A nature-themed swing and slide give new life to the classic playground feeling. Outdoor explorers can traverse the connecting trails to nearby Coal Creek Open Space, a stunning natural area marked by giant cottonwood groves and year-round access to water exploration.

The outdoor spaces at the LNC are free to visit and open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. Thorne and local partners will host free events and programs in English and Spanish regularly throughout the year and beginning this fall, Thorne will offer nature birthday parties. Whether you’re seeking nature play or a place to simply enjoy being outside, we hope the LNC can become a community space that’s cherished by many. The Lafayette Nature Center was a dream made into reality with years of hard work and belief in Thorne’s core value of NATURE FOR ALL. We can’t wait for you to come visit.

CLICK HERE for more information about visiting the Lafayette Nature Center.