New Opportunities and a Bright Future – Executive Director Transition

Posted on by Thorne

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

Celebrating the Lafayette Nature Center Grand Opening

Posted on by Thorne

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!

Visit the NEW Lafayette Nature Center!

Posted on by Thorne

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.

Thorne Launches New Longmont Summer Camp!

Posted on by Thorne

Join our outdoor day camps for kids who love nature- now in Longmont!

Thorne Nature Experience has been running award-winning outdoor summer camps in the Boulder area for over 60 years and this summer we’re bringing our popular camps to Longmont.

Our campers have a blast exploring Boulder County’s best open spaces, building forts, mastering survival skills, catching critters, creating nature art, and diving into hands-on learning about the great outdoors. We expect this to be a truly magical summer and are so excited to be working with the Longmont community. 

Longmont summer camps for children ages 7-11 meet at Roger’s Grove Park in June and July. CLICK HERE to learn more and register today.

SPRING SALE- $50 off Longmont summer camp with the discount code SPRING50. Act fast because spaces are limited, and this code expires on 4/5/24.

Update on 2023 Summer Camps for Ages 12-15

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We are excited to announce our camp offerings for campers ages 12-15! 

This summer we will be offering Birds & Bird Banding for campers ages 12-15, as well as the Student Teaching Assistant Program for ages 13-15.

Birds & Bird Banding

Camp details:

  • Registration date will be announced before February 1, 2023. Sign up for our email list if you would like to receive updates on this camp.
  • Birds & Bird Banding will run Session 1 (May 30-June 9) and Session 2 (June 12-23) from 8:00 am-noon.
  • Meeting Location: This camp meets at various locations around Boulder County. Specific sites cannot be determined before migrating birds return, so the Thorne educator will send an email before camp finalizing most meeting sites.
  • Price: Session 1 (9 day session) $539; Session 2 (10 day session) $599

Join our last summer with Thorne’s Founder and Master Bird Bander, Dr. Oakleigh Thorne, II for a two-week Camp Experience focused on one of his greatest passions – birds! Under the guidance of our founder and an additional Thorne educator, campers will develop knowledge of Colorado birds and gain skills in bird banding research. The emphasis in week one is on watching birds, identifying birds, catching and handling live birds using a variety of techniques, and practicing banding birds. In week two, the emphasis is on gaining proficiency in bird banding by maximizing time spent handline birds and contributing to Oak’s long-term research project banding Cliff Swallows. Birds & Bird Banding is a prerequisite for joining Thorne’s new Bird Banding Apprenticeship Program, which is held during the school year.

This Camp Experience is best suited for rising 7th-11th graders who possess the maturity and patience to handle wild birds.

 

Student Teaching Assistant

Thorne Nature Experience is seeking enthusiastic, outdoorsy individuals who want to gain experience with a local, nonprofit organization. Volunteers will spend their day (8:15am-2:45pm) outdoors assisting an Instructor with a group of campers as they explore natural areas and parks. Campers hike around exploring natural areas learning about various topics including animals, art, camping, and more!  STA’s are between 13-15 years old and might work with campers ranging in age from 5-8 years old.  Volunteers can sign up for just one 2 week session, or spend all eleven weeks of summer outside exploring with Thorne!  Previous experience as a Thorne camper is preferred to be a STA.

See our Volunteer page for more details!

Thorne’s Health Policies and Procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic

Posted on by Thorne

The health and safety of our participants and staff continues to be Thorne’s top priority.

Thorne’s Covid-19 Health Policies and Procedures are designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure safe and fun programs during this time. This document is reviewed and updated regularly to ensure compliance with all Boulder County Public Health and Colorado State Child Care Licensing guidelines.

CLICK HERE to read Thorne’s Covid-19 Health Policies and Procedures. 

In Boulder County, Colorado, community level is HIGH. Per CDC COVID-19 by County tracker.

Last updated – May 30, 2022

What We’ve Been Up To – Pandemic Programming Update

Posted on by Thorne

We haven’t done an update on what’s happened with our programming during the pandemic in a while but rest assured, Thorne has been busy! Here’s what we’ve been up to since last fall:

Summer Camp
Enthusiasm for Thorne camps is at an all-time high, in part because COVID has been a poignant reminder to parents that Kids Grow Better In Nature. While we are ecstatic that our camps sold out so quickly, we are also saddened that so many children who want to attend will miss the opportunity this year. Due to our COVID-safe camp plan, we can only provide camp for 32% of the youth we would serve in a typical summer. We have been working to add spaces and are still encouraging parents to sign up on our waitlist, but we know that we will miss out on seeing some of you this summer and we are bummed about that. We hope you can find other ways to prioritize time in nature, including considering other camps with nature offerings like Wild Bear, Growing Gardens, CU Science Discovery, Cal-Wood, Sunflower Farm, and Wee-Folk.

Nature Learning Pods
Thorne Nature Learning Pods have been running 5 days a week since August of 2020. Since BVSD has gone back to in-person learning, the number of students that are with us every day of the week has shrunk, but we still host a group of 30 students from the Lafayette area every Monday, when BVSD is closed. These students spend a full day with us playing and learning outdoors! While pods were originally an emergency response to the community, they have also become a wonderful source of community connection and a great way to extend our Nature For All mission. Most of our Pod students have come to us through the Nature Kids Lafayette program and 80% of students receive full or close-to-full scholarships to attend!

After-School Programs
In February Thorne re-launched our After School program! The program comes as a much-needed balance to time spent at their desk or behind a computer each day. Children experience nature mentorship, unstructured time outdoors, participant-led inquiry, and exploration in and around the schoolyard. We currently serve 20 students, all of whom are also part of the Nature Learning Pods, three days a week in Lafayette. This extended time with students has helped to create a strong bond between the children and families and Thorne’s instructors. For many of the children, Thorne is also the only program outside of school they are able to access right now, and we are grateful to be able to provide this much needed opportunity.

Live Virtual Programs
Normally at the time of year, Thorne instructors would be visiting classrooms throughout Boulder and St. Vrain. While we are not able to make these visits right now, we are excited to announce that Thorne is now offering “real-time” virtual programs! Educators are not delivering our favorite in-school lessons, like Colorado Ecology, Climate Change, and Pass the Energy, to students through their screens. Lessons have been running for over a month and have brought much joy to students and instructors alike! We are hoping to lead about 70 of these one-hour lessons over the course of the spring and next fall!

Nature Kids
The programs that Thorne has been able to offer to the youth and families in Lafayette, through our leadership in Nature Kids/Jóvenes de la Naturaleza have been some of the most amazing and rewarding parts of our last year. Click here to learn more about how this program is meeting community needs during the pandemic and beyond, including expanding to Boulder!

COVID-19 Update from Thorne

Posted on by Thorne

Dear Thorne Community,

These are challenging times for all of us and we hope that you and your loved ones are faring as well as possible and in good health. We know, and deeply appreciate, that Thorne Nature Experience is near and dear to your hearts, and wanted to give you an update on how COVID-19 is affecting Thorne.

Below is a segmented list detailing the many ways that our operations and staff (including Oak) are being impacted, as well as details on how we are using our organizational resources to best support emerging community needs, especially for those in our community who are most vulnerable and/or impacted directly by COVID 19. Please look through the list to find the information that is of interest to you and your family.

In reading below, you will note that Thorne has closed its office and temporarily ceased operations for all of our traditional programs. Our leadership staff is closely monitoring the recommendations from local health officials, the Boulder Valley School District, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, and the CDC and we will reinstate each individual program and reopen the office when it is deemed safe and appropriate.

This is a historic, and certainly scary time for all of us. While things are still so uncertain, we are finding comfort in knowing that the work that we do to connect children and families to nature is more essential than ever! Being in nature can reduce stress and improve mental and physical health. So, if you can, we encourage you and your family to get outside every day…feel the warm sun on your face and discover a plant beginning to bloom. We can’t predict what the future holds, but we can depend on nature – and community – to help us through it.

With love from the Thorne Team

SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAMS: During the spring, Thorne translated 100% of its curriculum to high quality, multi-media, bi-lingual virtual programs in order to reach students unable to attend a Thorne program in person. For the fall, we have pivoted our school year staff resources to provide childcare, academic support, and nature enrichment to youth through our new Nature Learning Pod program which includes more than $40,000 each month in scholarships for low-income families.  Our Nature Learning Pod program is full at this time, and any openings will be communicated through our e-newsletter.  We plan to return to offering our award-winning In-School, Field Trip, and After School programs to Boulder/Denver Metro-area elementary schools at the conclusion of the pandemic.

SUMMER CAMP: During the summer of 2020, Thorne switched to a small group size nature camp model for all of its week-long camps.  Parents had the opportunity to enroll children ages 6 to 11 in a camp with 5 or fewer participants matched with one of Thorne’s full-time, year-round educators or returning summer camp instructors.  To maximize safety during this time of COVID 19, each camp was two weeks in duration and instructors had one week off between working with different groups of students.  We hope to return to our traditional summer camp offerings in 2021.

THORNE OFFICES AND THE SOMBRERO MARSH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER: At this time, the Thorne office is closed to the public. The public is still welcome to visit Sombrero Marsh, in fact we encourage you to take a walk on our trails and view birds from our bird blind. Please practice social distancing and only visit as family units and not as groups.

EVENTS: Thorne has cancelled all in-person, indoor events and outdoor events have been limited to group sizes of less than 10.  Natural Night Out, our annual fundraiser, has been adapted to Natural Night In, with numerous opportunities for our supporters to participate from the comfort of their home.  We are hopeful that popular events like our Spring and Fall Fest can return in 2021.

OAK: We know many of you care deeply about our fearless and charismatic founder, Oakleigh Thorne. While he is the healthiest 91-year-old any of us know, he has been encouraged to take the recommended precautions for people of his age. Staying home is challenging for many of us, but especially for Oak – his social calendar is busier than most of his younger coworkers! Feel free to send him an email to say hi or maybe set up a phone call or video chat (he learned how to use ZOOM months ago)!

FINANCIAL IMPACT: Thanks in large part to generosity of people like you who have made Thorne a priority for their philanthropy, Thorne is financially stable for the time being. As always, we are carefully managing our finances and at this time we have eliminated all non-essential expenses. Knowing that our staff are our most important organizational resource, at this time we have committed to keeping our entire team employed, despite all of our traditional programs being cancelled. Like most nonprofits, this pandemic will have a significant impact on our financial health now and into the future. Changes to summer programming alone cost Thorne more than $400,000 in revenue. We ask those that are able to be as generous as they can during these challenging time. First and foremost, consider helping vulnerable populations and those impacted the most by COVID 19 and, if possible, also support your most trusted and beloved nonprofits like Thorne. We have been serving our community for more than six decades and with your support we will remain strong after the COVID 19 crisis has ended. If you want to know more about the needs of our organization at this time or are interested in making donation please contact alyson@nullthornenature.org or contribute via the donate page on our website.

HOW THORNE IS RESPONDING WITH PROGRAMS: Thorne staff are working hard to find creative and impactful ways to be of service to our community during these unprecedented times. We are focused on being of service to our students and their families and meeting the needs of vulnerable populations and those most impacted by COVID 19. Please read our COVID-19 response brochure to learn more about our various program pivots and the positive impact they are having within our community.