Jill Dreves grew up in the Colorado mountains. She’s lived in Nederland for the last 21 years, with previous stints in Boulder, Fort Collins and elsewhere in the state. “I’m a Colorado person, for sure,” says the executive director of the Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center. “But wonderful as it is to live and work in Nederland, we’re just far enough away that we’re not top-of-mind for a lot of people.”
That’s why an early Millennium Trust grant presented an opportunity to expand awareness about Wild Bear’s programs for kids and families. “The grant inspired an out-of-the-box collaboration with I Have a Dream,” said Dreves. “We were able to do something that we couldn’t have done otherwise. We provided programming specific to IHAD throughout the year – from after-school activities to a field trip every season.
“It was great to be working with a population of kids and families that we otherwise don’t have access to. It was a really successful collaboration that I hope to revitalize.”
Four years later, in 2006, Wild Bear received another Millennium Trust grant – this time, to bring together local seniors with students from Nederland Elementary School.
“Our intergenerational approach is a big part of what makes us unique,” said Dreves. “Among the many great seniors who have worked with us, one of them – a snowshoeing guru – really helped us get our winter programming on track. Others go on hikes with our kids in the summer.”
Wild Bear is slowly – but steadily – expanding its reach. “We’re working to position Nederland as a nature- and science-focused community,” Dreves said. “Through hands-on activities and workshops for all ages, we emphasize land preservation and stewardship.
“We want to share knowledge – about the history of the area, about composting and recycling, about biodiversity, botany and growing your own food. That kind of thing.”
In 2010, Wild Bear took a big leap.“We’d been housed at the elementary school,” Dreves said. “But we finally moved to downtown Nederland. We encourage people to ride the bus from Boulder to pay us a visit.” (As an extra incentive, Wild Bear is located a stone’s throw from the Carousel of Happiness.)
Wild Bear is open year-round, providing information about local trails, as well as local flora and fauna. In addition to an exhibit of the preservation of Mud Lake, the center even has a gift shop that carries locally hand-crafted gifts, books, games and more.
That said, Wild Bear still has a ways to go. “We have our own space now, but we’re renting,” Dreves explained. “It’s always been our vision to build our own off-the-grid nature center. We want to keep growing, sharing with people our connection to nature.
“Right now, developing partnerships and relationships with organizations outside our circle – similar to our collaboration with IHAD – is crucial to establishing a regional reach.”
On Nov. 14, Wild Bear will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a gala at eTown Hall. For more information, visit Wild Bear’s events page.
The Millennium Trust was established in 1999, as a permanent fund of The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County to serve the needs of residents in perpetuity. It was created by donations from thousands of Boulder County residents giving their last hour of income for the year. People gave money to help meet the needs of the new millennium in the areas of the arts, environment, civic involvement, education, and/or health and human services. Donors to the fund are chosen at random to serve on the annual advisory committee and to select the year’s funding focus. In 2014, the Millennium Trust will exceed $1M granted.
