FAMILY NATURE ADVENTURE DAYS
2019 THEMES
Join us from 8 – 11 a.m. on the last Saturday of each month! There will be activities, crafts, scavenger hunts, kids’ equipment to borrow for exploration hikes, and visits from partner organizations across Colorado such as Nature’s Educators, Denver Botanic Gardens, and more!
April 6th: Home, Sweet Home!
Learn about the nests, burrows, dams, warrens, and colonies that animals call home! Make your own milk-carton birdhouse, and learn how to attract birds to your yard. Go on a scavenger hunt to look for the homes of prairie dogs, beavers, hawks, bats, geese, insects, and more as you explore Bluff Lake!
April 27th: Happy Earth
See how we care for the environment right here at Bluff Lake! Join in with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado on a family project to protect our ecosystems. You can also use the iNaturalist phone app to help Denver compete in the worldwide City Nature Challenge. Help us meet our goal of 500 observations of local plant and animal species! Special Guest: Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado
May 25th: Reptiles & Amphibians
Meet some live reptiles and amphibians for yourself at our Nature’s Educators booth (9 a.m. – 11 a.m.)! Enjoy facts, games, and crafts about this interesting group of animals. Borrow one of our nets to go on a frog hunt, and use our Reptiles & Amphibians field guide during your hike! Special Guest: Nature’s Educators
June 29th: Plants–Nature’s Solar Engineers
See our beautiful plants, trees, and flowers, and learn how each has adapted to make the most of the sun’s energy! Examine the parts of a flower, and make your own leaf rubbings. Complete a scavenger hunt for different leaf shapes around Bluff Lake, and borrow our Trees & Wildflowers field guide during your hike. Special Guest: Denver Botanic Gardens
July 27th: Creepy Crawlers
Meet some of the amazing bugs that live right here at Bluff Lake! Enjoy facts and crafts about arthropods such as insects, spiders, and crayfish. Borrow one of our nets and see if you can catch crayfish in the creek, and go on a bug hunt using our bug boxes and magnifying glasses. Special Guest: CSU Entomology Club
August 31st: Scat, Skulls, & Skins–Oh My!
Meet some live birds and mammals for yourself at our Nature’s Educators booth (9 a.m. – 11 a.m.)! You can also see and touch real bones and pelts of animal species commonly found at Bluff Lake. Learn about the tracks and signs animals leave behind, and search for them during your hike. Special Guest: Nature’s Educators
September 28th: Aquatic Habitats
Learn about aquatic animals and what they need to thrive! Enjoy a lesson and craft about water quality, then test water from Bluff Lake for yourself using our water monitoring kits. You can also use our binoculars and nets to get a closer look at the animals that are floating or swimming in the lake and creek.