By Staff on May 10, 2013
Good afternoon ELCers!!
This will be the last blog post for this semester at least! Happy Birthday shout out to our staff member, Abe!
This past weekend we had an aid booth at the Colorado Marathon; way to go to all the runners out there! Y’all are awesome!
On Wednesday we ended GASP! with the last class where the girls got to be junior rangers! We then moved to the party for the girls and their families. The girls got their certificates and said farewell. But not for long; GASP! will be back next semester in full swing. However, in the fall, we will be at two different schools and in the spring, we will be back at Harris. That night we also had a Webolo Den come out to the ELC for their Naturalist Badge. Even through the pouring rain, we talked about wetlands, litter, the food web, and birds! It was a lot of fun and the Webolos enjoyed seeing the beaver dam.
This week we also had a series of preschoolers come from United Methodist. On Wednesday we talked about the parts of insects and why they are important for a garden. Yesterday we discussed animals and their tracks. This morning we talked about the 5 senses and how you can experience them in nature. Overall, it was a really cool program and the kids really liked going out on the trails!
That’s it for now! Make sure to sign up for GSE’s next semester and visit the ELC this summer! I can’t wait to be back in nature and be at the ELC. See y’all soon and have a great summer!
-Berkeley
Joke of the Day: What kind of songs do the planets sing?
*nep-tunes!
Posted in Latest News |
By Staff on May 3, 2013
HELLLOOOO ELCers!
Despite the snowy weather, we still had some programs this week!
Our rescheduled Liberty Commons program was pretty great! The students in my group seamed to get a kick out of the ducks going under water then popping back out. Who doesn’t like a duck ducking in and out of water? get it?
On Tuesday we had some high school and middle school students come out to the ELC to talk about beavers and their affect on the environment. Even though beavers do a lot of good for the ELC, in large numbers, they can cause some problems, like taking down all of our trees! So we asked the students if they had any ideas on how to limit the beaver chew. It was pretty cool to hear their ideas! We will be taking them into consideration and hopefully taking care of the problem soon!
Happy Birthday shout out to the boss lady, Nicole!!!
That’s it for this week. If you’re running in the Colorado Marathon this Saturday, we will see you there at mile 21 at our Aid station!
Have a wonderful weekend and hopefully we will see you out at the ELC for some nice weather activities!
-Berkeley
Joke of the Day: What did Mars say to Saturn?
*Give me a ring sometime!
Posted in Latest News |
By Staff on April 26, 2013
It’s Spring time ELCers! Hopefully it decides to stay this time….
Because of the snow, we had to reschedule our Liberty Commons Program for later in the week and on Monday. For this program, we meet the students at their school and walk back to the ELC together and along the way, we talk about animal habitat adaptations. It’s a really cool walk by the river and it gives an opportunity for the students to see real adaptations in the wild!
We returned to GASP this week with an ornithology lesson. The Rocky Mountain Raptor Program came out with a few of their teaching birds, which the girls really enjoyed!
Tomorrow is Earth Day Fort Collins and Girl Scout Day at the ELC! The city had to reschedule the Earth Day because of the weather so come check out our booth at Earth Day Fort Collins.
The weather is getting better and better so come out to the ELC for a hike, service, or even bird watching! See you out there!
Last week’s Riddle of the Day answer: a towel!
Joke of the Day: How can you tell the ocean is friendly? it waves!
-Berkeley
Posted in Latest News |
By Staff on April 17, 2013
Welcome to the warm spring weather of Colorado, ElCers! Just joking, it’s going to be snowy and cold for a while. Perfect excuse to come out to the ELC and see our winter critters and have a snowball fight!
This week has been a little slow because of the weather. Our GASP program has been cancelled for the week. Our GSE on Monday called Adaptastic Part 2: Plants was moved to our indoor classroom in the welcome center. We still talked about plant adaptations but for some of the time, we played outside in the snow and did a lot of arts and crafts. Overall, the students had a good time, especially when we brought out the snow tubes!
This Saturday is a big day for the ELC! We will be participating in Earth Day, Cub Scout Day, and CSUnity, so come out to the ELC for some fun service work!
That’s it for now but stay tuned for program updates! Riddle of the Day: what gets wet the more it dries?
-Berkeley
Posted in Latest News |
By Staff on April 12, 2013
Hello ELC peoples!
April is in full swing, so we’ve been super busy!
On Saturday we had our annual Picnic on the Poudre! The food from Las Comales was a big hit and so were the games and activities! Great turnout! Speaking of great turnouts, we had our fundraiser at O’dell on Wednesday and raised over $1000!! Way to go ELC! A huge thanks to everyone who donated and came out to O’Dell!
At Harris Elementary school, on Tuesday, we talked about furs, traps, and beavers. Too bad one of us didn’t dress up in the beaver costume….next time! On Wednesday we had our next GASP meeting. This time we talked about ecosystem services. The girls were very enthusiastic and excited to learn!
Today we have part 1 of our Adaptastic GSE about animals! On Monday we have part 2 about plants! More updates next week.
Tomorrow is Carpe Diem!!!! If you need some service hours or just want to come help out, be at the ELC at 10am for some bridge construction, invasive species removal, and beaver control.
That’s it for now but stay tuned for GSE updates and information about upcoming events and programs!
Have a splendid day! By the way, the Great Blue Heron is starting to nest at the ELC, so come out soon and see them!
Posted in Latest News |
By Staff on April 5, 2013
Howdy ELC Fans!
This week has been pretty busy here at the ELC! Last Saturday we had Service Saturday, which went really well! We deconstructed a bridge out on the trails and plan to rebuild it soon. On Wednesday we had the next GASP meeting. We talked more about the international groups and how we will be connecting with them this year. Our students will be making bracelets to send to the Panama students and then they will be making something to send back to us! Then we will also exchange biographies and letters with all the international students! Congratulations to the GASP Program for making the front page of the Collegian this past Thursday! The article explained the workings behind GASP and what we plan to teach.
On Wednesday, we also had a Brownie Troop come out to the ELC for their hiking badge. We had a relay race for what you should and should not wear on a hike, an activity on what kind of snack to bring (food was included, of course!), and then we went on a scavenger hunt around the trails. As a former Brownie myself, it was really cool to see the girls excited about hiking and the ELC!
Coming up, tomorrow, we have Picnic on the Poudre! It’s a free event for families and will be catered by Los Comales. We will be fishing, building shelters, racing boats, catching bugs and frogs, and treasure hunting! Come on out to the Magpie Meander Natural Area/Soft Gold Park from 12-4 tomorrow for some good ol’ family fun!
Also, don’t forget about our fundraiser event at O’dell Brewery from 7-9 on Wednesday the 10th!! There will be local, live music, as well as food, beer, and prizes! Tickets can be purchased at the door. See you there!
That’s it for now, but stay tuned for awesome service opportunities and program updates! It’s officially April, so be ready for a lot of blooming beauty out at the ELC! Get on out there!
Here’s a picture of the Magpie Meander Natural Area where Picnic on the Poudre will be held. Families should definitely come out tomorrow from 12-4! See you there!
-Berkeley
Posted in Latest News |
By Staff on March 29, 2013
Oh, hello there ELCers!
Welcome back from Spring Break! Hope you got out to the ELC for some bird watching or even some fun in the water!
Happy late birthday to two of our staff members, Kritsen and Eli (they grow up so fast)!
This past week we had our first GASP meeting with 12 of the girls. We covered the scientific method and an introduction to what GASP is all about. Also, we talked about the interaction these girls will have with the other GASP girls in Cape Verde, Panama, and Kenya. This will be a really cool experience for the U.S. GASP students to talk with girls like them in far away places!
On Thursday we had our home school program that covered maps and GPS. There was also a scavenger hunt, which the students really enjoyed!
This Saturday we have Service Saturday out at the Drake Site. Come get some service hours and get your hands dirty! There will be food provided. Don’t forget to RSVP by calling or emailing. See you tomorrow!
That’s it for now! Fun Fact of The Day: Look at the picture below….look familiar? That’s because this photo is of main street in Magic Kingdom, Disney World which was inspired from Old Town, Fort Collins! So head to Old Town this weekend and see if you can spot the similarities!
-Berkeley
Posted in Latest News |
By Staff on March 17, 2013
Howdy ELC fans!
This past week was pretty busy for us at the ELC! This past Saturday we had our bird program at the Global Village Museum. There was a scavenger hunt, some nest building, and birds calls!
Over the week we also had our Bethke-in class program. The students loved the activities and were all already well versed in the topics we taught! We used their school as an example when we talked about sustainable resources since their school is already powered by solar panels. Pretty cool, huh?
On Friday we had our second GSE of the semester called Natural Inspirations. Students learned how art, among other things, inspires creativity, through music, dance, painting, drawing, and poetry. The students learned how to “dance like a tree,” make music with the leaves, and interpret their surroundings. Their take home piece was a pouch they could decorate at home and 3 pet rocks! All around a good time on the trails!
Coming up, we will be starting our GASP program.We have 14 girls ready to get involved and excited to learn new things. Also, the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program will be coming in on ornithology day for some fun and informative lessons on birds!
Don’t forget about Servie Saturday on the 30th. Come get some service hours and connect with nature!
That’s it for now, hope you have a fantastic week! And don’t forget about signing up for our summer programs!
-Berkeley
Posted in Latest News |
By Staff on March 8, 2013
Why hello there ELC fans!
This week wasn’t super eventful but that’s only because we were so busy making plans for the awesome upcoming events! Tomorrow is our open house, Birds, Birds, Birds at the Global Village Museum from 1-4pm. Stop by for some fun activities for the whole family including a scavenger hunt, puppet making, and nest building. The cost is free for children, $5 for adults, and $3 for seniors. Hope to see you there!
Next week we are going to Bethke Elementary School to teach about renewable and non-renewable resources. Should be fun and informational!
We also have our next GSE coming up on the 15th called Natural Inspirations. Here we will learn about poetry, dance, drawing, music, and painting! More updates to come closer to the day!
SHOUT OUT TIME! A huge shout out to the GASP Program for winning the “Best New Program” award from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education! We currently have 14 girls signed up and we’re very excited to start the program soon!
That’s it for now! Stay tuned for more updates on upcoming events and programs. Don’t forget about our fundraiser April 10th at O’Dell!
-Berkeley
p.s. Enjoy the picture of the mink!
Posted in Latest News |
By Staff on March 2, 2013
Howdy ELC bloggers!
Like frogs? I bet not as much as we do, here at the ELC! This past Friday, Meg, Max, Kristen, and myself headed over to the Lab School for an hour of froggies! We taught the life cycle of a frog, played a relay memory race, and observed the growth of their very own leopard frog. The Lab School kiddos liked hypothesizing about what stage of the life cycle their leopard frog would be in next. All in all, a very fun and informational program at the Lab School!
The next day, we had our Service Saturday at the ELC Drake Site. We cleaned and organized the classroom then did some trail work! A big thanks to all the staff and volunteers that made it possible!
That was it for programs and events. However, get excited because today marks the opening of registration for summer programs! Get registering ELC fans!
Coming up we have our day at the Global Village Museum on the 9th. We also have our next GSE, Natural Inspirations, on the 15th. Stay tuned for updates about both!
That’s it for now! Come back next Friday and don’t forget to register for summer programs, slots are filling up!
-Berkeley
Posted in Latest News |
