Expand consciousness!

by National Park Service

by Bill Gerard

by Jesse Speer

• Take a class from an expert
• Spend time with a Park Naturalist
• Read a good book about this place
• Visit a museum or exhibit

Field Seminars, Classes and Talks

Wildlife Photography

Truly great wildlife images "connect" with a viewer and elicit a variety of emotional reactions - humor, joy, excitement, reverence, apprehension, a sense of wonder, and much more. Creating a wildlife photograph with the power to "connect" is the result of a unique combination of skills, including knowledge... [more]

Elements of Outdoor Photography

"See it, compose it, and shoot it!" Those three steps would seem to imply that making great outdoor images is easy. In fact, quite the contrary is true. "Seeing it" may take a lifetime of learning to refine your creative vision. "Composing it" will dramatically change the impact and power... [more]

Art Camp For Grownups

On the heels of her very successful Art Camp I, international artist Gudi Spurlin presents Art Camp II, with an all new program. The week long workshop is sponsored by the Cultural Arts Council of Estes Park as part of its ongoing Adult Art Education & Professional Development Series.... [more]

Motion in Still Photography

Learn to capture in a still photo what you see in a changing, moving, dynamic world. Study motion and how to stop it; learn how to capture and create motion in photos. Explore wildlife and waterfalls during the spring runoff in RMNP. Cost: $100... [more]

Acrylic Landscape Painting

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar
Explore the basics of painting in acrylics while having a focused and fun day. The session will begin with a demonstration. Then participants will be guided through the process of creating acrylic landscapes. By the end of the day,... [more]

Cougar Clues and How to Read Them

Discover amazing facts about mountain lion, lynxes and other members of the cat family. Participants will learn and practice what to do if they encounter a mountain lion. They will learn how to look for lion signs in nature. The afternoon will be spent looking for lion signs... [more]

Winter Landscape Photography

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar Winter provides landscape photographers with both unique opportunities and special challenges. This course will help photographers of all abilities understand Rocky Mountain National Park's turbulent winter weather, and it will show photographers how to plan shoots to be in the right... [more]

History of Mining on the West Side

This course is an overview of the history of mining and early pioneer life in the Kawuneeche Valley in what is now the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. The time period covered is roughly 1875 to 1886. Silver and lead were discovered in small quantities, and... [more]

Spring On Wings: Birds

Spring brings new songs to the mountains. Join Jeff Maugans, naturalist and Park interpretive ranger, in a seminar that will focus on identifying-- by sight and sound -- sound of our lovely spring migratory and resident birds as possible. Learning to identify birds by sound rather than tracking down and... [more]

Geology of Trail Ridge Road

Become acquainted with the vastness of geologic time and the power of geologic processes through the study of rocks and physical features along one of the highest and most spectacular roads in North America. Look at the ancient metamorphic rocks and granites and learn how they formed. Examine... [more]

Landscape Painting

Landscape Painting - Water Color and Gauache
Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar
Learn to create an amazing landscape painting with simple, easy-to-apply methods. In this studio-based seminar, learn a plein-air painting method that you can take to the Park. With this method and your "kit... [more]

Wake up to Spring

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar
The transition from winter to spring offers insights into the natural history of organisms and function of ecosystems that are not often appreciated in summer visits to the field. Spring Ecology is a survey of physical and biological processes as snow-covered... [more]

A Bird on the Page

Discover the private lives of tanagers, bluebirds, hummingbirds, woodpeckers and other feathered creatures that make their homes in Rocky Mountain National Park; then spend the day writing about them! Learn to make thorough records of your observations; then work on a creative piece about what you see... [more]

Ferns & Granites

Ferns & Granites -- How Geology & Botany Connect: This seminar, co-taught by a biologist and a geologist, will give participants a new perspective on how rocks and plants combine to form unique landscapes. Learn why a beautiful a specific fern grows only on south-facing granite slopes. Explore how rocks... [more]

Wildflower Ecology and Photography

Advanced Digital Photography

Any digital camera can produce wonderful scenic and nature photos. Learn how to use your digital point-and-shoot, compact, or SLR digital camera to do just that in Rocky Mountain National Park. Travel and photograph with a professional to digitally capture wildflower fields, high mountain peaks reflected in alpine... [more]

Wildflowers for Longtime Beginners

By learning how to really look at a plant, you can stop trying to memorize names and start learning wildflowers. The trick to knowing wildflowers is not in stuffing the memory but in developing the eye. This seminar is for longtime beginners who need help moving forward with their wildflowering.... [more]

Colorado Cat Tales

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar
The cat family is uniquely adapted for survival in a variety of climes. Colorado is fortunate to have three wild cat species. This course will discuss the adaptations of cats, both in anatomy and physiology, focusing mainly on the mountain lion... [more]

13 Creatures You've Never Seen

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar
... [more]

Estes Park Treasure Hunt

Using a GPS unit, discover the natural treasures along the River Walk in downtown Estes Park and around Lake Estes. This two-hour class is designed for kids and parents who want to spend a day in Estes Park while enjoying the adventure and fun of learning a new skill. (This... [more]

Capturing Wildlife Images

Truly great wildlife images "connect" with a viewer and elicit a variety of emotional reactions--humor, joy, excitement, reverence, apprehension, a sense of wonder, and much more. Creating a wildlife photograph with the power to "connect" is the result of a unique combination of skills, including knowledge of animal behavior and... [more]

Colorado Hummingbirds: A Day in the Field

Hummingbirds are among the most instantly recognizable of all birds; yet they are one of the least studied of all bird groups. Their small size, fast flight, and soft vocalizations make it especially difficult to track and observe individual birds, and their complex lifestyle poses continuing challenges to... [more]

Animal Detectives

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar... [more]

Alpine Flowers

What may look like an unkempt lawn to the casual observer is actually an ecosystem of surprising diversity. Small changes in alpine topography and climate factors allow for a variety of plant communities and species. The alpine climate, with its cold temperatures, fierce winds, heavy snows, and rugged... [more]

Writing in the Woods

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar... [more]

Landscape Photography

The best landscape photograph is true to its subject and yet, somehow, larger than its subject in that it captures something universal in a specific image. It portrays a moment and creates a sense of timeless beauty. This seminar will help beginning and intermediate photographers take the next... [more]

Geocaching Day 2

Geocaching Day 2: Navigation-exploration for Kids (and parents, too!): Use a hand-held GPS unit to discover your own RMNP nature tour. Start with the solar system; look at the wonders of weather; see geologic sites, plant predicaments and wildlife wonders. This class will open young and older eyes to the... [more]

Coloring Historic Photos

With an acclaimed local artist, rediscover the old-fashioned method for hand coloring black-and-white photographs on digitally printed images. Each participant will hand color both historical and current photos using Marshall Oils and colored pencils. The course will also include lessons in photo selection, the intricacies of medium... [more]

Rocky Mountain Flora

This is an introduction to the flora of the Rocky Mountain National Park region and the techniques used to identify plants. It will include excursions to a diversity of the Park's ecosystems and life zones (montane to alpine). Participants will learn the primary characteristics of many plant families and individual... [more]

Birding for Longtime Beginners

You own two field guides, one published in 1966 and the other arranged according to color of the birds; you are thinking about getting a new and better binocular; you have traveled to see birds; you started a life-list but are not now sure where it is; you can't seem... [more]

Geocaching for Kids

Geocaching for Kids (and parents, too!) Day 1:Join us on a high-tech scavenger hunt in and around Estes Park. Learn how to use a GPS unit; take a discovery walk to interesting sites around town and look for clues to some natural history mysteries. This 4-hour class is designed for... [more]

Watercolor Painting: Basics of Landscapes

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar
This will be an exciting and practical watercolor class focusing on watercolor techniques to depict the beauty of water within a landscape. One of Mark;s favorite subjects to paint in watercolor is the reflective and luminous quality of water. We will... [more]

Publishing Your Photography

Would you like to get your photographs published and make some money, too? This course teaches you how to approach editorial markets such as magazines and calendar and greeting card companies. Learn the insider's secrets for getting your work into print. This seminar is appropriate for digital or... [more]

Rocky Mountain Minerals

This half-day seminar is a great introduction to geology in RMNP. Participants will learn how rocks form in relation to geologic time. This class will make four stops along Trail Ridge Road. $45 Rocky Mountain Nature Association. 970-586-0108.... [more]

Identifying Birds

Refine your personal knowledge of birds and the ability to identify them. Learn how to manage large volumes of complex information, to find specific birds on purpose, and to develop a disciplined observation protocol. Weather permitting, all instruction will be afield while looking at live birds. $85 Rocky Mountain... [more]

Season of Change

We will look among the last golden leaves and wildflowers; we will listen among the elk bugling and pikas squeaking; and we will watch the insects and birds. Somewhere in all this looking, listening, and watching we will discover in the story of living the answers for the... [more]

Introduction to Outdoor Photography

Digital cameras have become very user-friendly and affordable. If you have a new digital camera of any type, or are planning to get one soon, this course is for you. Learn how to get the best pictures possible with your camera and what to look for in a new digital... [more]

Rhyming' and Rappin' in the Rockies

How do we capture our experience of nature and the outdoors in words? This seminars will give children and adolescents the chance to explore the woodlands and meadows of Rocky Mountain National Park, then write about it. Students will expand their observation skills and learn some basic tools... [more]

History of Estes Valley

This course will provide an overview of the region's past by mixing brief lecture and discussion format with visits to historical sites of significance. Site visits will range from an ancient Indian battlefield to early homesteads, from stately resorts to deserted cabins. The course will examine numerous... [more]

Becoming a Naturalist

As the last program in the Core Curriculum series, this seminar will focus entirely on blending all the previously covered skills to achieve a specific harmony of intellect and spirit that fosters a natural "outdoor presence." Best expressed as a certain way of being outdoors that transcends status... [more]

GPS: Navigation

This course is geared toward the recreational traveler who has little or no experience using a GPS and the GPS owner who would like to gain a greater understanding of his/her GPS. Emphasis will be placed on using the receiver with a topographic map. Topics to be covered... [more]

Mushrooms

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar... [more]

Wild and Wonderful Wetlands

Do you know what a wetland is? This field experience will give you firsthand information about Rocky Mountain National Park wetlands. Wetlands are the link between land and water. They are transition zones where the flow of water, nutrients and the sun's energy create a unique ecosystem identified... [more]

Exploring with Map and Compass

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar
Among the essential skills needed for travel in the backcountry are map reading, an understanding of the compass, and the ability to use both of these tools together. Learning how to stay found is fun, interesting and can result in greater confidence for... [more]

Mountain Birds & How They Live

Join Jeff Maugans, naturalist and retired Park interpretive ranger, to explore the migration, nesting, habitats, conservation, natural history and ecology of mountain birds. Learn to identify as many species as possible both by sight and by songs/calls. Cost: $85... [more]

Animal Tracking

Tracking is a basic naturalist's skill that will greatly expand your experience, knowledge and understanding of nature. In this fun and intensive workshop, participants will learn a systematic method for identifying tracks and using tracks to better understand animal behavior and ecology. Indoor sessions will focus on mastering... [more]

Identifying Wildflowers

As part of the Core Curriculum, this seminar emphasizes skills development. Participants will learn to manage large volumes of complex information, to develop a disciplined observation protocol, to use classification in various productive ways, to find wildflowers on purpose rather than by serendipity, and to derive more... [more]

Wildlife Photography

Truly great wildlife images connect with a viewer and elicit a variety of emotional reactions - humor, joy, excitement, reverence, apprehension, a sense of wonder, and much more. Creating a wildlife photograph with the power to connect is the result of a unique combination of skills, including knowledge... [more]

Rocky Mountain Birds

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar
Focus your binocular on birds in the montane, subalpine and alpine life zones, and learn about the diverse habitats of the Rocky Mountain National Park region. This seminar will concentrate on field identification of birds, identification techniques, life histories, behavior, and... [more]

The Amazing Manipulators: A Wildflower Hike to Lake Isabelle

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar... [more]

Mountain Lion Research

This two-day seminar focuses on Rocky Mountain National Park's top predator, the mountain lion (Felis concolor). A team of instructors, who are actively engaged in research on mountain lions in the park, will lecture on mountain lion ecology, ongoing research, and human-mountain lion interaction. They will take... [more]

Longs Peak: Journey to Jim's Grove

Discover the history and natural wonders of Longs Peak during a hike with Dougald MacDonald. Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar... [more]

Western History and Heritage Weekend

Learn about the colorful history of the Estes Valley in an atmosphere of rustic elegance, great accommodations, delicious food, and a wonderful setting for equestrian touring in Rocky Mountain National Park. Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar... [more]

Plein-Air Paining Without Fear

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar... [more]

Seasons of Journaling -- Kids in RMNP

In this four-part program, discover RMNP in all its seasonal guises. Beginning in winter, the quiet season, we'll explore the Park during its winter sleep, as it awakens in spring, at the height of the summer bloom and activity, and again as fall colors the leaves and the Park prepares... [more]

Photographing Elk and Aspen

Autumn is a truly magical time to be in the high country. This seminar will focus on two seasonal events that will offer photographers an outstanding opportunity to capture memorable moments on film - fall colors and bugling elk. Lectures, fieldwork, and critiques will encompass this photographic experience... [more]

Drawing Class

First Fridays - Drawing from the Estes Park Museum Collection. August 7, September 4 and October 2 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at the Estes Park Museum. Join local artist Pat Greenberg to develop drawing skills as the Museum staff reveals some outstanding historic objects from its collection.... [more]

Identifying Trees and Shrubs

As part of the Core Curriculum, this seminar emphasizes skills development. Participants will learn how to manage large volumes of complex information, to purposely find specific trees or shrubs, and to develop a disciplined observation protocol. This development process leads to the ability to identify woody plants with confidence when... [more]

Write Here in the Rockies

Practice the art and craft of nature writing in an intimate setting near Rocky Mountain National Park. At this indepth workshop, you will refine your skills through drills, writing exercises, discussions of the craft of writing, examination of good writers, and group critique. This is an excellent opportunity... [more]

Winter Snowshoe Hike for Anglers

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar
This course is an outdoor, winter adventure that will explore favorite fishing locations in Rocky Mountain National Park. Participants will learn how winter ecology affects the hatch and will examine aquatic ecosystems. The course will also include discussion on preparing for outdoor recreation... [more]

Art Adventures

Identifying Ecosystems: A Symbiosis Approach

As part of the Core Curriculum, this seminar provides an opportunity for participants to apply the identification skills acquired in preceding Core Curriculum seminars. Specifically, participants will be challenged to view landscape areas and interpret species composition and natural processes that collectively sculpt the character of that... [more]

Capturing Winter: A Weekend of Photography/Snow Shoe

Do you like to snowshoe in the woods and enjoy the quiet beauty of frosty streams and frozen waterfalls? Escape for a weekend at the Wild Basin Lodge with stunning views of towering peaks and the beauty of the St. Vrain Creek. Come join us as we capture... [more]

Wilderness Exploration and Encounters (Wee!)

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar
These one- or two-day seminars designed for 8-12-year-olds and interested parents. Parent participation is not required but is encouraged, especially with younger children. Wii enthusiasts spend their time in front of a screen; "Wee" participants spend their time in beautiful Rocky... [more]

Identifying Mammals

As part of the Core Curriculum, this seminar emphasizes skills development, particularly as these skills apply to refining personal knowledge and ability. Participants will learn how to detect the presence of various seldom-seen mammals which are nearly invisible because of small size and cryptic behavior. Emphasis will... [more]

The Elk Rut: High Country Romance

Elk are among the most commonly observed mammals in Rocky Mountain National Park but few people understand the social and sexual interactions occurring during the rut. Although elk are the most vocal deer species in North America, a majority of their communication is through body language. The seminar... [more]

Fly Fishing? Stream Ecology

Customized fly-fishing seminars focusing on aquatic insect life cycles, matching the natural hatch with artificial fly selection, streamside stealth, casting techniques, and ethics for preserving Rocky's pristine stream ecology. Custom Seminars--scheduled upon demand

Bighorn Sheep: The Symbol of Rocky

Bighorn sheep are the living symbol of the wild backcountry of Rocky. Lately, concerns have been raised regarding the diminishing numbers of sheep in certain areas of the park due to disease. This seminar will take place in the backcountry and explore the natural history of bighorn sheep.... [more]

Explore!

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