Bluff Lake Nature Center
Wildlife Refuge - Outdoor Classroom
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Environmental Education
The Bluff Lake site was set aside for restoration and management as a wildlife refuge after Stapleton International Airport closed in 1995. The path toward restoration has been successful and management continues to be a big job. Our Site Manager and an active group of volunteers work, year round, to eradicate noxious plants and plant native cottonwoods, willows, wet land shrubs, and prairie grasses. These native plants will thrive and serve as food/shelter for the many species of wildlife that live at or visit the site.
Our other focus is on community education. The first goal is to provide science education programs to elementary schools in the area, focusing on low-income schools from the closest urban school districts - Denver, Aurora, and Adams County public schools. Our elementary science program teaches children both in the classroom and at the site, and helps them to establish a hands-on connection with nature as an enhancement to classroom learning. Our program is based on state standards, and helps teachers meet their learning goals for students.
Additionally, BLNC's education program reaches the community in broader ways. We host ten summer Fireside Chats, which focus on a variety of wildlife and conservation topics. And we run a ten week long summer day camp which reach an audience of children in a deeper level.
In 2020, Bluff Lake saw a 46.7% increase in daily visitors. This really tells the story of how Bluff Lake’s location in the midst of urban development, surrounded by neighborhoods, was an essential refuge for the community. The education team developed distance learning options for schools and families including daily nature activities posted on our social media, virtual field trips, and additional onsite grab and go materials. We also were able to adapt our summer camp to the situation and successfully hosted over 350 campers this summer, providing them with much needed socialization and time outside.
Self-Guided Tours and Scavenger Hunts
Downloadable resources are available for free from the BLNC website, including Common Animal Signs & Species, Bluff Lake Quest Map 2.0, Nature Sensory Scavenger Hunt (ECE +), Self Guided Tour, and "I Spy…" for Spiders, Animal Signs, Summer Insects, Summer Birds, Animal Homes, Spring Flora, and Spring Birds.
After School Program
Children get a much needed break after school out in the natural world! They learn and play as they explore the diverse habitats of Bluff Lake. Each session will be custom built for the children in attendance, making sure to cover topics they are most interested in such as animal tracking, shelter building, and more. Complete fun activities and crafts, learn from environmental experts, and expand your exploration skills!
The After School Program is FREE for students who attend Title I schools.
Bird Walks
Birding experts lead free walks around Bluff Lake. These Bird Walks take place year-round on the first Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. to 10 am. Bluff Lake loans binoculars to use during the walk for those who don't have a pair.
Weekend Welcome Booth & Family Adventure Days
These FREE drop-in style programs are held each Saturday, with free give-aways, scavenger hunts, field equipment rentals, games, and activities for both kids and adults. Later end-time, fire pit, and s’mores are available on select weeks (weather dependent).
Summer Camp
Our weekly outdoor nature camps offer a unique opportunity for kids and teens! We have something for everyone, with Weekly Camp Themes for ages 5-6 or ages 7-12, and a Junior Counselor Program for ages 13-17. All camps run for one week each from 9am-3pm Monday to Friday. These camps are for every kid or teen with some energy to play, grow, and build a strong future for themselves and the planet!
We inspire our campers to better understand and appreciate the outdoors through a blend of weekly environmental topics, nature exploration, animal encounters, hands-on lessons, games, crafts, and free creek play. Small group sizes organized by age and parent preferences give every camper the opportunity to be curious, active, and appreciated! Parents will also get to share in the experience by receiving camp photos and activity summaries from the counselors at the end of each week.
Extended pre-camp care (7:30-9am) and post-camp care (3-5pm) are also available through the first week of August. Half-days (9am-12pm) are available for Ages 5-6 only. See Hours & Location for full info.
Scholarship applications are available for families who cannot pay camp fees.
Outdoor Explorers Homeschool Program
The Outdoor Explorers Program (OEP) combines place-based natural science with experiential learning and community-building. Our staff ensures each child grows in their knowledge of ecology while gaining skills in teamwork and outdoor activities. The program is conducted year-round (weather permitting) at Bluff Lake Nature Center in partnership with the Alpine International Preparatory Academy. A variety of activities, experiments, challenges, service projects, explorations, and just plain fun help our participants build nature knowledge, self-awareness, and skills outdoors.
This tuition-free program is designed to supplement homeschool curriculum with social development, conceptual understandings of ecology, and practical applications of outdoor skills in our unique setting. We have age-appropriate options for grades K-5.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of students educated through field trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children
Related Program
Environmental Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Hours of volunteer service
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of participants engaged in programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Field trips, summer camps, family programs, family events, adult programs, etc.
Number of visitors to the site
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of free participants on field trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Environmental Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Goal: Continue supporting our mission through experiential environmental learning, working to update current programming, add more diverse offerings, and work with community partners to strengthen and broaden our reach.
Goal: Manage and protect BLNC and its diverse native habitats, improve facilities for BLNC programs by completing current capital projects, and ensure future landscape values of the lake through resolution of water issues.
Goal: Increase community awareness and engagement with Bluff Lake for new and returning visitors and volunteers.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
• Update NETs worksheets to better align with our education goals of having students spending more time engaging with the site and less time filling out a piece of paper.
• Purchase new supplies (nets, thermometers, water monitoring, etc.) and emphasize use of these tools as a skill in all field trips, summer camps, and programming.
• Translate all written documents into Spanish.
• Grow volunteer program so that we can have smaller group sizes during programming.
• Create a calendar that has dates and themes for all programs, to better show the community what we are doing. This can be used for funding purposes and for promotional purposes. This will include ongoing programs like Family Nature Adventure Days, Fireside Chats, Bird Walks, and special events like Bird Day on the Bluff, Summer Solstice, Wine and Cheese, and Boo on the Bluff.
• Add new program options like Girl Scout programming, Bird Day on the Bluff, bringing back Fireside Chats, etc.
• Continue to leverage and grow community partnerships to help us better meet our mission and extend our reach. Partnerships include Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver School of Science and Technology, GoWild Americorps Coalition, The Urban Farm, Sandcreek Regional Greenway Partnership, Bird Conservancy, Metro Denver Nature Alliance.
• Continue to identify the features of the Bluff Lake property that are distinctive and valuable and take actions that protect, sustain and improve those features.
• Continue planning and development for structures and features, such as the Welcome Center, Nature Playground, HDR Wetland Ecology Station, and the Riparian Garden.
• Improve language and signage onsite and online to better communicate our vision, mission, and beliefs.
• Engage community members to act as advocates on BLNC’s behalf.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Bluff Lake Nature Center has a strong education and site management teams, led by Education Manager Heidi Pfeiffer and Land Manager Erickson Smith.
Heidi Pfeiffer first joined the Bluff Lake team as a summer camp counselor, then took over as Education Manager in December of 2018. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Ph.D. in experimental psychology focused on education and health psychology. The beauty of Colorado’s natural spaces drew her to relocate from her hometown in Wisconsin, but she is still a part-time professor at UW-Milwaukee teaching online psychological statistics. Heidi leads two Environmental Educators from AmeriCorps, Carly Winner and Chira Noce.
Erickson Smith is the Land Manager for Bluff Lake Nature Center. Originally from New England, he grew up exploring Massachusetts tide pools, canoeing Maine’s lakes, and looking for wild animals wherever he could find them. His work in the natural resource field began at aquariums and natural history museums before graduating from College of the Atlantic with a degree in Human Ecology. He has 8 seasons of experience with the National Park Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife doing a variety of wildlife and vegetation-related work, from collaring moose and improving stream conditions for fish, to managing noxious weeds and protecting nesting birds of prey. Erickson can’t wait to utilize his knowledge to steward Bluff Lake’s diverse resources and share his excitement about all things living with the refuge’s many visitors
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Goal: Continue supporting our mission through experiential environmental learning, working to update current programming, add more diverse offerings, and work with community partners to strengthen and broaden our reach.
Progress: Worksheets and programs have been updated and edited, and we have received positive teacher feedback). All program materials have been translated into Spanish by volunteers, and new materials and marketing are consistently translated. Many new items have been purchased for field trips and put into use. New evaluation techniques for the use of equipment during field trips also are being used for better reporting. The events calendar is in an easy to access and update format, and has been met with positive feedback. Consistent and new events and programs have all been successful and much is due to the new volunteer training and support.
Goal: Manage and protect BLNC and its diverse native habitats, improve facilities for BLNC programs by completing current capital projects, and ensure future landscape values of the lake through resolution of water issues.
Progress: The Welcome Center, Nature Playground, and Wetland Ecology Station have been completed, and research is underway for other permanent structures needed to support Bluff Lake.
Goal: Increase community awareness and engagement with Bluff Lake for new and returning visitors and volunteers.
Progress: We have seen an increase in new donors that has surpassed our goals, much of which is due to an increase in visitors because of the pandemic and people seeking ways to experience nature closer to home. This, along with a record-breaking wait list for summer camps, supports a move to begin a capital campaign for building and improvements for the entire BLNC Campus.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Bluff Lake Nature Center
Board of directorsas of 07/03/2023
Lisa Pera
Deputy Eligibility Division Director, HCPF
Britta Blodgett
Sr. Communications Strategist, Colorado Workforce Development Council
Jon Fitzpatrick
Director, Land Management, Clean Energy Collective
Amy Hezel
ILS and Resource Librarian, Regis University
Steve Lundt
Certified Lake Manager, Metro Wastewater Reclamation District
Steve Norris
Former BLNC Executive Director
Harold Skramstad
Community Member
Doug Young
Western Land Group, Affiliate
Christopher Jensen
Attorney-At-Law
Christopher Jensen
Attorney-At-Law
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 07/03/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.