All Smiles at Sierra Grande's Family Nature Night

Under the majesty of Blanca Peak, families trickled into Sierra Grande for their third annual Family Nature Night. Fun awaited around every corner to greet families with open arms. The savory aroma of pizza drifted through the halls. And of course- partners, teachers, and numerous Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) staff and volunteers hosted an array of activities throughout the school.

Up front, Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff greeted families at the Welcome Table. At the nearby Trivia Wheel, both kids and adults spun the wheel and answered a question or two about Colorado’s wildlife to win a prize. True or False? A pronghorn’s eye is the same size as an elephant’s….

... It's true!

Down the hall, families stopped by the Generation Wild table to mark off things they have done on the 100 Things to do Before You’re Twelve list. Of course, they checked off many of these things at Family Nature Night! Kids identified animals by their tracks and saw who could jump the furthest (No. 70) by comparing their own jumps to animals’ jumps. Did you know that a Northern Leopard From can jump six feet?

Staff from the Fort Garland Museum, a History Colorado affiliate, prompted families to step into the past with their array of artifacts and wealth of knowledge.

With help from Sierra Grande’s art teacher, families explored their creative side. They created beautiful drawings and paintings of a variety of wildlife biofacts. A skunk pelt, snake skin, mountain lion skull, turtle shell, and deer antlers displayed their stunning patterns for all to see.

From within the gym, kids squealed with delight while catching fish at Backyard Bass.

Excited shouts echoed through the air as students played an animal adaptation tag game with the National Parks Service. Families peered through binoculars to identify birds and the brave ones attempted the Great Migration Challenge. Weaving around the gym, kids faced obstacles such as power lines, windows, weather, and predators.

Archery was a big hit too! Kids pulled back their loaded bows and watched their arrows fly to the target. Some hopped back in line again and again to see if they could improve their accuracy and hit the middle of the target for a bullseye. With a little help from CPW staff, there were plenty of bullseyes to be had.

At 6 o’clock, families gathered in the cafeteria for their chance to win a raffle prize. Winners picked from a number of goodies such as fishing poles, a sleeping bag, binoculars, a tent, mystery bags, or camping chair. One very lucky family received the grand prize, an annual states park pass that will allow them to enter any of Colorado’s 41 state parks free of charge for one year!

After the excitement of the raffle drawing, many families stayed until the very end playing and exploring all that each area had to offer. The SOLE program thanks the families, partners, Sierra Grande staff, and CPW staff and volunteers who joined in to make this exciting night one to remember. THANK YOU!