Connecting People to Nature

The ERC offers a variety of programs for students, adults, families, visitors, and businesses that create connections to nature. These educational presentations, community science programs, and community action projects instill an appreciation for our environment in each participant and provide a venue for conversations on important environmental issues.

Birding Workshops

Each summer and winter, we offer a series of birding walks with local birding expert Poo Wright-Pulliam. In summer, we host a series of 4 – 6 walks which include an introduction to our local summer birds and the basics of birding prior to going into the field to check out and listen to some of our favorite local birds. In winter, participants snowshoe at the Nature Conservancy’s Silver Creek Preserve and other prominent birding locations in the Wood River Valley to investigate local winter birds.

Winter Tracking Workshops

Each winter, we offer a series of tracking workshops centering on the winter world led by longtime  Wood River Valley resident and tracker extraordinaire, Ann Christensen. Ann begins each workshop with a short tracking introduction at the ERC office, introducing participants to our local winter animals, their life histories, and winter adaptations while laying out some basic information about tracks. Participants then head outside on a snowshoe tracking adventure through the fields and woods north of town. Ann, who studied with famous tracker and author James Halfpenny, has been introducing valley residents to the secret stories left in the snow for decades.

Gallery Walks

2-3 times per year, in conjunction with the SVGA Gallery Walks, the ERC hosts art exhibitions highlighting our local environment and what makes our valley a special place to live.