Conversations with Jill Dreves

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Dreves

Hi Jill, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a child, I grew up in the mountains of northern Colorado, where I attended a small mountain school of 32 children K-8. This school was located deep in the mountains surrounded by wildland where the elk migrated through. I spent my days riding my horse in the backyard forest, and there lived an Entomologist in her small trailer house tucked deep in the woods. She took my sister and I in to study the insects and plants of our forest. I was inspired by her gentle spirit as well as her microscopes and insect collections lining the walls of her small trailer. As an adult, I became a public-school teacher in Vail Colorado and also worked at the Vail Nature Center during the summers. I realized quickly that I was stifled to offer what I thought was. true education: exploration and discovery and problem-solving in your own backyard. When I transferred to teach in Nederland, Colorado I made the huge decision to jump off a cliff, and in 1995 I founded a nonprofit environmental education organization, Wild Bear Science School. Since then, Wild Bear has been a key partner in the preservation of Mud Lake Open Space (which now is almost 3,000 acres including Caribou Ranch Open Space). In 2000, Wild Bear initiated hundreds of volunteers to remove over 30 tons of trash from the 260 original acres and raised funds to purchase its own 5 acres to create a permanent nature center on that land. In 2010, Wild Bear Nature Center opened up the interim nature center in downtown Nederland (next to the Carousel), where visitors explore hands-on nature exhibits as well as sign up for workshops and opportunities to explore the local mountain ecosystems. Wild Bear sees tens of thousands of annual visitors to the free nature center downtown as well as thousands of participants in its many all-ages programs. In 2019-2020, Wild Bear organized community volunteers and donors to initiate the development of the schematic design of the permanent net-zero nature center on its 5 acres at the gateway of thousands of acres of Mud Lake and Caribou Ranch Open Spaces. This vision is well on its way to come to fruition, with an interpretive trail, outdoor amphitheater, nature playscape on the exterior, and exhibits, public programming space, classrooms, makers’ space, and an observation deck. We anticipate this vision to be opened in October 2022.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Wild Bear Nature Center has always seen the obstacles as opportunities. As a small nonprofit organization, Wild Bear was migratory for its first 15 years: first located in a house downtown, then in the old elementary school (which is now the community center), then to Nederland Elementary School, and now in downtown Nederland. That has not been easy and the space downtown has been an anchor to the organization for the last almost 11 years which allowed us to diversify our funding streams to include gift shop revenue as well as achieve our vision more completely to include general visitation from locals and tourists alike. Financially, it has been a struggle through the years with Wild Bear generally operating on a shoestring: BUT, we are a very important component of the local community and donors have always come through to support us. The downtown Nederland space has served us well, but now we are bursting at the seams and ready to be located on our 5 acres surrounded by nature. This will sincerely help us to achieve our mission in whole for the general community.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a lifelong educator, I am dedicated to building community around the healing and learning opportunities of nature. I am a creative entrepreneur, and things never get boring at Wild Bear! We are constantly creating, growing, and developing our vision and have attracted really strong leaders including staff, board and volunteers to move this organization forward. I am proud of my commitment of 26 years to this mission and am grateful for all who have owned it and built it to what it is today.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I have had many staff members along the way who have inspired my own creative development of educational opportunities for all ages. I have been inspired and grateful to our board members, volunteers, and donors who give so much, both time and resources, to achieve success. I have been grateful to all who come in to explore and to the 26 years of participants who have engaged in our mission and who return (such as founding participants) to say that they were deeply impacted by our work. I appreciate our town who have embraced our mission and support our vision which will have an amazing positive impact on the town’s image and economic development.

Pricing:

• $0 free nature center
• $70/day all day nature camp for children
• $20 parent child workshops
• $20 snowshoe hikes/rentals
• unique and modestly priced gift shop

Contact Info:

• Email: jill@wildbear.org
• Website: http://www.wildbear.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildbearnaturecenter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildbearnature
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGZwejV6pqWyQfzpusVYZew

Image Credits:
Wild Bear Nature Center