NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

Interior

$5,000,000—Wild Bear Endowment Fund
Name the future for Wild Bear and secure its growth as it will continue to thrive and serve the community for generations to come.

$1,000,000 We Are Nature Hall
Underscores our place in nature: We are earth, we are fire, we are water, we are animals. Learn how to be good stewards: playful hands-on exhibits and climate change research (CU Mountain Research Station connection, tundra cam).

$100,000—Nature’s Breezeway
When you enter the building through the South Facing Patio, walk past the We Are Nature Hall and head out the back door to the Northern Patio. This special area is bound to feel fresh and breezy in the summer and warm and cozy in the winter with the passive solar warmth!

$250,000—Windows to the Wilderness—- Imagine the high-performance glass facing south to the entryway generating passive solar energy to warm the spaces inside. These special windows are a piece of art, capturing the sun’s rays year-round.

$250,000—Community Gathering Hall— a place to bring people together to learn, laugh, and listen to the wisdom shared through guest speakers, movies, panel discussions, music, and more. The space will host docent-driven education through hands-on touch carts when programs are not conducted. —COMMITTED

$100,000—Community Stage—on the north wall, this will be a particular stage for guest speakers, performances, panel discussions, movies, and mission-aligned community events

4 @ $25,000 each—We Are Animals! Restrooms are significant places for visitors who are traveling. —TWO COMMITTED—

$25,000 - Information Gathering Place— Stop by the front desk to ask about what is blooming and the best trails, register for a program, or grab a booklet to take out on the self-guided trail. —COMMITTED

3 @ $25,000 each—Docent Touch-Carts— volunteers will share hands-on learning from a cart displaying seasonal learning opportunities.

$150,000—Wildlife Observation Window
This window along the north wall in the Community Gathering Hall will offer window seating where visitors can relax, enjoy bird watching, look for signs of wildlife, and participate in children's activities.

$500,000—Observation Deck in the Colorado Mountain Sky
Visitors can enjoy the observation deck to view the blue Colorado sky or the twinkling stars of the night sky. Search the montane forest and spot the hawks or identify the mountain peaks where Boulder’s water comes from. This space doubles as an outdoor classroom.

$250,000—Ride to the Colorado Mountain Sky: Visitors will head up the elevator as if riding to the top of the world. This all-access feature provides a way to get up to the Mountain Sky Observation Deck to feel and breathe the beauty of this mountain. This unique piece of integrated architectural art will be a journey unto itself.

$250,000— Stairway to the Colorado Mountain Sky
Visitors will head up the curving stairs as if climbing to the top of the world. This unique piece of integrated architectural art will be a journey unto itself.

$500,000—Nature Education Center
Occupies the entire ground-level walkout floor dedicated to formal programs.

$50,000—Makers’ Space— where creativity abounds! Inspired by nature, people can create through art and music—COMMITTED—

2 @ $25,000 each—Nature’s Classrooms—where we can make one big classroom or a series of smaller ones, depending on the group size. —COMMITTED—

2 @ $25,000 each—We Are Animals! Restrooms serving the downstairs classroom

Exterior 

$1,000,000—Nature Playscape—Stretching the entire eastern boundary of Wild Bear’s property, children can enjoy a wild space to play, run, climb, pretend, dig, create, dream, and freely explore in wild nature. The landscaping allows for different play zones and includes two outdoor classroom spaces on round decks ideal for project-based learning.

$500,000—Hike in the Woods—The half-mile trail loops around the building and moves through and around the distinctive rock outcropping at the top within view of the continental divide. An ADA-accessible trail will also be available near the building. 

$250,000—Piazza in the Sun—At the entrance to the nature center, families can relax and enjoy the sun and fresh mountain air with the birds and the butterflies in the special Bird Garden.  This is sure to be a popular gathering spot!

$250,000—Rising with the Sun—The Arapaho Council advised this architectural feature: to place the doors to the classroom facing east as they did with their tipis when they traveled through this area in the early 1800s. This special patio is also the entry to the nature playscape where parents can relax and watch their children find joy in playing in the wild. —COMMITTED—

$100,000—Relax and Play—The entrance to the nature classrooms and maker’s space has doors facing east, inspired by Wild Bear’s Arapaho Indigenous Advisory Council. All tipis are erected with the door facing east, the direction of the rising sun, so that when people wake in the morning, they step out to greet the dawn. This will be a place where parents can relax while children play on the Nature Playscape. 

$100,000 Amphitheater/Outdoor Classroom— Imagine a gorgeous outdoor space just outside of the nature center and embedded in the woods for public programs such as evening nature talks, musical performances, guest speakers, theater, and family celebrations.  —ONE IS COMMITTED—

$100,000—Solar Powered Stage—This stage facilitates presentations and performances with power. 

$75,000— Hummingbird-Butterfly-Bee Garden—Native and xeriscaped, these gardens attract pollinators and educate visitors about how to help them at home within view of the Wildlife Viewing Window.

● 5 @ $50,000 each—Explore the Woods—Along the trail, enjoy bird viewing, the lichens, or smell a ponderosa. Hands-on and interactive correlating with the specially crafted bilingual guidebook. 

$250,000—Board the Bus—This 1940s Canadian Transit Bus is one of the remnants of trash removed during the 30-ton Mud Lake trash cleanup in 2000. This bus will be reimagined and renovated into an exhibit encouraging visitors to “get on the bus” for the earth and make a statement about our commitment to preservation and stewardship. 

$50,000—Rest in the Bird Forest—Head out the exit toward the Amphitheatre and the shaded Northern Patio, enjoy the Bird Attracting Garden, and learn about the birds who migrate or stay year-round. 

$50,000 —Bird Garden— Enjoy the Bird and Butterfly Garden at the Piazza in the Sun, the south-facing patio of the nature center with a native landscape to attract birds throughout the year —COMMITTED—

● 5 @ $10,000 —Benches—Artistically crafted benches to honor a loved one or an idea ——TWO ARE COMMITTED—

● 5 @ $10,000 each—Picnic Tables—These special picnic tables will allow for interactive learning while eating lunch!