Education at the Chico Basin Ranch

Education is at the core of all Chico Basin Ranch activities. Our recreation programs are designed to provide participants with hands-on learning experiences.  Click learning@chicobasinranch.com to inquire about our programs and to make reservations.

 

Field and Feathers

 

FREE Bird Banding Field Trips
for teachers, students, parents and general public

Sponsored by
Chico Basin Ranch
Managed by Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

On-staff educators provide free programs for children of all ages
 

For more information, contact Chico Basin Ranch office at
(719) 683-7960 

TEACHERS

The daily ranching activities, pristine grasslands ecosystem, and western heritage at Chico Basin Ranch offer a unique opportunity to incorporate a challenging standards-based field experience into students' education. The multitude of ecosystems, historic ranch buildings, and a talented and dedicated staff offers a diverse resource for education programs. 

We provide numerous activities for K-12 classes that can enhance current curriculum, and experiences be can tailored to fit specific needs.   Activities are multi-disciplinary and can be designed to meet several State Standards. For example, our “Water in a Dry Land” activity meets select standards in science, math, language arts and geography, and can be adapted to various age groups.

Examples of topics that can be chosen include aquatic invertebrates and fish, bird identification and migration, grasslands ecology, plants, ethno botany, cowboy life, livestock grazing, cattle management, ranch animal anatomy and physiology, nature journaling, natural art, poetry ecosystem monitoring, prairie dog studies, raptor studies, and pioneer games. We also can tailor-make activities and schedules to fit your class needs, with time ranging from a couple of hours to multi-day experiences. 

Overnight stays fees are $5 per person. All staff members are trained educators with a wealth of experiences.

We are proud to be the site of only a handful of licensed bird banding stations in the state, sponsored by Chico Basin Ranch, and managed by the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. The banding station is active during the spring and fall migration from mid-April until near the end of May, and mid-September through the end of October. Its education programs complement the banding activities, and are staffed by two educators who can accommodate most group sizes. Students have the rare opportunity to see birds gathered from the capture nets and banded by the bander. They also get a running commentary on bird anatomy and physiology, banding records, use of data, where the birds came from, and where they are going. 

Reservations for a class visit should be made well in advance by calling the ranch office at (719) 683-7960.

 
For Children, Groups, & Families:

TENS:

Chico Basin Ranch is pleased to be an official field site for the Teaching Environmental Science-Naturally! (TEN) program created by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Teachers who have been trained in the TEN curricula have the opportunity to bring their students to the Ranch for studies that range from aquatic invertebrates to grassland habitats. If you are a teacher in southeastern Colorado and would like to participate in TEN, please contact Steve Lucero at the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

ON THE WING:

Chico Basin Ranch has hosted Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory's On The Wing program, a residential summer camp for youth, ages 11-18, who have an interest in ornithology. Participants in On The Wing design and conduct field research projects, go birdwatching in habitats ranging from alpine to grassland, and, of course, enjoy the usual camp activities. For more information, contact the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.

SCOUTING:

Boy and Girl Scout troops, campfire, and other youth organizations are invited to enjoy CBR as a great place to camp or come for a day trip. The Lone Star School House, founded in 1898, has been renovated for youths to use for day trips or overnight camping.  Contact Chico Basin Ranch for more details.

(Left) Catching and identifying aquatic insects at the Vega Pond.  -- Sherrie York photo.

NATURALISTS AFIELD:

Art meets science in these programs for kids and adults. Guests of Chico Basin Ranch have the opportunity to join our resident artist/naturalist to explore and learn about prairie and riparian ecosystems. Collect, examine, and draw aquatic insects at one of our ponds, search for coyote sign, or learn to identify prairie birds. Start a field journal during your stay to record your experiences and share them with your friends back home. Contact Chico Basin Ranch for more details.

RANCH CAMP:

Learn about life on a working cattle ranch! School and other youth groups are invited to visit Chico Basin Ranch for a few days or a week. Ride with the cowboys, learn about range monitoring, wildlife habitat, fence building, and more! Contact the ranch to discuss your group's particular needs and interests.

Students from Fountain Valley School discuss their perceptions of modern ranch life and the things they learned during their stay on Chico Basin Ranch with ranch staff. -- Sherrie York photos
 

A young cowboy-in-training learns to brand under the watchful eye of ranch staff. -- Sherrie York photos

(Below) Visitors from the Colorado Historical Society's summer camp learn what it's like to be a cowboy...AND a cow! -- Sherrie York photos

For Adults:

Holistic Resource Management:

Chico Basin Ranch offers workshops in Holistic Management for land managers, ranchers, agency personnel, and others interested in the Holistic Model.

Range and Biota Monitoring:

CBR has established an ongoing monitoring program, which is used to better understand the health of ecosystem processes. Interested individuals can participate in our annual Prairie EcoFestival, a biological inventory day scheduled in May of each year.
 

Horsemanship

These classes teach people the rudiments of handling a horse on a ranch.  Horsemanship skills are honed through handling cattle, and participants are limited to 15 people or less.  These clinics take place out in the pasture and are taught by ranch personnel.
 

Grazing Planning

Grazing planning workshops are held on the ranch which teaches people the planning process for intensive grazing methods that require tight managment.  These workshops are limited to 15 students or less and are often taught by professional instructors.

Ranch Roping

Ranch roping clinics and competitions are held on the ranch during the summer months. Ropers of all levels are welcome.  These techniques are used to handle cattle with minimal stress, as well as saving ranch personnel from bringing cattle all the way into headquarters for treatment.

Teaching Environmental Science Naturally (TEN)


 

Teachers trained in the TEN program have the opportunity to use Chico Basin Ranch as a field study site for their classes. Contact the Colorado Division of Wildlife for more information.

Cutting cattle in the North Pasture.
-- Nathan Solano photo.

TENs program teacher training.
-- Sherrie York photos