PEEC takes kids out in nature to play, hike and get creative. Courtesy photoPEEC News:
The Pajarito Environmental Education Center’s (PEEC) popular summer program for 5 to 8 year olds is returning this season. Forest Explorers, a hike-and-play club, will take children on hikes 1-3 p.m. every other Wednesday, Jan. 17 through April 4 and give kids ample time for child-directed play in nature.
Forest Explorers is a drop-off program that will meet at 1 p.m. at the Los Alamos Nature Center on the following Wednesdays: Jan. 17, Jan. 31, Feb. 14, Feb. 28, March 14 and April 4 for a total of six outings this winter. The hikes will take kids into the nearby canyon where kids will be able to build forts, make seasonal observations, and learn to identify different plants and animals.
The Forest Explorers class is taught by educator Denise Matthews and will allow children to have fun outside while working cooperatively, building gross motor skills, and learning more about the local ecology.
Matthews leads the Nature Playtimes program for PEEC and also serves as an instructor for our year-round Pebble Pups club, school field trips, and classroom visits. She has taught science in the classroom and as an environmental educator for the past 12 years. She is passionate about providing kids the opportunity to connect with the local environment through child-directed outdoor exploration and inquiry.
Admission to this program is $110 for PEEC members and $135 for non-members. Advance registration is required at www.peecnature.org/events and space is limited to 15 children.
PEEC was founded in 2000 to serve the community of Los Alamos. It offers people of all ages a way to enrich their lives by strengthening their connections to our canyons, mesas, mountains, and skies. PEEC operates the Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road, holds regular programs and events, and hosts a number of interest groups from birding to hiking to butterfly watching. PEEC activities are open to everyone; however, members receive exclusive benefits such as discounts on programs and merchandise. Annual memberships start at $35. To learn more, visit www.peecnature.org.
