Registration is now open for PEEC’s Forest Explorers club. This program meets 1-4 p.m. every other Wednesday Jan. 22-April 29 and is for children ages 5 to 8. Photo by Denise Matthews
PEEC News:
Registration is now open for the Pajarito Environmental Education Center’s afterschool club Forest Explorers.
This program provides the opportunity for children, ages 5 to 8, to go on hikes from the nature center for child-directed play in the canyons, creeks and surrounding forest.
This program meets 1-4 p.m. every other Wednesday, Jan. 22 to April 29. Registration is required and space is limited to 15 explorers.
Forest Explorers participants will build forts, make seasonal observations and learn to identify different plants and animals. The program, taught by educator Denise Matthews, allows children to have fun outside while working cooperatively, building gross motor skills and learning more about local ecology.
Parents will drop off and pick up their children at the Los Alamos Nature Center. Children should come prepared to be outside for the entire time, wear closed-toe shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, including rain or snow. This is an all-outdoor program and children should wear or bring enough clothing to stay warm and dry in all weather conditions. Register and find more information here. Admission for this eight-session program is $260 for non-members and $235 for PEEC members.
Matthews also leads the Nature Playtime program for PEEC and serves as an instructor for their year-round school field trips and classroom visits. She has taught science in the classroom as an environmental educator for the past 12 years. Matthews is passionate about providing kids with the opportunity to connect with the local environmental through child-directed outdoor exploration and inquiry.
For more information about this and other PEEC programs, visit www.peecnature.org, email programs@peecnature.org or call 505.662.0460.
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.
