Interpretive Programs

Events

Views Navigation

Event Views Navigation

Today
  • Nature in Four Seasons: Summer Blooms, Ouray

    Ouray & Montrose County

    Are you interested in connecting with the landscapes of Ouray? Do you desire more knowledge of the regional plants and animals that inhabit the San Juans? Or do you simply wish for a fun and engaging exploration that you can share with your family? Join SJMA in Ouray for our third exploration hike of the

  • Mushroom and Plant Hike

    Durango Area

    Join SJMA and local herbalist/biologist Marija Helt for a mushroom and plant walk in La Plata Canyon. When: Wednesday August 5th, 2026 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Where: La Plata Canyon Road (CR 124) near Miners Cabin Campground (Google Maps); Please park at the intersection of CR 124 and the entrance to Miner’s Cabin

  • San Juan Nature Walk, Andrews Lake

    Durango Area

    Want to know more about nature? Flora, fauna, geology, clouds, water, you name it: our trusty crew of volunteer naturalists can enlighten you while on a pleasant stroll in the San Juan Mountains. Every Friday from June through August, SJMA is offering this fun, fact-filled, moderate nature hike. We’ll be moving at a “walking” pace

  • Tree Walks & Talks: Urban Forest and Climate Change

    Durango Area

    Ever notice trees while you're out and about and wish you knew more about them? Join Elli Morris, a tree lover with a Master of Forestry and extensive training in post-disturbance forest restoration, for SJMA’s new Tree Walks & Talks interpretive series. These wanderings will focus on site-specific trees and our relationship with them. From

  • San Juan Nature Walk, Andrews Lake

    Durango Area

    Want to know more about nature? Flora, fauna, geology, clouds, water, you name it: our trusty crew of volunteer naturalists can enlighten you while on a pleasant stroll in the San Juan Mountains. Every Friday from June through August, SJMA is offering this fun, fact-filled, moderate nature hike. We’ll be moving at a “walking” pace

  • Night Sky at the Nature Center

    Durango Area

    Join SJMA for an evening of night sky wonder! Luann Andrew, an avid and passionate amateur astronomer, is hosting a series of night sky events at the Nature Center this year. She has been a Park Ranger at Mesa Verde National Park for the last 14 years where she has enjoyed working as a night

  • Geology: Continental Divide Trail Hike, Wolf Creek Pass

    Pagosa Area

    SJMA in conjunction with the US Forest Service, Pagosa and Bayfield Ranger Districts, is hosting educational geology hikes, free for the public, from May through October. These interpretive hikes, led and presented by geologists Dave Bouquet and Scott McAllister, will be in an area of the San Juan National Forest rich with evidence of earth’s

  • San Juan Nature Walk, Andrews Lake

    Durango Area

    Want to know more about nature? Flora, fauna, geology, clouds, water, you name it: our trusty crew of volunteer naturalists can enlighten you while on a pleasant stroll in the San Juan Mountains. Every Friday from June through August, SJMA is offering this fun, fact-filled, moderate nature hike. We’ll be moving at a “walking” pace

  • San Juan Nature Walk, Andrews Lake

    Durango Area

    Want to know more about nature? Flora, fauna, geology, clouds, water, you name it: our trusty crew of volunteer naturalists can enlighten you while on a pleasant stroll in the San Juan Mountains. Every Friday from June through August, SJMA is offering this fun, fact-filled, moderate nature hike. We’ll be moving at a “walking” pace

  • Late Summer Birding at the Nature Center

    Durango Area

    Join Mike Foster at SJMA's Nature Center for a late summer bird outing. Expect to find the birds that spend the summer at the center and those who are beginning their southern migration at this point in the year. Walking distance is less than a mile. Leisurely pace. WHEN August 29th, 2026 from 8:00am -

  • “Written in Bark” – Aspens and Arborglyphs Hike – CANCELED

    Pagosa Area

    CANCELED - the known historically carved trees are no longer standing in the location originally set for the hike Names, dates, and drawings etched into the soft, white bark of Aspen trees stand silent witness to travelers from ages past. Carved by lonely sheepherders, cowboys, and sometimes other anonymous wayfarers, these amateur signposts are more

  • Night Sky at the Nature Center

    Durango Area

    Join SJMA for an evening of night sky wonder! Luann Andrew, an avid and passionate amateur astronomer, is hosting a series of night sky events at the Nature Center this year. She has been a Park Ranger at Mesa Verde National Park for the last 14 years where she has enjoyed working as a night

  • Tree Walks & Talks: Sky Island, Trees From Another Time

    Durango Area

    Ever notice trees while you're out and about and wish you knew more about them? Join Elli Morris, a tree lover with a Master of Forestry and extensive training in post-disturbance forest restoration, for SJMA’s new Tree Walks & Talks interpretive series. These wanderings will focus on site-specific trees and our relationship with them. From

  • CANCELED Geology: Marine Fossils at 8000 ft?

    Pagosa Area

    Due to weather forecast, this event has been canceled. SJMA in conjunction with the US Forest Service, Pagosa and Bayfield Ranger Districts, is hosting educational geology hikes, free for the public, from May through October. These interpretive hikes, led and presented by geologists Dave Bouquet and Scott McAllister, will be in an area of the

  • “Written in Bark” – Aspens and Arborglyphs Hike

    Pagosa Area

    Names, dates, and drawings etched into the soft, white bark of Aspen trees stand silent witness to travelers from ages past. Carved by lonely sheepherders, cowboys, and sometimes other anonymous wayfarers, these amateur signposts are more than just antique graffiti, with many of them bound in the history and traditions of a bygone era. Local

  • Fall Birding at the Nature Center

    Durango Area

    This National Public Lands Day, join Mike Foster at SJMA's Nature Center for a fall bird outing. Expect to find the birds that spend the summer at the center and those who are beginning their southern migration at this point in the year. Walking distance is less than a mile. Leisurely pace. WHEN September 26th,

  • Hartman Rocks Guided Hike, Gunnison

    Gunnison Area

    Want to know more about nature right in Gunnison's backyard? Flora, fauna, geology, water, you name it: our trusty Visitor Information Specialist Melanie can enlighten you while on an interpretive hike in the Hartman Rocks Recreation Area. The fun, fact-filled nature hike is considered moderate. We’ll be moving at a “walking” pace for around 3

  • Creepy Crawly Fall Festival, Nature Center

    Durango Area

    Celebrate the season at the Nature Center’s Creepy Crawly Fall Festival! Held annually on the first Saturday in October, this festival brings the community together with outdoor fun, family activities, and a spotlight on the amazing tarantula migration that happens each autumn in our region. Enjoy guided nature walks, kid-friendly crafts, archery, educational exhibits, live

  • Geology: Aspens & South San Juans, V Rock (rescheduled from Oct 1st)

    Pagosa Area

    SJMA in conjunction with the US Forest Service, Pagosa and Bayfield Ranger Districts, is hosting educational geology hikes, free for the public, from May through October. These interpretive hikes, led and presented by geologists Dave Bouquet and Scott McAllister, will be in an area of the San Juan National Forest rich with evidence of earth’s

  • Nature in Four Seasons: Growing Dormant, Ouray

    Ouray & Montrose County

    Are you interested in connecting with the landscapes of Ouray? Do you desire more knowledge of the regional plants and animals that inhabit the San Juans? Or do you simply wish for a fun and engaging exploration that you can share with your family? Join SJMA in Ouray for the fourth exploration hike of the