Northern San Juan Region Programs
Expanding SJMA’s Educational and Stewardship Programs Into The Northern San Juan Mountain Region
SJMA is excited to offer new North Region programs to school groups, families, and adults within the communities of Montrose, Ridgway, and Ouray. Our programs in the North Region are a unique addition to the outdoor education programs available in the area.
Each program is keenly focused on the student experience. As humans we all have varied relationships with the Earth, and our program build on this to utilize students innate abilities to engage with the world around them. Through experience and sensory connection we teach the whole human, heart and mind, to be in relationship with their surroundings. Then, from this foundation our skilled and knowledgeable naturalist guides introduce science and natural history concepts.
SJMA’s North Region includes a variety of beautiful program venues, from the prominent skyline of the Cimmaron range, to the tranquil valley of the Uncompahgre River. Our programs offer more than just education, but also familiarization with a new and different area of the beloved San Juan Mountains.
Many of our youth education programs take place at a 175-acre open space preserve named Top of the Pines. Top of the Pines is owned by Ouray County and located at the foot of the Sneffels Range and is in close proximity to Ouray, Ridgway and Telluride.
“SJMA programs provide an incredible bridge between play and education. The expert-level instruction is both thoughtful and high-quality, allowing kids to ask complex questions and receive meaningful answers. Learning from someone with deep knowledge of the San Juan ecosystem helps build confidence and inspires a much deeper respect for the environment than they would get from a standard outing.” – Micah Stenson
Public Programs
SJMA is now offering a range of public programs in the North Region, from interpretive hikes to Wilderness 101 programs for all ages, and from summer youth programs to adult awareness trainings.
Interpretive Events
SJMA’s interpretive events, led by expert naturalists, are family-friendly and free to the public. You’ll leave with a fresh appreciation for and increased knowledge about our natural world.
Nature in 4 seasons (2026): These outings will broaden your awareness of the species that call the San Juans home. We will be engaged in moderate hiking, species identification, and habitat exploration. Each hike will be focused on a different set of “residents” who stand out during the varied seasons of the year.
Who: Adults and families
When: May 2, August 1, and October 10
Where: Ouray Visitor Center
Youth Public Programs
Kids Tracker Club: More than a hike—Tracker Club is a way of seeing the world. Offered in collaboration with Montrose Recreation District, young naturalists venture beyond the trail to uncover the hidden lives of animals. Tracks, feeding signs, scat, and subtle landscape clues become pieces of a living puzzle waiting to be solved. Each week, participants explore new habitats—riparian corridors, oak woodlands, and forest communities—building skills in observation, awareness, and ecological understanding. This immersive experience inspires curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper connection to the wild places around us.
Who: Ages 10-14
When: June 10,17,24 8:00-4:00 pm
Adult Public Programs
Adult Naturalist Awareness: Offered in collaboration with Montrose Recreation District, this two-day, one-night adventure takes students into the heart of nature to develop a new understanding of the world around us. Naturalist Awareness is a holistic pathway to knowledge and understanding of the natural world. Which through experience and sensory connection (relationship) teaches the human, the heart, and the mind to be with nature, not just to know about nature. Participants will develop skills including animal sign identification, understanding bird sounds, naturalist journal skills, and regional ecology.
Who: 18+ years of age
When: July 25-26
Where: Top of the Pines
Family-Friendly Public Programs
Wilderness 101:Curious about minimalist camping or learning to thrive outdoors with limited gear? This program, in collaboration with Montrose Recreation District, is designed for adults and families ready to deepen their wilderness knowledge and self-reliance. Participants learn how to travel comfortably with just a small pack, tarp, and the Ten Essentials. Instruction includes shelter construction, knots and rigging, water treatment, backcountry safety, and wilderness stewardship. The course includes two Wednesday evening preparatory sessions, culminating in a two-day, one-night practical campout where skills are put into action.
Who: Adults and Families
When: Pre-trip sessions on July 29 and August 5 from 5-8 pm; Two day trip on August 8-9
Where: Pre-trip session in Montrose; Campout location is TBD
Ready to Learn More?
Contact SJMA’s North Region Program Coordinator, John Malloy at jmalloy@sjma.org.
School Programs
Our school programs blend together a variety of skills and subject to guide students to explore their relationship with the living world. We provide these programs for a wide range of audiences and like all of us, each one is unique.
Our talented instructors will craft a program that can support the unique learning goals and objectives of your student, class, or group. All school programs are aligned with state and national science standards, including Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Colorado Academic Standards.
Our pallet of subjects include:
- Sensory awareness
- Navigation skills
- Understanding animal sign, scat, tracks and sounds
- Natural history (ecology and natural science of the region)
- Using intuition
- Connection, Respect, and empathy for the land and other species
- Ancient traditions; honoring the knowledge of our ancestors and the earth
Our Approach
Our approach to field education is unique in that we invite groups to enroll with us for months and/or years of experience. At first students are taught skills to feel comfortable and confident in the outdoors, to know the space and begin to see the fine details of species in the area. Then we bring in the science lessons and the why’s and how’s of the living world.
As students are already comfortable and familiar in this natural setting, they are more open to learning and retaining these lessons, because they already have a relationship with the components we are teaching about.
Our Goals
- Joyful learning experiences
- Understanding of natural areas and nature dynamics through direct experience and observation
- Connection and cooperation with others and our surroundings
- Compassion and Empathy for each other, and the world around us
- Freedom and creativity; the freedom to explore and create our own pathway and interpretation.
CORE SUBJECTS
- Outdoor Skills
- Navigation and preparedness
- Shelter, knots, cooking, and water
- Wildlife awareness and Leave No Trace
- Earth Science
- Weather and water cycle
- Geology and landforms
- Plants, animals, and tracking
- Social & Emotional
- Outdoor enjoyment and unplugged time
- Teamwork and resilience
- Gratitude and giving back
Program Details
Ages: Grades K – 12
Location: Top of the Pines– an outstanding environmental education base camp, located at the foot of the Sneffels Range
Staff: Led by licensed educators, John Malloy and Morgan xx, with years of outdoor and environmental education experience
Ready to Learn More?
Contact SJMA’s North Region Program Coordinator, John Malloy at jmalloy@sjma.org.
San Juan Nature Academy for Homeschoolers
For the upcoming 2026-2027 school year, SJMA is expanding our San Juan Academy of Homeschoolers to families of 4th through 12th graders in the North Region (Montrose, Ridgway, Ouray). This program offers a unique blend of outdoor science education, wilderness skills, and play-based learning—all rooted in the stunning landscapes of Southwest Colorado. The program will be centered around the Ouray, Ridgway, and Montrose area, including Top of the Pines and Dennis Weaver Park in Ridgway.
To learn more, visit SJMA’s San Juan Academy for Homeschoolers page.
