Get your kids outside this October with the Pajarito Environmental Education Center. PEEC is offering two small-group clubs for kids in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades. Sign up for Forest Explorers or Art in Nature Club today. Photo Courtesy PEEC
Get your kids outside this October with the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC)! Space is available in both of PEEC’s outdoor clubs, Forest Explorers and Art in Nature Club. Both programs are for students in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades and will meet once a week.
Forest Explorers will meet on Wednesdays from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. starting on Oct. 7 and ending on Oct. 28. This 3-hour drop-off program provides the opportunity for kids to go on hikes from the Los Alamos Nature Center for self-directed play in the canyons, creeks and surrounding forest. Children will build forts, make observations and learn to identify different plants and animals. The program encourages children to have fun while working cooperatively, building gross motor skills and learning more about the local ecology.
Art in Nature Club is a partnership between PEEC and Fuller Lodge Art Center. This club will meet on Tuesdays from 4 – 6 p.m. starting on Oct. 6 and ending on Oct. 27. Children will gather in small groups to do nature-based art projects outdoors at the nature center. Participants will use natural materials as media and inspirations to create art while connecting with nature and each other.
“This week’s PEEC camp has been positively therapeutic and very enjoyable for my child. He’s raved about the instructor and the handful of kids he’s met,” said the parent of one of PEEC’s small-group summer camp participants.
Visit peecnature.org/events to learn more about each club, read specific guidelines and sign up! Space is limited in both programs, so please register soon.
PEEC staff members are following recommendations from the New Mexico Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Camp Association, Association for Nature Center Administrators and many other organizations to develop COVID-safe practices for programs. By staying in small groups, avoiding mixing, wearing face coverings, maintaining physical distance and implementing strict health guidelines for participants and staff, PEEC aims to avoid spreading the virus. During registration, families will be asked to read and agree to a waiver statement.
In addition to small group clubs, PEEC continues to offer a variety of virtual events to help our community connect with nature. Tune in for weekly nature programs, astronomy talks, yoga classes and more. On PEEC’s blog, you can find a variety of articles, activities and virtual field trips to do at home. Learn more by visiting peecnature.org.
For more information about this and other PEEC programs, visit www.peecnature.org, email publicity@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. The Los Alamos Nature Center is currently closed due to COVID-19, but there are many ways to learn about nature and interact with PEEC online. 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.