Checkout the events section below to learn more about our programs
Denver, Colorado
Bluff Lake Nature Center (K-5th)
Location: Bluff Lake Nature Center
11255 E. MLK Jr Blvd, Denver, CO 80238
https://www.blufflake.org/homeschool
Classes Offered:
Students will meet on the following days from 9am-3pm:
Monday: K-1st Graders
Wednesday: 3rd-5th Graders
Thursday: 1st-3rd Graders
Bluff Lake School Programs Manager
MArk Mcmullen Bushman
Mark has been an environmental educator for 16+ years, and loves educating diverse audiences about nature and science. He began teaching about nature while working on the Georgia coast and has been engaged in studying the relationship of humans to the ecosystems they live in ever since. His love for teaching birding, forestry, watersheds, and astronomy only grew as he attained his Masters degree in Science for Ecological Teaching and Learning. Mark firmly holds the belief that the diversity within human ecosystems is as equally vital to survival as the diversity found within natural ecosystems is. He loves being involved in change initiatives that increase access to community resources, nature, and the outdoors for all. Mark grew up in an inner-city Chicago neighborhood called Uptown, and serves on the board for the community resource organization that owns the same building in which he grew up. He also serves on the Board of Summit for Action, which is dedicated to discussions and action around the intersection of equity and inclusion in the environmental conservation and outdoor recreation movements. When not squinting at bird legs, looking for planets, or smelling herbaceous scrub plants, Mark plays bass and paints watercolor landscapes. Mark raises his three children with special needs with his partner in a home in Green Valley Ranch with both grandpas, a niece, and a grandniece. Mark believes that communities can be empowered to steward and care for their ecosystems and the environment more broadly when they are eco-literate and have a strong sense of place.
The Outdoor Explorers Program at Bluff Lake Nature Center offered in partnership with Alpine International Preparatory Academy is a unique program that offers school-age students the opportunity to connect with others, experience nature, and learn about the environment. What makes OEP so unique is its location amidst a busy urban district of Denver. It is rare to find a truly wild nature space and wildlife refuge in the middle of a city, but that is exactly what one can find at the Bluff Lake OEP site. Being located adjacent to a bustling residential neighborhood, not to mention a thriving commercial district, means the community is invested in the site and members of the community have a stake in its safety and protection. Once students arrive in the morning, they descend 40 feet from the top of the bluff down to the 123 acre flood-plain site which is home to snakes, raptors, fish, prairie dogs, deer, and beaver, as well as coyotes. As the sounds of traffic fade, students are enveloped by the smells of the forest and feel safe, while also being challenged and engaged by the natural landscape. There are no in-door facilities or classrooms at Bluff Lake, ensuring that students are interacting with nature all day - tree stumps serve as desks, and the creek becomes their playground. This builds resilient and resourceful students who seem to absorb the environmental concepts we discuss even better than their counterparts in traditional classrooms, no doubt thanks to their relevant experience!