Week 9 – Nature Built it First – Camp Recap
Humans are pretty excellent engineers, but a lot of what we’ve learned started in nature! This week at SPREE camp, we uncovered the original tunnel builders, fliers and what animals …
Animals
SPREE Scientists: Week 6 Summer Camp Recap
Geology, meteorology, chemistry, and more! We got to wear so many scientist hats at camp last week! On Monday, we wore our geologist hats to explore the rocks around HQ. We …
Nocturnal Nature: Week 2 Summer Camp Recap
Another successful week of SPREE camp in the books! This week, our theme was Nocturnal Nature, and we focused on Colorado animals that live a crepuscular or nocturnal lifestyle. We …
Adventures Outside Summer Camp
SPREE staff was so happy to welcome campers back into SPREE HQ for several limited weeks of summer camp. Our theme was Animal Super Senses, and we learned about many …
Solitary Animals of the South Platte
Humans are naturally social creatures, so understandably, many of us are struggling with the social distancing necessary to combat COVID-19. As we all adapt to the realities of living a …
Honey Bees
Check out that pollen basket! As we celebrate our two week long #VirtualStewardshipDay, do you know who else is a steward of pollination (Hint…Hint…they are known to be pollinators)? HONEY …
DIY Dog Bag Holder
Did you know that there are more dogs in Denver than kids? There are approximately 161,000 dogs in Denver and more than 1.4 million statewide! With each dog producing around …
Beavers: Building Nature’s Neighborhoods
Beavers (like SPREE’s mascot, Chompers!) are cute, funky looking creatures that have inspired human curiosity for centuries, but did you know that they play an essential role in our river …
Single & Not Looking to Mingle
Parthenogenesis is a reproductive strategy that allows reproduction without fertilization – in short, it allows members of a species to reproduce without a partner! Below are a few of these …
Urban Animals: Holiday Camp Recap
What started off as a chilly morning, only got colder as the day went on. That didn’t stop our campers from diving deep into the world of Denver’s Urban Animals! …
Nutrient Overload in Colorado’s Waterways
With all the recent news of harmful blue green algae blooms, it may be helpful to have a better grasp of what they are, how to spot a bloom and …
Cherry Creek Train Summer Camp Week 8: Eco Engineers
SPREE called all budding inventors, architects, and engineers! Campers spent a week designing, building, and inventing while we looked to nature for inspiration.Monday: Plant InspirationWe started out our week of camp …
SPREE HQ Week 2: Creepy Creatures
Summer campers had a great time learning about many Colorado “Creepy Creatures” over the week of June 10-14! Whether you love creepy creatures or they give you the heebie-jeebies, these critters …
Tangled In the Food Web at the Cherry Creek Train July 30-Aug 3
This week at SPREE HQ, campers delved into local ecosystems and explored the food webs of the parks and waterways of Denver. We started off with the basics: learning what …
Secret Lives of Mini Beasts at SPREE HQ July 23-27
This week at camp, campers broke out the butterfly nets, magnifying lenses, and bug boxes as they explored the secret lives of mini-beasts! Insects and other tiny critters often get …
Secret Lives of Mini-Beasts Camp at Cherry Creek Train June 18-22
This week at camp, campers broke out the butterfly nets, magnifying lenses, and bug boxes as they explored the secret lives of mini-beasts! Insects and other tiny critters often get …
Tangled in the Food Web at SPREE HQ June 18-22
This week at SPREE HQ, campers delved into local ecosystems and explored the food webs of the parks and waterways of Denver. We started off with the basics: learning what …
Animal Fun Facts: Beaver Edition
Happy International Beaver Day! To celebrate, here are some facts about the beaver and a Native American story from the Ojibwe tribe about how the beaver got his tail. Beaver …
Fur, Feathers, and Scales Camp: October 26-27
On October 26-27, campers had a great time learning about Fur, Feathers, and Scales with SPREE! On Thursday, the campers were tasked with a mission to solve a mystery about an …
Campers Explore the Food Web
Campers at SPREE got “tangled in the food web,” exploring connections between the sun, plants, animals, and our environment. We started the week learning about the power of the sun. …
SPREE Campers Learn All About Amazing Animal Adaptations
From feathers to fur and talons to teeth, SPREE campers spent the past week investigating the features that make Colorado animals unique. On Monday, we focused on feet by making our …
April 7th is International Beaver Day
MORE THAN JUST A FURRY FACEInternational Beaver Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the hard work of Denver’s furriest engineers! As integral members of the South Platte River community, …
Spring Break Campers Become Herpetologists
Have you ever wondered what a herpetologist is? Campers at SPREE’s Spring Break Camp learned all about reptiles and amphibians, becoming herpetologists-in-training.Campers started the week by creating their own field …
Campers Learn About Hibernation
Campers at SPREE’s February 20th Holiday Camp got to explore where animals go in the winter. We did a relay to collect food and added layers of clothing to represent …
Campers Explore Nocturnal Animals and Beavers
SPREE’s Fall Holiday Camps are underway, getting kids to the South Platte River on their days off from school. In October, SPREE held two days of programming at Johnson-Habitat Park …