You + Us = More Kids in Nature
Can you smell it now? That woodsy breath of fresh air, the moment your feet hit green ground. That’s the heart of Thorne Nature Experience — helping kids discover that same wonder and joy in the outdoors. Together, we’re building a world where every child feels at home in nature. A world where curiosity runs wild, shoes get muddy, and confidence grows under open skies.
Every time you support Thorne, you’re not just giving funds. You’re joining us in connecting youth to nature and growing the next generation of Earth stewards, especially those who might not otherwise get the chance.
And the best part?
Every spark of curiosity. Every muddy smile. Every child who now sees themselves as a nature explorer; it all starts with you!
“I don’t like Thorne Nature. I really really really really really really really LOVE it!” — Noah, Age 6 and 11/12ths
When you connect with Thorne, you’re part of something bigger — a community of nature lovers, families, and dreamers who believe kids need nature now more than ever. Together, we keep the wild in childhood.
This past year, Thorne Nature supported more than 34,000 nature experiences for kids and families and issued more than $300,000 in scholarships to families who could not otherwise afford it. Our donors help keep these opportunities available: camp and nature preschool scholarships, field trips for partner schools, the bus that gets kids here, and the boots and rain gear that keep them outside.
You can help ensure that money is never a barrier between a child and nature.
How you can help:
When you give, you open the door for more kids to feel at home in nature. Your support fuels confidence, curiosity, and joy, especially for children who might never otherwise have access to these experiences. This year, your generosity could help bring some big dreams to life:
$50 | Lunch on the trail: A week of lunches, so a kid can be outside all day.
$100 | So a family can say yes: A week of extended care at camp, so no parent chooses between work and pickup.
$250 | A family, eight weeks: Eight weeks of Nature Together, in Spanish, parent and child side by side.
$500 | Boots and rain gear: Boots, rain gear, and field supplies, so weather never keeps a kid inside.
$1,000 | Two weeks of camp: Two weeks of camp, long enough to learn the trails by heart.
$2,500 | A month of preschool: A month of nature preschool, with teachers who know their name.
$5,000 | A whole grade, outside: An entire grade outside, a whole day of nature.
$10,000 | Gets them here: A summer of bus rides, 60 kids a week, ten weeks running.
When you give, you change what’s possible for a child, for a family, and for our entire community. Thank you for believing in this work and helping nature feel like home for all kids.
To build Earth stewardship by providing youth with joyful, hands-on, place-based environmental education experiences that foster an emotional connection to nature.
Thorne Nature Experience has connected children to nature since 1954, when Dr. Oakleigh Thorne, II founded it in Boulder as Thorne Ecological Institute. Thorne held its first summer camps in 1957. Seventy-two years on, Oak is 98 and still banding birds with kids.
Today Thorne is based at the Lafayette Nature Center on Coal Creek, which opened in 2024. Our programs are Summer Camp, Thorne Nature Preschool, After-School Clubs for 1st through 5th grade, Field Trips with partner schools, Nature Together for young children and their caregivers, and Nature Kids/Jóvenes de la Naturaleza, a community partnership that connects families to the outdoors.
Our work follows a simple path. Joyful, hands-on time outside builds connection. Coming back year after year, with trusted adults, turns nature into a place where a child belongs. Belonging grows into Earth stewardship.
We believe cost should never decide which children belong here. Our goal is for one in four children in our programs to attend on scholarship. In the past year, Thorne provided more than 34,000 nature experiences and shared more than $300,000 in scholarships.
Organization name
Thorne Nature Experience
other names
Thorne Nature Experience, Thorne Ecological Institute
1954
Tax id (EIN)
84-6029250
Category
Environment, Education
Organization Size
Large Organization
Colorado State Tax Credits
Colorado Child Care Credit
Address
300 Old Laramie Trail EBoulder County, CO, US