Bluff Lake Camp Families' Campaign Page

Bluff Lake Nature Center's Summer Campers are a special group of kids. They can tell you the names of the critters and plants. They will make sure you know the importance of Leave No Trace. They look forward to playing in the creek, and come home dirty, tired, and full of stories about how much they love Bluff Lake. 

They have also endured a lack of facilities on site, including no running water, no indoor building to shelter, and portapotties! 

While we will be ensuring that camper experiences are always nature-focused, we recognize the importance of improvements that need to be made to the site to ensure our educational programming and natural areas are sustained for years to come.

We hope that you will join us in supporting the Campus Improvements Project!

13 other Summer Camp Families have already supported this project through other campaign pages, including board and campaign members' personal campaign pages and the BLNC Alumni page. 

Our goal is to have 100 Summer Camp Families (past and present) join this campaign - at any amount! $25, $100, $1,000!

Currently the site has no utility hookups, very little infrastructure, accessibility concerns, and the team works out of an office several miles away. This project would provide a net zero building to house a welcome center, classrooms, offices, and a community space; power and running water; and additional site improvements, including an accessible ramp leading down into the site.

Summer camp will always be nature focused and outdoors. So how will this project impact our summer camp? Here are a few things we are excited about...

1. Improved drop-off/pick-up: Drop-off and pick-up will be safer and smoother, with a dedicated drop-off zone that is not directly adjacent to the area where kids are congregating.
2. On-site Staff: All Bluff Lake staff will be located onsite (in our new staff HQ!), meaning we have more substitutes and extra hands, as well as better access to supplies. 
3. Better Shelter: There will be indoor spaces and shaded outdoor spaces available for severe weather events such as hail, rain, and extreme heat.
4. Running Water On-site: We will have running water onsite, meaning we can better ensure campers are staying hydrated (without our team having to bring in water from off site!) and have better bathroom facilities.
5. Licensing: Bluff Lake will have a much easier time getting our annual childcare license! Freeing up significant staff time to facilitate more programs and make summer camp even better!
6. Improved Accessibility: A new universally accessible trail going from the upper level to lower level, plus major changes around the entrance, parking lot, and new building, means we will be able to give more children access to nature.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT

Here's why other camp families are supporting this project:

"When I think of the short list of features we love most about our neighborhood, Bluff Lake Nature Center is at the top of the list. Even before we moved to Central Park in 2014, our kids, now 15 and 12, attended summer camps at Bluff Lake. To this day, those camps have left a lasting love of nature and lessons they apply today in school and when we are out enjoying the outdoors. I have chosen to invest my personal time and treasure in this project, because I want families to enjoy it for generations to come. To do this sustainably requires capital investment." - Tania Zeigler, Camper Parent and Capital Campaign Committee Co-Chair.

"My children have thrived at Bluff Lake Nature Center’s Summer Camps. They get hands on access to plants, animals, and environmental learning close to home. They get to be brave and have fun. I’m supporting this project because I want to ensure the future success of BLNC so more children (and adults) get these opportunities. And a bathroom would be nice!" - Katie Robb Davis, Camper Parent.

Did you know that Bluff Lake donors in Colorado can take advantage of the 50% Childcare Tax Credit of up to $100,000 per year, in addition to other state and federal charitable contribution credits? We invite you to visit the campaign page for more information, including other ways to give and tax credit information.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are making a gift of over $1,000, we ask that you consider sending a check to avoid the cost of high fees that would either be covered by the donor or Bluff Lake Nature Center. Checks can be mailed to:

Bluff Lake Nature Center

4760 Oakland St., Suite 200

Denver, CO 80239

Please put "Camp Family - Capital Campaign" in the memo line.

We can also accept donor advised funds, stock transfers, IRA gifts, and more!

Want to make a commitment for a future or multi-year gift? Make your pledge HERE to be counted towards this goal. 

For all campaign and donation questions, please reach out to Development Director, Leila Regan-Porter at leila@blufflake.org.