Mission and History

Yampatika’s mission is to inspire environmental stewardship through education. Our main goal, broadly defined, is to develop environmental learning opportunities that serve the children and adults of Northwest Colorado. Established in 1992 as the “Yampatika Outdoor Awareness Association,” Yampatika continues to be the only non-profit organization that offers a continuum of educational services to children and adults ranging in age from PreK to senior citizens in Routt, Moffat Rio Blanco, and Jackson Counties.

We run the Yampa Valley’s first-ever Environmental Learning Center at the City of Steamboat Springs’ owned Legacy Ranch. The historically significant ranch provides a rural backdrop for cutting-edge environmental educational programs that are delivered to youth through summer camps, school field trips, and service learning opportunities. Our growing program for at-risk youth provides Boys and Girls Club and other out-of-school programs unique outdoor experiences to complement their indoor activities. Adults can visit the site for a self-guided walking tour, or join one of our talented Naturalists to snowshoe through the extensive hay meadows that are preserved in perpetuity through a conservation easement.

The Environmental Learning Center integrates “green” and “historic” through sustainable technologies like solar energy production, organic and heirloom gardening, composting, and energy efficiency site improvements. Recent awards for these efforts include a 2009 recognition as a “New Pioneer of the Yampa Valley,” a 2010 State Honor Award, and a 2011 “Sustained Contributor Award,” recognizing Yampatika as an organization that leads by example in the field of environmental sustainability.

Yampatika is part of a statewide and national movement to create systemic change in our school system. Working with the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, we intend to advance environmental literacy in our state. Our 30-year history of providing environmental education programming and teacher training to local schools has uniquely positioned us to create a model environmental literacy program for Northwest Colorado. The programming reaches seven school districts per school year at the PreK-12 level. Results indicate that it is helping students achieve academically and increasing their propensity towards environmental stewardship. In-depth elementary, middle, and high school programming on in-depth subjects reaches over 3,500 students each year.

Each year Yampatika’s environmental education programs interact with about 25,000 youth and adults. Our programs provide people with safe, enjoyable, and educational outdoor activities that instill a sense of environmental stewardship. Yampa Valley Sustainability Council awarded Yampatika with the Educator of the Year award in 2022. Yampatika also was also voted Best of Boat Youth Programs in 2023.

Yampatika’s offices are currently located in the US Forest Service Building in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where we have a small Nature Center and Store. Center visitors can view displays of local wildlife and purchase books and maps.

We like to say that we are small but mighty. Our operations grow and shrink seasonally and at any given time we may have up to twenty people on staff, or as few as eight. Like many other non-profit organizations, we are forever indebted to the hundreds of volunteers who contribute thousands of hours to Yampatika each year.

Thank you to our supporters!

We are deeply grateful to the many individuals, businesses, foundations and land management agencies who support Yampatika. Yampatika is a community supported, nonprofit organization. As a 501(c)(3) organization, all contributions to Yampatika are fully tax-deductible in accordance with I.R.S. regulations. Yampatika is a permittee of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and an equal opportunity employer.