Red Feather Lakes Elementary School’s beautiful campus is an ideal location for studies in natural and environmental sciences. We have several affiliations and programs related to the natural environment and “green” learning. Our students also take advantage of our own nature trail in our adjoining woods on campus.

Some of these environmental programs include:

Project Learning Tree:      www.coloradoplt.org

Red Feather Lakes Elementary School is the first school to receive certification as a
Project Learning Tree School in Colorado. Project Learning Tree is an award winning
environmental education program that offers hands-on interdisciplinary
activities Pre-K through 12th grade. RFLE has a wonderful 10 acre campus adjacent to
Soaring Eagle Ecology Center (additional 20 acres) with direct access to Roosevelt
National Forest – a perfect setting for outdoor environmental education.

P.R.E.P. – Poudre River Exploratory Project/Program:

RFLE School participates in the P.R.E.P. program that encompasses the
exploration of the Poudre Watershed. Jo Johnson is lead teacher with P.R.E.P.- assisted by Jean Carpenter from City of Fort Collins Utilities Water Education Outreach. Second through fifth grade students explore the Poudre Watershed in the RFL area, including testing/measuring water pH, temperature, oxygen, macroinvertebrates, etc.

CoCoRaHS – Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National
Science Foundation (NSF) are major sponsors of CoCoRaHS. RFLE School is part of
community-based network of volunteers working together to measure and map
precipitation (rain, hail and snow). RFLE students are proud citizen
volunteers for CoCoRaHS, Please see the rain gauge located outside of Mrs. Johnson’s classroom. Volunteers for CoCoRaHS are located in all 50 states and Canada.

Division of Wildlife Schoolyard Habitat Grant:

Fall 2011, RFLE School was awarded the DOW Schoolyard Habitat Grant focusing on
birding and the Colorado Bluebird project. This is a year long project that is led by the
4th/5th graders.  Volunteer Judy Viola is facilitating the birding project, as well as a
student-created nature newsletter.

Smithsonian Institution’s Tree Banding Project:

This program is an international citizen science program that
contributes to research about tree biomass and will track how trees respond to climate. RFLE
has been a proud participant since spring 2011. Volunteers, Judy Viola and Jean Carpenter, facilitate this SERC (Smithsonian Ecology Research Center) project with 4th/5th grade
students doing the actual measurements with a dendrometer. There are ten trees banded
on school land and plans to band ten more trees on Soaring Eagle Ecology Center land. This tree banding project will have a total of 500 global stations. We are proud that RFLE School
is one of the approved stations.

Soaring Eagle Ecology Center (SEEC): www.seecatrfl.org

SEEC is located on approximately 20 acres next to RFLE School. SEEC works in
partnership with RFLE School to offer hands-on outdoor environmental classes at no cost. In spring/summer 2012, SEEC plans to offer 16 to 20 programs ranging from preschool students through adults.