Peter Mayer

NEDERLAND
Join Nederland’s Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center in celebrating 20 years of success, educating and inspiring people of all ages to connect with nature while launching its next 200 years, Nov. 14, at eTown Hall in Boulder. The fundraiser features a memorable, intimate concert by nationally-renowned folk singer-songwriter Peter Mayer and as well as appetizers, beverages and an extensive silent auction.

“I invite you to come to our 20th celebration at eTown this November 14. Whether you have been part of making it happen or would like to be part of this next phase, I look forward to seeing you there,” Founder Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center Jill Dreves said in a recent newsletter. “This is an amazing milestone made possible by passionate educators, donors and volunteers. Now it is time to launch this vision toward the next milestone of creating a permanent nature center in the mountains of Boulder County.”

Since 1995, Wild Bear has been Boulder County’s non-profit, all-ages nature center fostering a life-long appreciation of the environment and promoting an environmentally aware, responsible and ecologically sound community. Wild Bear’s passionate roots in science education and the preservation of Colorado began as a small program serving 24 children in the summer of 1995, growing to serve over thousands of people of all ages every year. Wild Bear’s inspirational vision was founded on the belief that learning occurs every day, all day and throughout our lives.

The long-term vision from its modest beginnings was to create a nature center facility in the mountains near Nederland to provide the general public with opportunities to learn together about their own backyard. In 1999, Wild Bear collaborated with Boulder County Parks and Open Space and the Town of Nederland to preserve over 200 acres of land north of Nederland at Mud Lake; voters approved this plan including the development of a Nature Center by Wild Bear.

Nearly 10 years of hard work towards the realization of the Mountain Ecology Center began with acquisition of 5 acres amid 3200 acres of preserved land, the subsequent clean up of 30 tons of trash from that land and, most recently, the unanimous approval of conceptual plans for the off-grid Center by Boulder County.

Now the community can help launch Wild Bear into its next 200 years as they grow the nature center vision to the next level and raise funds at eTown Hall in Boulder. Peter Mayer writes songs for a small planet; songs about interconnectedness and the human journey and about the beauty and the mystery of the world. Whimsical, humorous, and profound, his music breaks the boundaries of “folk,” and transcends to a realm beyond the everyday love song, to a place of wonder at the very fact of life itself.

There are two tiers of tickets for the gala. General Admission tickets are $50 and includes appetizers, one drink ticket, silent auction and an intimate performance by Peter Mayer. Gold VIP Tickets cost $125 and comes everything included with a GA ticket plus an additional drink ticket, front row seats for Peter’s performance, an additional five minutes at the silent auction tables and a once-in-a-lifetime special acoustic set with Peter in eTown Hall’s world-class recording studio. The special, intimate set takes place from 5:30-6 p.m. and space is limited to 30 people.

Wild Bear’s 20th Anniversary Gala takes place at eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce Street in Boulder, Nov. 14, from 5-9 p.m. Purchase tickets or donate a tax-deductible silent auction items by either calling 303-258-0495 or stopping by Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center, 20 Lakeview Drive, Unit 107 in Nederland, or purchase them online through http://www.wildbear.org.