Vail Nature Center Program Committee (VNP)

PUBLIC NOTICE

Vail Nature Center Program Committee

The Vail Town Council is seeking interested Vail residents and/or individuals that work in Vail to apply for the Vail Nature Center (VNC) Program Committee, which will include seven (7) members. The Vail Nature Center is a preserved 1940s homestead located in Vail Village, Colorado, located on the east side of Ford Park and on the south side of Gore Creek. It sits on a 7-acre site between a mountain meadow and the forested creek bank, offering both natural beauty and educational opportunities.

The VNC has hosted educational programs for the community and guests for over 50 years, with the Vail Recreation District and Walking Mountains, at different times, operating programs over that time period. The original stated purpose of the VNC, submitted to the Town of Vail for approval in 1973, was to “preserve, protect, and promote all plant and wildlife and their habitats within the town of Vail.”

In 2026, the Town of Vail will be completing a significant riparian enhancement project along Gore Creek adjacent to the VNC, and money is budgeted for doing basic maintenance on the historical house and the grounds around the center. Given the on-site work that will limit public use, as well as other interpretive uses available in Ford Park, the Vail Town Council has concluded this is an ideal time to review the previous work that has been done to study needs on the site, consider other uses that provide interpretive programs, take stock of the sensitive nature of the both the site and the structure, and develop future goals and objectives for managing and operating the Nature Center and adjacent site.

The Vail Town Council has approved several project parameters including:

• The town would like to maintain the existing Nature Center building, understanding that significant modifications (e.g. major remodels, tear down and rebuilds) of the existing farmhouse building will trigger expensive improvements required by applicable codes.

• Goals and objectives should reflect that protecting the site as an educational natural preserve, per the Ford Park Master Plan, and maintaining the natural integrity and beauty of the site should be paramount to considering future uses.
• Goals and objectives should be generally consistent with the historical uses of the VNC and the stated purpose statement, mentioned above, while supporting future needs for natural and historical interpretation in the Eagle Valley.
• The site should complement and be additive to the experience of Ford Park for both residents and guests while respecting that the area around the nature center should be a contemplative space and protected as a preserve for its natural value.

The final product in terms of goals and objectives should be of adequate detail to be used in a scope of work to direct next steps.

Interested Vail residents, educators and employees working in Vail that will be open to a collaborative learning process with members of the community to determine goal and objectives for the Nature Center are encouraged to apply. The approximate time commitment for committee members would include attending four to seven meetings and reading background materials to prepare for those meetings. This process will begin in July and be completed in September of 2026, prior to completion of the town’s 2027 budget. The process will be facilitated by a professional facilitator/mediator. Three distinct steps are anticipated in this process including:

Step 1 - Learning: Review and discuss previous studies on the Vail Nature Center, interpretive programs provided by Walking Mountains and Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, guest and resident survey information, and other examples for interpretive programs. This step may also include some public listening.

Step 2 - Draft Goal Development: With the facilitator, develop draft goals and share those draft goals with the Vail Town Council. One or more goals should address how the Vail Nature Center can best provide a unique educational experience for our guests in the context of a historic homestead and nature preserve.

Step 3 - Final Goals and Objectives: Develop final recommendations on goals and objectives and then deliver them to the Vail Town Council. Objectives for achieving the goals will provide clear direction to the town on how to proceed with next steps to implement the goals.

Letters of interest with a resume or summary of the individual’s background are due to Town of Vail Mayor Barry Davis no later than 5 p.m. on July 1, 2026. Email materials to Vail Town Clerk Stephanie Kauffman at skauffman@vail.gov . Appointments will be made by the Vail Town Council on July 7, 2026.

Stephanie Kaufman, Vail Town Clerk

To be published in the VAIL DAILY June 10, 17, 24 and 29, 2026.