Earth Week in Estes Park

April 20-28, 2024

Get ready for an inspiring week of environmental celebration in Estes Park! Ignite your passion for the planet with a lineup of educational and engaging events, featuring an Environmental Film Weekend by Nick Molle and The Rocky Mountain Channel. You'll also have the opportunity to learn from local organizations and give back with clean-up days. Along the way, be sure to swing by our businesses that are celebrating with exclusive Earth Day offers!
 

National Park Week

April 20-28

Celebrate National Park Week, National Volunteer Week, Earth Day, and National Junior Ranger Day at Rocky Mountain National Park. On Saturday, April 20, National Park Week kicks off with a fee-free day. All park entrance fees will be waived on this date. Join NPS and Rocky Mountain Conservancy staff at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to earn your Junior Ranger badge, learn about plants and wildlife that call Rocky home, decorate a tree cookie, and much more!

On Sunday, April 21, attend Rocky Mountain National Park and Rocky Mountain Conservancy's final presentation in the 2024 Winter Speaker Series. Join them at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center at 2 p.m. for the presentation “Dr. Steller’s Jay: A Living History Presentation Done in the Person of G.W. Steller,” with Pete Devine, former Yosemite Conservancy Education Director (retired).
 

Earth Week Kick-off at Estes Village

April 20

Estes Village dedicates its space to sustainable products and local artist products. Join them from 4-7pm for a meet and greet with a local artist and to learn more about our sustainability practices. Enter for a chance to win giveaways and enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine!
 

Stories Behind the Stars: Looking Up From Earth

April 22 at the Estes Park Memorial Observatory

Join professional and award-winning nature photographer and local guide, Dawn Wilson, for an evening not just looking at the stars but hearing the stories behind the photos. Learn how she plans a photograph long before the sun sets on the evening, how she captures her night images and the many encounters she has had in the field with others – two and four-legged – who also share the enjoyment of the quiet and dark nights. In honor of Earth Week, she will also discuss the impacts light pollution has on wildlife, humans and our planet. This free event is at 6pm and is open to the public.
 

Loren Shriver's Space Shuttle Mission

April 24 at YMCA of the Rockies - Estes Park Center

Get ready to blast off into a realm of knowledge and awe! Discover the fascinating space mission world with Loren Shriver on April 24, 2024, at the YMCA of the Rockies Hempel Auditorium, for an immersive experience where you will learn about the intricacies of space missions. Loren Shiver will be your guide as you explore the depths of space and unravel the mysteries of its operations, specifically the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope. Sign up here.
 

Student Environmental Film Festival

April 25 at the Estes Park High School Auditorium

Join the Estes Valley Land Trust for their 3rd Annual Student Environmental Film Festival, featuring student-created short films and a Q&A with the filmmakers and judges. The top three filmmakers will receive academic scholarships. This free event, hosted by Estes Park School District and the Estes Valley Land Trust, with support from festival sponsor Bird & Jim, is on Thursday, April 25 at the Estes Park High School Auditorium from 5-8 p.m. Learn more here.
 

Estes Park Environmental Film Festival

April 26 & 27 at the Historic Park Theatre

The Estes Park Environmental Film Festival, presented by the Rocky Mountain Channel, features new documentaries from Nick Molle, including a premiere of "Wild Ride, the Peak to Peak Highway," exploring Estes Park's ties to unconventional travelers, with an appearance by Nico Strange Owl. Experience acclaimed PBS documentaries like "Rivers of the Rockies" and "The Living Dream" in a festival-style format spanning two days, with early bird sessions and an exclusive 20-minute preview of "Water, The Sacred Gift," followed by a panel discussion. Package tickets include a pre-event happy hour and access to all films throughout the weekend. Purchase tickets here.
 

Water is Finite, A Symposium

April 27 at the Estes Valley Community Center

Explore our most important resource, water. Esteemed experts will take you from rain to resevoir as you learn the story of water in Northern Colorado. Our planet is blessed with life sustaining water, but the global supply is finite. RSVP for this free event here.
 

Community Clean-up

April 27 at the Estes Park Visitor Center

Take part in the annual Community Clean-up hosted by the Estes Park Rotary! Meet at the Visitor Center (500 Big Thompson Ave) at 9am on Saturday, April 27 to sign up.
 

Story Slam

April 28 at the Historic Park Theatre

Take your storytelling further or just enjoy a fun, story-filled afternoon at the Historic Park Theatre! In honor of Earth Week, the theme for this event is Call of the Wild. Storytellers will be selected at random, similar to The Moth's process, with prizes at stake for the winner and runner-up! Get tickets here.
 

Community Battery Recycling Collection

April 17 at the Estes Valley Library

Bring in your batteries for safe recycling! Free collection of alkaline, rechargeable and Lithium batteries is available to Larimer County residents on Wednesday, April 17 at the Estes Vally Library (Hondius Room) from 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Learn more here.

Creation Care: Bugology 101

April 20 at the Presbyterian Community Church of the Rockies

As part of their Creation Care Series, the Presbyterian Community Church of the Rockies will host Dr. Robert Hancock at 10am on April 20 for a presentation titled "Bugology 101: Why Insects Matter." Dr. Hancock, a professor at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, is an authority on mosquitoes, bedbugs and other blood-sucking insects.