our history & founder
Kim Langmaid is the visionary founder of Walking Mountains Science School in Vail, inspired by a deep belief that meaningful connections with nature can change lives. Her hopeful leadership helped build a community where science, curiosity, and the outdoors come together to empower learners of all ages. Kim’s legacy continues to spark wonder, stewardship, and optimism for a more informed and caring world.
History
Walking Mountains Science Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and was founded in 1998 (under the name Gore Range Natural Science School) after our founder, Kim Langmaid, recognized a need for region-wide environmental science education in the Eagle Valley that involves students K-12 in the natural world. Kim also saw the need for natural science programming for families and adults. She recognized that the same benefits we would provide for students: developing an interest in science, reconnecting them to the outdoors and building a stewardship ethic, were just as applicable to all ages.
In 2013, we folded in with another local nonprofit called The Eagle Valley Alliance of Sustainability to further expand our programming. Today our sustainability department offers multiple programs that help businesses, residents and governments reduce their energy use, become certified sustainable businesses and help local events reduce their impact via zero waste diversion. Most recently, we’ve been tasked with helping facilitate and create a Climate Action Plan for Eagle County, resulting in the establishment of the Climate Action Collaborative and helping to guide the Town of Vail to become the first certified sustainable travel destination in the United States.
Today, we are an educational resource for our region, offering year-round programming at our four locations; the Tang Campus in Avon, the Nature Discovery Center atop Vail Mountain, the Vail Nature Center near the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, and our Sweetwater property in western Eagle County. Our programs are aligned with state and national curriculum standards and annually serve more than 4,000 students in 23 public and private schools located throughout the Eagle Valley. The public school population that we serve looks a great deal like many inner cities, with 52% Hispanic, 42% eligible for free and reduced lunch, and 35% classified as English Language Learners. Our programs are a necessary experience for disadvantaged students that might not otherwise have the opportunity to engage in hands-on science learning in the outdoors. With our LEED Platinum Science Center in Avon completed in 2011, school children now come to the Science Center for programs, learning in state of the art classrooms and using the greater outdoors as the primary classroom.
In addition, we serve residents and visitors in the Eagle Valley (Vail Valley) through engaging adult and family programs in natural science and sustainability offered in partnership with the US Forest Service, Vail Resorts, Town of Vail, Eagle County, and others. Our total annual reach for all program areas exceeds 300,000+ individuals.
Our Founder - Kim Langmaid
Kim Langmaid Ph.D. is the Founder of Walking Mountains Science Center. She has been involved in sustainability, sustainable tourism, climate action planning, collaborative conservation, environmental education and nonprofit leadership for over two decades. In addition to her role at Walking Mountains, Kim is the Associate Professor of Sustainability Studies at Colorado Mountain College at the Edwards Campus and serves as an Associate Faculty with the Master of Arts Program in Environmental Studies at Prescott College. Kim serves on the Vail Town Council, and the Colorado Tourism Office’s Destination Development Committee. Kim has held positions as the first Colorado Program Director for the National Forest Foundation; the Graduate Program Director for Teton Science Schools in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and as the interim Program Coordinator for the Ph.D. Program in Sustainability Education at Prescott College. Kim holds a B.S. in Biology from Colorado State University, an M.A. in Environmental Studies from Prescott College in Arizona, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England. Kim grew up in Vail and has followed in the footsteps of her parents and grandparents who were involved in pioneering new initiatives in the early days of the mountain resort community.
History Blog Posts
Keep Birds Safe: Prevent Birds from Colliding with Your Windows
Walking Mountains Science Center Purchases Sweetwater Property from Vail Mountain School
Walking Mountains Adds Third Program Arm – Sustainability and Stewardship