Give the Gift of Wonder at Colorado National Monument

On a chilly spring morning, the doors of a school bus hiss open at Colorado National Monument.

Fourth graders spill out onto the red dirt, craning their necks, shading their eyes, trying to take it all in—the cliffs, the silence, the way the landscape feels too big. For maybe the first time in their lives, they sense a connection to both place and people. Experiences like these are what create lasting land stewards.

When a child looks at a ranger and says, “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” there’s a moment—wide eyes, shaky grin, a first look at a view they’ll never forget.

That is what your year-end gift makes possible.

When you give to Colorado National Monument Association (CNMA) before December 31, you’re keeping field trips on the road and impactful programs on the calendar, going strong into 2026.

You’re making sure the monument remains what it has always quietly been for so many people: a classroom, a sanctuary, a doorway to the natural world. 

Every bus that sighs to a stop at the monument, every pair of wide eyes taking in the cliffs for the first time, is there because someone chose to give. If you want more children to step onto that red dirt and feel that same sense of wonder in 2026, you can help write that story today. Give Today.

The People Behind the Programs (And the Stories Behind the Stats)

Every program at Colorado National Monument starts with a person and a story.

Juliet – Park Ranger

Juliet grew up visiting national parks, the kind of kid who collected memories the way other kids collected trading cards.

“I had many memorable and impactful experiences visiting the National Parks growing up,” she says. “As a ranger, I love that I am able to facilitate these types of positive experiences through helping visitors plan their trip, presenting programs on the park’s unique geology, ecology, and history, and connecting with visitors out on the trails.”

On any given day, you might find her at the Visitor Center answering questions, out on a trail describing rock layers that are older than human history, or calming the nerves of a family about to try a hike that feels “a little too adventurous.”

Your support keeps rangers like Juliet on the frontlines of wonder—ready with maps, stories, safety tips, and the patience to answer “What kind of lizard is that?” for the hundredth time.

Bryce – Resiliency Ranger Intern

This past summer, Bryce carried a different kind of responsibility.

“This summer at Colorado National Monument has been an incredible opportunity to serve and grow,” he says. “Through my role as Resiliency Ranger Intern for mental health, I was able to support mindfulness and educational programming for over 500 members of the veteran community.”

One of his favorite moments was September’s Community Canvas Project for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. More than 300 participants added a brushstroke or message to a shared piece of art—a visual tapestry of resilience, remembrance, and hope.

“Beyond programming,” Bryce says, “I valued the chance to shadow different park divisions, including Resources, Law Enforcement, and Maintenance, which gave me a broader perspective on the monument’s operations. Working at the Visitor Center was also rewarding, especially swearing in Junior Rangers, a daily reminder of how the park connects and fosters the next generation of stewards.”

Your gifts create internships like Bryce’s—roles that support veterans, strengthen mental health programming, and grow the next generation of public lands stewards at the same time.

Caroline – Education Ranger

If you ask Caroline why she does this work, she’ll go straight back to childhood.

“If there had been more opportunities for me to do ‘outdoorsy’ things as a child, I could have had so much more time exploring different regions and learning,” she says. “That is just part of why I feel so passionately about getting children outside, letting them explore and be curious, and teaching them about the natural world. The more we can get people to appreciate our natural world, the more of it we might protect for the future.”

Her days rarely look the same.

“One of the best things this job allows me to do is constantly learn — about teaching techniques, how the brain learns, geology, biology, natural sciences, animal adaptations, desert habitats, and really anything that can benefit our learners and the park. I love the variety in my day-to-day… field trips with students, helping in the Visitor Center, and developing new programs and activities.”

When you support CNMA, you’re putting Caroline in front of students who may never have seen a canyon, a desert landscape, or a night sky so full of stars.

What Your Support Made Possible in 2025

This spring, more than 1,400 students turned the Colorado National Monument into their classroom.

In spring 2025 alone, CNMA-supported education programs welcomed:

• 1,371 students from 29 schools
• 771 Title I students
• 476 students visiting the monument for the very first time

They hiked narrow trails and looked over canyon rims. They modeled the rock cycle with their hands, sketched peregrine falcons, played outdoor games, completed scavenger hunts, and—maybe most importantly—spent over 115,000 hours off screens, breathing fresh air and learning in the red rock canyons.

Some of them will come back with their families. Some will remember this as the day they decided they liked science. Some will simply remember the feeling of being somewhere vast and beautiful and thinking, This is mine to care for, too.

Connecting Visitors to the Night Sky

From May through September, Dark Sky Rangers led two astronomy programs per month—10 programs total, reaching about 490 visitors.

Guests stepped up to telescopes and peered into deep space. They heard stories of constellations, the science of light pollution, and the history of humans trying to understand the night sky—while Colorado National Monument’s silhouette cut against the stars.

For some, it was the first time they’d seen the Milky Way so clearly. For others, it was the moment they realized how rare dark skies are becoming, and how important it is to protect them.

Serving Every Visitor, Every Day

The Visitor Center is the beating heart of the monument.

In 2025, park rangers, interns, and CNMA staff:

• Served more than 140,000 guests at the Visitor Center
• Answered questions, issued permits, reserved campsites, and provided orientation and safety information
• Responded to medical incidents and emergencies
• Swore in thousands of Junior Rangers, helping young visitors see themselves as protectors of this place

Out on the trails and overlooks, rangers also led educational hikes, walks, and talks for over 4,200 visitors throughout the summer, connecting people directly to the geology, ecology, and history of this landscape.

Your support keeps this welcome, this safety net, and this sense of belonging in place for every visitor, every day.

When you give to CNMA, you:

• Keep buses rolling so more schools—especially Title I schools—can bring students to the monument.
• Support ranger and intern positions that expand educational, resiliency, and dark sky programming.
• Help sustain a culture of care where students feel seen, welcomed, and inspired to protect public lands.

Whatever you’re able to give, it matters. It adds another bus, another program, another night under the stars.

Make Your Gift Today

To keep these experiences going in 2026, CNMA must raise critical year-end funding before December 31. A gift made today helps ensure that the next school bus still rolls in, and the next Junior Ranger still hears, “This place needs you.” Donate Today.

Thank You for Being Part of This Story

Every gift, no matter the size, helps ensure that Colorado National Monument remains a place where people can learn, heal, and be inspired.

Thank you for standing with CNMA’s rangers, interns, educators, and volunteers. Together, we’re writing the next chapter of this landscape’s story and helping the next generation discover that public lands are important and worth protecting.