We often think of nature as a place untouched by humans – high on a rugged mountain top or deep in a remote canyon. But nature is thriving in cities and towns all around us. Filled with immersive environments and hands-on exhibits, Nature All Around Us challenges the notion that urban and natural environments are at odds by showing the many ways they are linked. Exploring such themes as yards & gardens, rivers & streams and urban forests, Nature All Around Us seeks to create awareness and understanding of the many plant and animal species we see every day. From raccoons to pollinators, you don’t need to leave home to find nature!
We hope this exhibit will spark curiosity and learning about planning, designing and nurturing nature in our own communities. Nature All Around Us is a special exhibition from the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Nature All Around Us will run May 24th through August 31st, 2025. Watch this space for more details this spring!
This exhibit is presented in both English and Spanish.
Programs and Events
Tuesday Night Live
Join us on select Tuesday nights as we bring in local experts to discuss diverse topics related to the nature that is all around us.
Through immersive visualizations and 360°panoramas, Bob Raynolds and Ka Chun Yu from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science will take you on a tour of the Colorado River. Bob and Ka Chun will be your guides along the 1,450-mile journey, revealing how some of the 50 million people who rely on the river make use of it. Join us as we travel from the river headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park to the southwestern deserts where the river is the lifeblood of the region. Stunning images and thought-provoking stories will give you a new perspective on this vital source of water and its future in a warming world.
Colorado boasts abundant renewable surface water in its rivers and snowpack, but beneath the surface lies a lesser-known treasure: groundwater. Join Bob Raynolds and Ka Chun Yu from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science as they use immersive visualizations and 360°panoramas to show how this critical resource serves both domestic needs and irrigated agriculture. We will discuss strategies and new technologies and explore how we might better manage this finite resource. Join us as we imagine a future where Colorado’s groundwater can remain a legacy for generations to come.
Fort Collins recently completed the community’s first ever urban forest strategic plan, Rooted in Community. This plan created a 20-year vision and outlined a set of 7 Growth Strategies to support and build a healthy and resilient urban forest for generations to come. Come interact with Kendra Boot, City Forester, to learn more about the management of the public urban forest, the state of the community’s tree canopy, and learn how you can support tree canopy health going forward.
Join The Rocky Mountain Raptor Program as we introduce you to your raptor neighbors and what we can do to help conserve them in the wild! We will learn more about raptor rehabilitation, and explore how these powerful hunters see, fly, and hunt with incredible precision, thus maintaining healthy ecosystems.
Interested in how Fort Collins is tackling air quality and climate change? Join the City of Fort Collins Environmental Services Department and key community partners for a dynamic panel discussion exploring the past, present and future of air quality and climate action in our city.
We’ll share insights, stories, and strategies shaping “Our Climate Future” – and we want to hear from you! Bring your questions, your curiosity, and your ideas as we work together toward a cleaner, healthier Fort Collins.
Stay tuned for more awesome Tuesday Night Live presentations coming this summer!
Programs Workshops and Talks
5.24, 6.14, 6.28 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Join us in our Animal Encounters exhibit and discover some of the amazing creatures we share this planet with. Animals of all kinds from creepy crawlies, wet and slimy, to soft and furry. Don’t miss an opportunity to make a new animal friend!
Included with museum admission.
6.07 & 6.21 at 9:30 AM
Visit with FCMoD’s very own live black-footed ferrets, the most endangered mammal in North America!
Join us in the Natural Areas Exhibit to learn about the conservation work being done to return black-footed ferrets to the wild, from the national captive breeding program to new advances in cloning. Meet the different ferrets that live at FCMoD, and watch as our furry friends tear into their weekend meal. Who knows, you just might become BFFs with our BFFs!
Included with museum admission. Capacity for this program is limited and first-come, first-served
Fri., June 6, 9 – 11 a.m. at McMurry Natural Area
In partnership with Fort Collins Natural Areas.
Let’s explore nature with a list of 10 things to find and photograph.
Thursday June 12th 7:00PM-8:30PM
The Colorado River is a water lifeline for the tens of millions of people across the West. Join us for an eye-opening evening with KUNC’s Colorado River Reporter, Alex Hager. He’ll share stories about the challenges, changes, and future of the West’s most important river at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery’s OtterBox Digital Dome Theater. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain exclusive insights and engage in a thought-provoking Q&A session following the presentation.
At FCMoD, we are always very grateful for our members, so please join us for a night of nature-themed fun to thank you for your support. We invite you and your loved ones to enjoy snacks (limited on a first-come, first-serve basis), drinks, and tons of family-friendly activities. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Join Dandelion Arts Collective for a free creative movement and theatre class for children and families. Through kinesthetic learning, music, stories, and artistic exploration, children and their families will explore themes inspired by Nature All Around Us. Using the exhibit as inspiration for dance, art, and creation we’ll deepen our connection to our local flora and fauna and explore the ACTIVE role they play in our lives.
Included with museum admission
New to birding? This is the program for you! We’ll walk through how to use binoculars and field guides, learn about bird ID, and discover how birding can contribute to science! Some birds are year-round residents and others have arrived after spending the winter in warmer climes. Hike 1-ish miles with Larimer County Education and Volunteer Specialist, Ellen Harris, to learn about bird identification, habitat, and more.
In partnership with Larimer County Natural Resources
Stay tuned for more awesome Nature All Around Us themed programing coming this summer!
Nature Photographers All Around Us Photo Contest
Nature Photographers All Around Us is a photography competition hosted by Fort Collins Museum of Discovery to accompany our new special exhibit: Nature All Around Us.
Photographers of all skill levels are encouraged to get outside, discover, and share their local natural world.
Whether it’s the nature of your local creek, or even your own backyard, we believe that great nature photos – and great nature photographers – are all around us!
Want to get more engaged?
Thanks to our supporters
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas
Fiona’s Delicatessen, Bakery, and Catering
City of Fort Collins Nature in the City
Exhibition Created by:
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