Background Statement
The Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center is a nonprofit environmental education and raptor rehabilitation center located in the City and County of Pueblo, Colorado.
NWDC was founded in 2018 through the merging of two veteran organizations who, combined, bring 50 years of high-quality nature programming to the Pueblo community. NWDC serves as the steward of a River Campus in Pueblo and a Mountain Campus in Beulah, engaging over 20,000 participants annually across 650+ acres of public land.
The River Campus is an oasis within the city of Pueblo that provides opportunities for outdoor recreation and environmental education on the banks of the mighty Arkansas River. The River Campus is also home to the Raptor Center, the only raptor rehabilitation center in Southern Colorado. Here, we rehabilitate injured, ill, and orphaned birds of prey so they can be released back into the wild. We have 16 resident raptors and we rehabilitate over 300 birds every year. Through the Raptor Center, we educate over 6,000 individuals on the importance of birds of prey in our ecosystem every year. We provide educational programming for all ages, as well as public, guided raptor tours so our community can view these beautiful birds up close.
Located 30 minutes west of the City of Pueblo in Beulah Valley is NWDC's Mountain Campus. Nestled in the foothills of the Wet Mountains, visitors can visit the Mountain Park to picnic, hike, bike, and horseback ride through a stunning ponderosa pine forest. The Mountain Campus includes an 8-mile trail system connecting to San Isabel National Forest, a low-challenge course, and a retreat center perfect for eco-friendly team development and relaxation.