NEDERLAND — “What we see here is a layer that has been taken from our community,” said Frankie Beard, Wild Bear Nature Center’s (WBNC) Director of Educational Operations, addressing the crowd of the Nederland Strong Rally nearly a full year ago, on November 1, 2025.

There on the steps of the Black Forest, just feet away from the aftermath of the Lakeview Fire, Beard spoke about the resiliency that exists in nature, such as the insulating layers of bark of the Ponderosa Pine, which helps it to burn slowly in fire, and protects its inner layers. 

“What we’re also seeing is those puzzle pieces behind us that help support our community,” she said.

“Wild Bear has always faced adversity, and we’ve always come out stronger for it; we’ve been around for 30 grateful years in many different forms. I know that that’s true for Wild Bear and that it’s become true for our community.” 

Beard referenced the Lodgepole Pine as well, which only drops its seeds in the high heat of a forest fire—a fitting metaphor for how over 20 of Nederland’s businesses, including WBNC, have shown resilience in the face of fire-related disaster, most having found new homes and new paths, new soil to grow in, after the loss of the Caribou Village Shopping Center. 

The tragedy affected each business differently, along with their owners and team members, as many people were forced to formulate a Plan B on the fly. Some businesses were either in the process of closing or were transitioning into new locations. 

Despite WBNC’s multi-million dollar state-of-the-art new center being in construction and in the middle of its capital fundraising campaign on October 9, 2025 (the date of the Lakeview Fire), the organization still had operations and programs it needed to continue in the wake of the loss of their established home base. 

“We had a unique silver lining compared to many others who lost their businesses in the fire,” WBNC’s Executive Director Trish Krajniak said in an interview with The Mountain-Ear. “We were still about a year out from completing construction, which was hard to grapple with.” 

Immediately following the fire, Krajniak joined WBNC’s Board of Directors, to utilize her skill set with insurance claims, rebuilding operations, and regulatory needs, to help the organization in its new phase. One of the first major challenges for Krajniak and the organization post-fire was the encroaching summer and the need to restart its programming. 

“Our operations were cut basically in half, which, for an organization that already had a relatively small budget, made for a tough year,” Krajniak explained, detailing how WBNC spent six months of dedicated staff and volunteer time on transitioning their childcare license over to a mobile day camp model so that area youth had camp for the 2026 season.

During that process, in the spring of 2026, Krajniak was hired as the organization’s new director. 

“Personally, in those first few months there was a lot going on, but I feel like we’ve turned a corner and we’re now so close to opening this building.”

Growing from just a small space in the Nederland Community Center to its two units within the Caribou Village Shopping Center, WBNC has always been effective in the community, regardless of being in flux or without a landmark space. 

“We were a nature center that had no direct access to the outdoors, but we still had a very large impact: we experienced over 20,000 visitors to that center every year. Now we can be a nature center where folks can go directly out to a trail and connect to 3,000 acres of open space and 16 miles of trails. We’re able to expand off of the core that we’ve developed over 31 years and just amplify it.” 

That amplification is manifested through their new physical space at 88 Indian Peaks Drive, which connects directly to Mud Lake. It includes museum-quality space and lighting, a grand stage illuminated by natural sunlight, classrooms and office space outfitted with state-of-the-art fixtures, an immense observatory, and an outdoor amphitheater—all illuminating the potential for expanded educational and entertainment opportunities.

This outdoor amphitheater represents where the expertise of local contractors Harris Dewart helps to expand Arch 11's thoughtful design work.

Photo by Christopher Kelley

“We have to grow all of our programs to meet this new space. Of course, we need to keep the volume turned up on all of our youth programs, but a part of our focus is really ramping up adult family programs so that the building is full all the time,” Krajniak explained, while adding that WBNC will be introducing a preschool program in 2027.

Krajniak noted how Wild Bear’s new nature center will be the first of its kind, not just for Nederland, but for all of Boulder County, and will be an open and welcoming sight for residents of the Peak to Peak area and the Front Range, and for tourists from all over Colorado and the world. 

And though the excitement over the potential of the new center is palpable, there is still one factor that trumps all others. 

Conferences, symposiums, events, performances—the possibilities are endless for the main hall of Wild Bear's impressive new nature center.

Photo by Christopher Kelley

“This new space is so shiny and so incredible and such a vision, but there’s still this piece of making it feel like home—how do we hold hands with the community to walk into this new space together? And I think that happens somewhat naturally.”

The influence of parents and residents in the community—not just those who visit Wild Bear, but also those who work and volunteer for the organization, is what Krajniak includes as the secret ingredient that will form WBNC’s programming and aesthetics into something beyond the “shiny newness” of the large building, but into something familiar and comforting for the Nederland population. 

“I inherited an amazing team,” added Krajniak, as she gleefully gushed about those Wild Bear die-hards who helped the organization transition from the ashes of the Lakeview Fire.

“Frankie, Britt, and Jordan—they are tried and true, the best people in the world; our Director of Development, Matthew Celesta; the best network of volunteers and consultants; Liz McGuffee, she has done so much for this organization; Jill [Dreves] is still involved and has done so much; our Capital campaign committee; and our Board. 

“Thanks to the hard work of all those mentioned—and to so many more—WBNC has only to obtain their occupancy permit, their life and safety inspection, and their new childcare licensing before programs can begin by January 1, 2027. Then the nature center can open full-time to the public by the spring. 

“Everybody put in extra time, everybody lost sleep, everybody has a few gray hairs, and everybody is incredibly excited for this next phase.”