Unlocking Plant ID: Using Botanical Keys in Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain Conservancy's Education Team directly supports the organization's mission by offering a wide range of educational opportunities, focused on building a love of wild places and inspiring people to act to preserve them. Educational offerings include half-day, full-day, and multi-day adult programs led by expert instructors, as well as scenic ecology bus tours for the whole family, guided hikes, and special programs just for kids and families.

Rocky Mountain Conservancy

Join us in Rocky Mountain National Park to learn how to identify plants using botanical keys!

Fall River Visitor Center

Field Institute

Our signature program, Field Institute courses offer an in-depth learning experience across a wide range of Rocky Mountain specialties and are led by our most knowledgeable instructors. Park transportation, fees, and permits are included.

New for 2025

We're excited to showcase new and updated courses for Summer 2025! Many of these programs were suggested by past Field Institute participants, and we hope you'll check them out.

Plants of Rocky Mountain National Park

A collection of courses highlighting the diverse flora of Rocky Mountain National Park and the surrounding regions.

Rocky Mountain Wildflowers

At the end of each spring, Rocky Mountain National Park puts on a show with an amazing variety of wildflowers, from tiny tundra blossoms to exotic orchids hiding in the pine forests. Come explore Rocky's wildflowers with us!

If you're looking to grow your plant ID skills beyond matching up pictures in a field guide, this program is for you!Learning to use a detailed field guide featuring technical terms to identify native plants can feel overwhelming, but we're here to help! This course will introduce participants to the three major plant groups found in Rocky Mountain National Park, botanical terminology, and the characteristics of Big Plant Families. From there, participants will learn to work with dichotomous keys and have a chance to practice using dichotomous keys to identify plants in the field.Who: Participants ages 16 and up.Program level: Moderate – This program is appropriate for most participants. Expect to travel 1-2 miles over the course of the program and to be on your feet for several hours at a time. Participants should be comfortable navigating both maintained trails and unmaintained meadows or grassy areas. Prior experience hiking or walking above 8,000 feet is recommended.This program has a classroom session and a field session.When: Friday, June 13, 2025 from 9:00am to 3:00pmWhere: Meet at the Fall River Visitor Center, 3450 Fall River Road, Estes Park, CO 80517, and travel together to various locations within RMNP in Conservancy vehicles. All required fees and permits for park entry are included in your registration.What to Bring:<ul><li><a href="https://rmconservancy.org/learn-with-us/field-institute/essential-gear-for-field-institute-courses/" title="https://rmconservancy.org/learn-with-us/field-institute/essential-gear-for-field-institute-courses/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">10 Essentials for Field Institute Courses</a>.</li><li>Ackerfield's Flora of Colorado 2 Ed. (optional). There will be a few copies for the class to share and reference during the course.</li><li>Hand lens (loupe)</li></ul>About Your Instructor: Marlene Borneman spends much of her time in Rocky Mountain National Park locating and photographing wildflowers in their native habitats. Her passion in Colorado flora began in 1974 and has only grown. As a member of the Colorado Native Plant Society, in 2013 she won the photo award for Native Plant Landscapes. Marlene is a certified Colorado Native Plant Master and the author of Rocky Mountain Wildflowers 2Ed., The Best Front Range Wildflower Hikes, and Rocky Mountain Alpine Flowers.Refund Policy:Cancellations made more than 30 days prior to the start of the course are eligible for a full refund. Cancellations made fewer than 30 days in advance are not eligible for a refund.Our programs proceed rain or shine, and participants should be prepared for inclement weather. However, should we decide to cancel a program due to unsafe weather or emergency conditions, we will notify participants by email and automatically issue full refunds.Conservancy members get 10% off individual registration when you use the discount code in your membership email! Limit 2 per membership.Not a member of the Conservancy? Learn more and join here: <a href="https://rmconservancy.org/join-or-give/join/" title="https://rmconservancy.org/join-or-give/join/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Conservancy Membership</a>If you have questions about this course, please contact the Field Institute by email at education@RMConservancy.org or by phone at 970-586-3262.

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Unlocking Plant ID: Using Botanical Keys in Rocky Mountain National Park

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Unlocking Plant ID: Using Botanical Keys in Rocky Mountain National Park

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