Meet Mike Reichert | Director of Community Partnerships, nature lover, and outdoor enthusiast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike Reichert and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Since 1995, Wild Bear Nature Center has inspired lifelong connections to nature and community through creative exploration of the outdoors. Wild Bear Nature Center helps the local community in so many ways. Although Nederland is a small mountain community, our reach is wide.

Locally, Wild Bear provides free educational resources to the general public. Our current nature center in downtown Nederland is open 360 days of the year for visitors and locals to learn about mountain ecology. For example, after a mountain lion killed a dog in our community, Wild Bear partnered with the Division of Parks and Wildlife, as well as Boulder County Parks and Open Space, to host a free webinar in order to educate people in the community about how we can all safely coexist with these beautiful animals. The recording is posted on our youtube channel for continued viewing.

Globally, Wild Bear Nature Center has a broader reach than just Boulder County. Because of the geographic location of Nederland, we see visitors from all over the world. We have the ability to educate people who visit the nature center so that they can take valuable information back to their own communities and spread the message of protecting the natural world.

In the future, Wild Bear will be able to reach even more people, as we are currently fundraising to build a state-of-the-art, net-zero nature center on our 5-acre property adjacent to Mud Lake and Caribou Ranch Open Spaces. If you’re interested in getting involved with the new nature center project, get in contact with us!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The path that I took to Wild Bear Nature Center in Nederland is a somewhat unconventional one.

I was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH. I went to college in northwest Ohio and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. After my undergraduate studies, I spent a year in South Korea, and another year in Mexico, teaching English. I eventually moved back to Ohio and earned a Master’s degree in teaching English as a Second Language. I then taught ESL in public education for a few years before moving to Los Angeles. I lived in Los Angeles for 4 years before moving to Boulder, and eventually Nederland.

During my time in Ohio, California, and Colorado, I occasionally worked at the Apple Retail Stores (11 years total) and saw the incredible growth the company enjoyed. At the same time, I became aware that working in that environment wasn’t the best fit for me. I began looking for other opportunities and found one with Wild Bear Nature Center. I since have rediscovered my love and passion for the outdoors, and specifically outdoor education.

I am most excited about the growth we are experiencing at Wild Bear Nature Center. During the pandemic, we actually increased our number of full time staff, grew our program offerings, and are well on our way to building a beautiful, state-of-the-art, net-zero nature center for the entire regional community to enjoy!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Whenever people visit from out of town, I always take them to Chautauqua and The Flatirons. It’s such an iconic natural feature that people have to see up close, and I think the hiking is great, especially for people adjusting to the altitude!

When in Boulder, one of my favorite restaurants to take people to is The Dushanbe Teahouse. Again, an iconic landmark that is incredibly beautiful. The story behind it, and the hand-carved details, make it a must-see in my opinion. I also always take people to Pearl Street to peruse the many shops and restaurants. It’s good people watching, too. The last place in Boulder I would visit with a friend is The Rayback Collective. I like the outdoor, picnic vibe they have going. And the food and drink selection is always changing, which I like.

In Nederland, a must visit is Wild Bear Nature Center and attending one of our weekend programs. The nature center is right next to The Carousel of Happiness, which is a must see when visiting Ned. Crosscut Pizza and the Mountain People’s Co-op are my favorite places to eat, although all the restaurants in Nederland are great! The last thing I would do with a friend in and around Nederland is to visit one of the amazing trails in the area for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, or skiing.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shout out a few people.

First, my family. I’m the youngest of 5 children. My parents and siblings shaped and influenced who I am. We spent a lot of time camping when I was a kid. That definitely inspired my love of the outdoors. Coming from a big family, we were also taught not to waste anything. That’s the foundation of how I learned about conservation.

Second, my wife. She has inspired me to be the best version of myself and encouraged me to follow my passions.

The third person I’d like to shoutout is my boss, Jill Dreves, the Founder & Executive Director of Wild Bear Nature Center. Jill gave me an opportunity almost 4 years ago, trusted me to help lead the organization, and has inspired me with her vision for Wild Bear. The work we are doing is so important!

Website: https://www.wildbear.org

Instagram: @wildbearnaturecenter

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-reichert-ma-219981177/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildbearnaturecenter/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGZwejV6pqWyQfzpusVYZew/videos