Outdoor Recreation Economy at CU Boulder

Outdoor Recreation Economy at CU Boulder Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Outdoor Recreation Economy at CU Boulder, College & University, 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO.

The Outdoor Recreation Economy (ORE) program at CU Boulder offers fully online and flexible master's degrees, graduate certificates, and professional development courses for the next generation of outdoor industry leaders.

🎉 Fun Fact Friday!Did you know land exchanges on public lands can happen with zero public oversight? ORE alum recently ...
10/02/2026

🎉 Fun Fact Friday!

Did you know land exchanges on public lands can happen with zero public oversight? ORE alum recently joined KDNKs Nonprofit Connect to discuss his work with Colorado Wild Public Lands, a decade-old watchdog nonprofit working to keep public lands in public hands.

Proud of you, Nick! Learn more: https://coloradowildpubliclands.org

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth at Get Boulder Outdoors, presented by The North Face x REI! 🏔️ It was gre...
10/02/2026

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth at Get Boulder Outdoors, presented by The North Face x REI! 🏔️ It was great connecting with so many people passionate about the outdoors and sharing more about the CU Boulder Outdoor Recreation Economy program. If you're curious about turning your passion for the outdoors into a career, learn more here: https://online.colorado.edu/outdoor-recreation-economy-ms

Fun Fact Friday! 🎉Did you know outdoor recreation is increasingly recognized as a form of health infrastructure? ORR jus...
09/25/2026

Fun Fact Friday! 🎉

Did you know outdoor recreation is increasingly recognized as a form of health infrastructure? ORR just awarded its first-ever Rural Outdoor Recreation and Health Grants to 11 rural communities, funding everything from adaptive paddling for veterans to a bike fleet for rural youth to new accessible trails. 🚴‍♀️🛶🥾

These grants advance America's Outdoor Era, ORR's push to connect healthcare and outdoor recreation as partners in supporting physical and mental health, especially in rural America.

🎉 Faculty Highlight: Dr. Lydia LawhonMeet Dr. she/her), Associate Director of the Outdoor Recreation Economy graduate p...
09/24/2026

🎉 Faculty Highlight: Dr. Lydia Lawhon

Meet Dr. she/her), Associate Director of the Outdoor Recreation Economy graduate program at CU Boulder! Lydia serves as faculty lead for the Public Lands and Natural Resources Policy and Introduction to the ORE certificates, and also instructs the Project Course.

With nearly two decades of experience in natural resource management across the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem and Colorado, Lydia previously taught environmental and public lands policy, natural resource governance, and project management as faculty with CU Boulder's Masters of the Environment program. She holds an A.B. in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College, a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Policy from CU Boulder. She lives in Durango, CO, with her family, where she's active in the local outdoor recreation community.

Outdoor recreation, Lydia says, has been where she's found solitude, inspiration, and peace of mind throughout her adult life — along with a deep commitment to protecting the land and resources it depends on for future generations. Right now, she's thinking about how the outdoor recreation industry can engage with public health advocacy around the growth of tick-borne illnesses, a real deterrent to summer outdoor activity.

Her perfect day outside? Skiing 12-15 inches of dry Wyoming powder in the Tetons. ❄️

Thank you for everything you do for our students and program, Lydia! 🏔️

New KOA data shows camping is up 24% nationwide since 2019 — but campers are going less often, with most now camping jus...
09/18/2026

New KOA data shows camping is up 24% nationwide since 2019 — but campers are going less often, with most now camping just once a year instead of several times.

Still, the impact is clear: 60% say camping helps families connect, 80% feel more present with their kids, and nearly 80% report a positive mental health impact from time outdoors.

As KOA CEO Toby O'Rourke notes, campers are seeking wellness through unstructured time in nature and meaningful connection.

Read the full 2026 Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report: https://lnkd.in/gc3cf2YQ

Meet Incoming Student: Adam Karcz!Based in Atlanta, GA, Adam brings 26+ years of storytelling experience, from 14 years ...
09/16/2026

Meet Incoming Student: Adam Karcz!

Based in Atlanta, GA, Adam brings 26+ years of storytelling experience, from 14 years as a Video Producer and Editor at CNN to his current role as Sr. Video Producer and Director for Institute Communications at Georgia Tech.

Two years ago, Adam documented a program called Tech Treks, and it changed the direction of his career. His goal in the ORE program is to work with a university outdoor recreation program, helping create and support experiences like it for others.

Outside of work, Adam is an ultrarunner who prefers trails over pavement, currently training for a 50k called "Pumpkin Butt" (yes, it involves carrying a pumpkin up a mountain). He's also hoping to pick up kayaking or crew during his time in the program.

Welcome, Adam — we're excited to have you! 🏔️

🎉 Fun Fact Friday!Last week we shared how 83% of Americans would spend more time outside if a healthcare provider recomm...
09/12/2026

🎉 Fun Fact Friday!

Last week we shared how 83% of Americans would spend more time outside if a healthcare provider recommended it. This week, the conversation zooms out even further: parks and recreation systems are increasingly being recognized as public health infrastructure.

That's a key theme from the National Recreation and Park Association's September 2026 issue, covering the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable's National Executive Forum. As ORR President Jessica (Wahl) Turner put it: "The research is clear, the momentum is real, and the partners are in the room. What comes next is alignment — across health systems, insurers, schools, employers and land managers."

From individual behavior to systems-level change — the outdoor + health movement keeps building momentum. 🌲

Read the full piece: https://parksandrecmag.mydigitalpublication.com/september-2026/page-54

We're excited to be exhibiting at the Veterans Outdoor Recreation Summit (VORS) in Park City, October 1-3! 🏔️Join us for...
09/09/2026

We're excited to be exhibiting at the Veterans Outdoor Recreation Summit (VORS) in Park City, October 1-3! 🏔️

Join us for a virtual Q&A session with during the summit, and connect with us while you're there. Learn more and check out the full agenda here: https://www.trailheadstrategiesgroup.com/vors-summit-agenda

Use code CUBO26 for an exclusive discount on registration.

Proud to support this event, led by ORE alum Erick Burgos ()!

Fun Fact Friday!Did you know 83% of Americans say they'd spend more time outside if a healthcare provider recommended it...
09/04/2026

Fun Fact Friday!

Did you know 83% of Americans say they'd spend more time outside if a healthcare provider recommended it — but only 20% actually have? That's one of the standout findings from REI's new American Nature and Health Survey, developed with the Nature and Health Alliance.

A few more highlights:
→ 75% go outside to improve mental health; 85% do it just to feel good
→ 79% use outdoor time to unplug from screens
→ Weather and lack of time, not access or safety, are the top barriers to getting outside
→ Time spent in nature (under 2 hrs/week) has risen 20% over the past decade

A huge opportunity for healthcare and outdoor recreation to work together. 🌲

Read the full survey here:https://natureandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/NHA-American-Survey-Final.pdf

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4001 Discovery Drive
Boulder, CO
80303

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