Commitment to Community

Transforming an Old Bunkhouse into an Organized Learning Center
Since 1992, Yampatika has been inspiring environmental stewardship through learning opportunities that serve children and adults of Northwest Colorado through summer camps, school field trips, service learning, and Naturalist-led tours.

When Gerber Berend was approached by Yampatika to help transform the historic bunk house at Legacy Ranch into a highly functioning and inspirational place for environmental learning, we jumped at the chance. We frequently donate and partner with organizations where we can give back to the community that is dear to our hearts.

Together with the organizational and educational leaders of Yampatika, and many generous donors and trade partners, we came up with a plan to design and build colorful and playful built-in furniture and organizational pieces. Utilizing birch veneer plywood panels and custom semi-transparent stains, the finished pieces provide display and storage for maps, hands-on plant and animal samples, outdoor equipment, and miscellaneous educational materials of all shapes and sizes. While some pieces provided easy-to-access storage space, others created critical workspaces for staff, campers and equipment.

Yampatika’s Board Members and staff were truly a joy to create with and the finished interior design provides a playful, warm and intimate space from which to inspire inquisitive visitors of all ages. We are truly grateful for the enrichment Yampatika brings to our community and the opportunity for our designers and craftsmen to support their efforts.

Pretty cool press release from the city of Steamboat Springs!!
Final HS127 Jump Work Donated by Gerber Berend Design Build

Local design build firm, Gerber Berend Design Build, will donate the work associated with completing the final elements of HS127 Ski Jump project started last year. The HS127 is the largest jump at the Howelsen Hill jump complex.

Under the direction of Hans Berend at Gerber Berend Design Build, the firm will donate the labor, materials and other associated costs to complete the work around the in-run, in-run side boards and start bars on the large jump. This work totals roughly $9,223 in donated costs and is estimated to start this week and run approximately a week or less.

Mr. Berend is no stranger to the historic jumps at Howelsen Hill. His son, Ben Berend, is enjoying his third season on the United States Nordic Combined team. As an athlete, Ben learned the sport with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and flew off the jumps at Howelsen Hill numerous times.

This work completes the project started last November, 2016 by the City of Steamboat Springs and Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club to repair the HS127 jump.

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