DILLON — Despite being brand new, Dillon's Saturday Morning Adventures is seeing a surprising number of participants. The free series features a variety of programs for kids and adults on scheduled Saturdays, from scenic hikes to environmental topics. It starts at 10 a.m. and attendees generally meet at the Marina Park Pavilion.

“It's very popular,” said town event organizer Susan Fairweather. “It's a new, interpretive series this year. Normally, for a new series you'd see 15-20 people. But we've seen 50-80 participants at each event.”

Because Dillon's adventure series has seen such a large turnout, town staff is already planning to continue and enhance the program by adding even more events next summer.

“We've had a lot of amazing, positive comments,” Fairweather said. “People have really been enjoying them. It's a big attraction for visitors to Dillon, but locals also participate.”

How the adventure series works

To put the series on, the Town of Dillon partners with different organizations, like the Summit County Rescue Group, the Keystone Science School or Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, to put on “edu-tainment” — programs meant to create awareness for specific issues or groups.

The next morning adventure is on Saturday and features a talk —

“The Big Battle of the Little Beetle” — by naturalist Christiane Hinterman from Friends of the Dillon Ranger District.

“It's a good way to spotlight a nonprofit,” Hinterman said of the Saturday Morning Adventures series.

According to Hinterman, she'll discuss how the pine beetle belongs in the High-Country ecosystem and reasons they may have grown out of control. She'll also talk about how an insect so small can make such a big impact on the local environment, and what the future holds for humans and the beetles.

“The Town of Dillon provides us with a booth at the farmers market,” Hinterman said. “We get to do education and recruitment there. In exchange, we agreed to do this education program. We chose to talk about the pine beetle because, for visitors, it's a really interesting topic that lots of people have questions about.”

Hinterman added that her presentation will give participants a good understanding of the issue from multiple perspectives, plus it's interactive and good for families. She'll be giving the same presentation today for Frisco's lunchtime education series at noon in Historic Park.

“Friends of the Dillon Ranger District work on our trails and create a healthy environment for visitors and locals,” Fairweather said. “The topic is so relevant in our community. It's so right in front of you. The devastation is amazing.”

The Town of Dillon is also putting on guided hikes to popular areas as part of its adventure series.

“A lot of folks have trepidation about hiking by themselves, so we give two guided hikes and one wildflower walk,” Fairweather said. “People feel more comfortable hiking in a place they've never been with a guided leader.”

The town has already organized a wildflower walk at the Dillon Nature Preserve and a Tenderfoot Trail hike in July. The next hike is set for Aug. 14 through the Dillon Nature Preserve. A Summit local, Tim Forsythe, will host an easy hike, and interested participants should meet at the Nature Preserve parking area across from the Dillon Cemetery off Highway 6.

For more information, visit the Town of Dillon website at www.townofdillon.com.