Baylar Ratzan

Educator - Basalt Elementary School

Baylar is from Miami, Florida, where warm, sunny, sticky, tropical weather allowed for her to spend a lot of time outside. Childhood was spent swimming, going to the beach, and exploring her neighborhood on a bike or a longboard. She spent school breaks skiing with her family in Breckenridge, CO, and developed a love for the mountains during those vacations. Now, when people ask her if she prefers the ocean or the mountains she chooses them both (why pit them against each other!?). She studied English at Amherst College, and her favorite classes were those that incorporated environmental and educational themes. Baylar also speaks Spanish, and believes in bringing even more Spanish-language environmental education to the valley. She found herself on a 30 day backpacking course with the Colorado Outward Bound School after the pandemic hit, and fell in love with outdoor and environmental education on that trip. She worked as a logistics coordinator for Colorado Outward Bound in Leadville, CO the following summer. Now, she feels right at home as an ACES environmental educator working at Basalt Elementary. In her free time, Baylar enjoys reading, playing guitar, skiing, hiking, biking, and fishing.