All Dave’s hikes are free and open to everyone. Follow instructions below to sign up. Since hikes fill up quickly and often have a waiting list, please let Dave know right away if you need to cancel a reservation.
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Accessible Birdwatching for Beginners
Saturday September 20, 8:30 - 9:30 am
Join naturalist Dave Sutherland and Environment for the Americas accessibility interns Nick Roosen and Nolan Blanchfield for a fun nature walk to look for and identify migratory birds large and small! Learn some pro tips to tell those little gray birds apart, and also tricks for picking the best binoculars and bird books. Birders of all abilities welcome, but this event is primarily aimed at beginners. Nick and Nolan will also share tips and resources to enhance accessibility education for all participants, including those with sight, hearing and learning/neurodivergence disabilities. Bring binoculars and bird guides if you have them. Meet at the Walden Ponds wildlife area picnic pavilion. Sign up through the Environment for the Americas web calendar here:https://environmentamericas.org/event/bird-watching-for-beginners/
Shared Spaces: Celebrate Migratory Bird Day!
Monday September 29, 4:30 - 6:30 pm
Broomfield Open Space and Trails Department is hosting a festival to celebrate migratory birds, and you’re invited! Learn about this year's theme, Shared Spaces, as we identify birds at one of the best bird habitats in the heart of Broomfield. Take a beginner-friendly birding tour around the reservoir, then learn about migration and conservation practices from our local partners and exhibitors. This event is FREE of charge and needs NO registration! (Dave S. will be leading activities at the Environment for the Americas booth). We’ll assemble at the southern side of Plaster Reservoir. Parking is available at Legacy Park (2705 W 136th Ave). More information: https://environmentamericas.org/event/broomfield-migratory-bird-day/.
Tallgrass Colors
Saturday October 4, 8:30 - 11 am
Fall colors aren’t just for trees. The grasses of the tallgrass prairie turn lovely shades of tan, fawn, russet, wine, and maroon. Fall wildflowers add to the blaze of glory. Explore the botanical fireworks and look for late season pollinators in a rare stand of tallgrass prairie at Marshall Mesa with community naturalist Dave Sutherland. Bring a camera for pictures to add to your nature scrapbook. Meet at the South Boulder Creek access point on Marshall Road (map supplied with registration.). Email Dave to sign up, dsutherland4747@gmail.com. Limit: 15
Owl Moon: A Night Adventure into the World of Owls PROGRAM FULL
Monday October 6, 6- 7:30 pm
Celebrate “Squawktober” with Environment for the Americas! Community Naturalist Dave Sutherland will lead you into the world of Great-horned Owls on this easy nighttime hike under an eerie October full moon. Meet at the Bobolink Trailhead on Baseline Road. Bring flashlights just in case, but we shouldn’t need them because the full moon is so bright. And - with luck - we will see and hear some owls! This program is free and open to everyone. Limit: 20 participants. Sign up from the Environment for the Americas web calendar here: https://environmentamericas.org/event/owl-moon-a-night-adventure-into-the-world-of-owls-3/
Ribbons of Life: The Music of Creeks and Rivers
Saturday October 11, 9:30 – 11:30 am
From the Blue Danube to the mighty Moldau, rivers and creeks have inspired composers to create heart-stopping melodies. Join community naturalist Dave Sutherland to enjoy a little water music on an easy walk along one of our local creeks to learn how this meandering green ribbon shapes the lives of creatures great and small along its banks. Beautiful fall colors promised at no extra charge! We’ll share musical excerpts along the way and challenge everyone: how would YOU try to capture the creek with music? Meet at the front entrance of the East Boulder Recreation Center, 5660 Sioux Dr. This program is free and offered in collaboration with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. Bonus: Hike participants will receive a discount code to purchase Boulder Phil concert tickets! To register, just email Dave at dsutherland4747@gmail.com.
Autumn Stars through a Telescope. PROGRAM FULL
Friday October 17, 8 - 10 pm
Autumn provides some of the year's best stargazing. Nights are often crystal clear, while not as cold as winter. Ancient drama plays itself out overhead with Andromeda, Pegasus, Perseus and Cassiopeia. In the south Sagittarius leads us to the heart of the Milky Way, while the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest large galactic neighbor, is just visible overhead. And the ringed planet Saturn shows off its famous rings! Join community naturalist Dave Sutherland and a telescope to peer into the distant reaches of space. Meet at Eldorado Canyon State Park visitor center. Note: Although the program is free, you’ll need a State Parks pass or will have to pay a park entry fee of $10 per vehicle or $4 per walk in. In the event of bad weather (50% cloud cover or more) we’ll reschedule the program. Limit: 20 Follow this link to sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/autumn-stars-at-eldorado-canyon-state-park-tickets-1681349023189?aff=oddtdtcreator
Wings and Songs: Birdwatching and Music
Sunday October 26, 9:30 - 11:30 am
At its upcoming concert (Sunday November 2 at 4:00 pm) the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the spellbinding Four Last Songs of Richard Strauss. Captivated by the transcendent beauty of the skylark’s song, Strauss scored a pair of flutes as a duet of larks to symbolize two spirits bonded together and ascendant. Take a pre-concert nature walk with community naturalist Dave Sutherland to preview this music, and explore ways that other composers of classical music have captured the essence of birds. Beautiful bird-themed musical selections and amazing bird viewing guaranteed. This program is jointly sponsored by the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and Environment for the Americas and is free of charge. Limit 20. Meet at the Walden Ponds picnic pavilion. Sign up from the Environment for the Americas web calendar here: https://environmentamericas.org/event/wings-songs-bird-watching-and-music/
Bonus: Hike participants will receive a discount code to purchase Boulder Phil concert tickets!
Double Bonus: DeAunn Davis, the horn player from the Boulder Philharmonic, will join us!!!!
Invertebrates and Music Walk – Halloween Edition
Tuesday October 28, 5:30 - 8 pm
For the special Halloween edition of “Invertebrates and Music” we'll explore the Butterfly Pavilion's walk-in rainforest exhibit IN THE DARK. Guided by naturalist Dave Sutherland and accompanied by classical music selections about insects and spiders, we’ll use flashlights to discover sleeping butterflies and hanging orb weaver spiders up close and personal. The adventure concludes in the Butterfly Pavilion’s exhibit hall with the lights off, where we’ll search for nighttime invertebrates with black lights amidst the Halloween atmosphere. Don’t miss this unique journey into the mysterious world of invertebrates at night! Participants will receive a discount code for Boulder Philharmonic concert tickets. Admission to the Butterfly Pavilion is required: $12 non-members, $10 members. Register here: https://butterflies.org/invertebrates-and-music-walk-halloween-edition/.
Bonus: Participants will receive a discount code to purchase Boulder Phil concert tickets!
Skullduggery!
Wednesday October 30, 6 - 7 pm
Holy cranium! Celebrate the spooky season with a hilarious hands-on talk about mammals by looking at their skulls and teeth. Community Naturalist Dave Sutherland will share a wide variety of touchable replica and real skulls from Colorado mammals - including Homo sapiens - to highlight the similarities we all share, and the notable differences that show how each mammal lives and what it eats. And you never thought bones could be so much fun. This program is suitable for all ages. No reservation required. Meet at Front Range Birding and Optics at 2425 Canyon Boulevard Suite B, Boulder.