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.
Free community Nature Hikes
Infrequent emails, no spam EVER, your address kept private…and you can leave the mailing list whenever you want.
Stay up to date on all Dave’s latest hikes and programs.
Subscribe to the Newsletter!
Sonata for Moon, Stars & Fireflies. PROGRAM CANCELED - SORRY
Monday June 29
For thousands of years, the night and the moon have inspired poets, romantics, musicians and scientists alike. How do you musically capture something as ethereal as moonlight and starlight? Naturalist Dave Sutherland will guide a gentle journey from sunset into the light of the rising full moon with a varied selection of classical music inspired by our silvery celestial neighbor, interspersed with modern-day science. And with a little luck, there will be a flickering surprise! Goosebumps encouraged. Meet at Sawhill Ponds. This free program is a collaboration between Boulder County Audubon Society and the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. Email dsutherland4747@gmail.com to sign up. Limit 20.
Historic Roosa Cabin Open House
Sunday July 12, 1 - 3 pm drop ins
For over a century, the mysterious little stone cabin has sat near Wood’s Quarry at the base of the Third Flatiron. Who built it and why? Who lived here? What’s on the inside? Join the cabin’s owner Regina Bock, and Community Naturalist Dave Sutherland, for an historical “Open House” to learn the answers (to the best of our knowledge) about this enigmatic little building and get a chance to see inside. No reservation necessary, just drop by between 1 and 3 pm. If you’re not sure where it is, email Dave for a map to the cabin’s precise location, right on the Mesa Trail just a bit south of its junction with the Enchanted Mesa Trail. It’s about 1.5 miles one way from Chautauqua. There is no water, electricity or toilet at the cabin.
Insects and Classical Music
Saturday August 15. 8 - 9:30 am
Why have composers been fascinated by bugs and spiders, and how have they tried to capture them in their music? Join Dave Sutherland, teamed up with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and the Butterfly Pavilion, for a stroll through the Wings of the Tropics rainforest exhibit at the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, while listening to recorded music selections inspired by the world of invertebrates. Butterflies, crickets, bees and wasps, spiders and even praying mantises have been captured in music! The adventure continues in the Butterfly Pavilion’s Discovery Gardens, where we’ll gently capture some live invertebrates among the flowers and listen to more music. Don’t miss this unique journey into the mysterious and musical world of bugs!
Admission to the Butterfly Pavilion is required, $10 members $12 non members. Sign up here: https://butterflies.org/invertebrates-and-music-walks-2026/
Live Chamber Music at the Butterfly Pavilion!
Rooted: A concert performed in Wings of the Tropics
Friday July 31, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Saturday August 1, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Experience a magical evening where music and nature meet inside Butterfly Pavilion’s Wings of the Tropics butterfly conservatory. This intimate program brings together live chamber music by Concertvation, a nonprofit that explores how artists and scientists partner to translate ecological data into sound. Rooted in the earth itself – from soil and root systems to forests and trees – this program will reflect on the natural world as both a fragile and a living, interconnected system. The performance will be interwoven with contextual insights from Community Naturalist Dave Sutherland, offering perspectives on the ecological systems that inspire the music. This is a fundraiser to benefit the Butterfly Pavilion and Concertvation to help them fulfill their missions. For more information and to purchase tickets follow this link: https://butterflies.org/event/concert-in-wings-of-the-tropics/
Learn more about Concertvation and their work here: https://www.concertvation.org/