Contributed Submission 3/20/25 Contributed Submission 3/20/25

BCAS Position Statement on Feral and Free-Roaming Domestic Cats

BCAS supports efforts to educate and encourage cat owners to keep cats indoors or on harness or leashes or in a safe enclosed outdoor structure, and to have their pets spayed or neutered.

Stephen Jones 3/1/25 Stephen Jones 3/1/25

March Nature Almanac: Frigid Conditions Push Some Hawks Southward

One benefit of these frigid, snowy days is the opportunity to get close to Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks. When temperatures are hovering near zero, raptors would rather stay put on their perches than fly away.

Ruth Carol Cushman 2/1/25 Ruth Carol Cushman 2/1/25

February Nature Almanac: Roosting (Not Roasting!) Wild Turkeys

Wild Turkeys by the scores have been coasting down from a cliff to roost in large cottonwoods along the St. Vrain Creek in Lyons this winter. Raymond Davis counted 134 turkeys on evening in late January!

Contributed Submission 1/1/25 Contributed Submission 1/1/25

January Nature Almanac: Orion

This January, after the sun sets and the gloom gathers, cast your eyes to the southeast to watch the mighty stars of Orion rise majestically over the horizon.

Stephen Jones 12/1/24 Stephen Jones 12/1/24

Teen Naturalists: Winter Raptor Survey Trip Report

It was a crisp, sparkling morning, with our always enthusiastic, knowledgeable group.

Ruth Carol Cushman 12/1/24 Ruth Carol Cushman 12/1/24

December Nature Almanac: Yes, Birds Do Yawn!

A Great Horned Owl sat in a canyon alcove and opened wide its beak. We could see its tongue and red, cavernous mouth. Was this a yawn?

Bev Baker 11/4/24 Bev Baker 11/4/24

Conservation Corner - November 2024

Learn about what is going on with BERT, Hwy 36 wildlife crossings, Lefthand Canyon OHV Area, NoCo Place, COTREX, the North Foothills Bikeway, and the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan.

Stephen Jones 11/1/24 Stephen Jones 11/1/24

November Nature Almanac: Threatened Canyons Shelter Autumn Treasures

In late October we took a stroll down Forsythe Canyon, one of several forested drainages just west of Gross Reservoir. The canyon floor glowed with fall color: golden leaves of aspen and box elder, fiery wild rose, clumps of tender blue spruce needles scattered on the ground beneath pine squirrel nest trees.

Contributed Submission 10/10/24 Contributed Submission 10/10/24

Boulder to Erie Regional Trail (BERT): Comment on Draft Plan

Learn about the current status of the Boulder to Erie Regional Trail and how you can comment to the Boulder County Commissioners.

Contributed Submission 10/8/24 Contributed Submission 10/8/24

Black Bears in Boulder County

American black bears are Colorado’s largest carnivores. Bears are intelligent. They open car doors, sliding glass doors, or door handles that aren’t knobs.

Contributed Submission 10/1/24 Contributed Submission 10/1/24

October Nature Almanac: Stargazing - An Audio Experience

Stargazers gather in the Boulder countryside at night. They share the delight of gazing through a high-powered telescope at a distant nebula that reminds some viewers of colorful cotton candy dotted with stars. Some gather just for the opportunity of an area with little light pollution so they can see the stars, planets, and Milky Way with their own eyes.

Contributed Submission 9/8/24 Contributed Submission 9/8/24

Discover a unique wildlife and birding preserve in a pristine environment

There is a large National Wildlife Refuge in Northern Colorado that is only 3 hours and 15 minutes from Boulder that offers birders, nature enthusiasts and photographers a wealth of opportunity to experience an untouched and uncrowded environment. The “gem” of Jackson County is Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).

Contributed Submission 9/7/24 Contributed Submission 9/7/24

Conservation Corner - September Updates

Updates on Boulder to Erie Regional Trail, North Foothills Bikeway, Hwy 36 Wildlife Crossings, NOCO Places, CPW, and the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan!

Ruth Carol Cushman 9/1/24 Ruth Carol Cushman 9/1/24

September Nature Almanac: Aspen Leaves Glow and Glimmer, Whisper and—Maybe—Whimper as the World Gets Hotter

Early in September an occasional aspen tree turns into a lone golden candle, and by the fourth week entire hillsides glow in luminous tones of yellow, sometimes shading into salmon and red. Although members of a clone share the same genes and flaunt the same color...

Stephen Jones 8/1/24 Stephen Jones 8/1/24

August Nature Almanac: Skippers Flit through Mountain Meadows

The tiny skippers seem particularly at home in these sun-dappled clearings, where the males dart back and forth while trying to impress potential mates. Females perch calmly on logs…

Stephen Jones 7/1/24 Stephen Jones 7/1/24

July Nature Almanac: Ovenbirds Fill Foothills Canyons with Exotic Song

Beginning about 15 years ago, we began to hear Ovenbirds singing in most of our moist foothills canyons containing ponderosa pine and Rocky Mountain maple. What brought them here, and could the maple leaves be providing a suitable substitute for oak leaves in their nests?

Stephen Jones 6/1/24 Stephen Jones 6/1/24

June Nature Almanac: Non-Native Smooth Brome May Crowd Out Native Wildflowers

Smooth brome was introduced into North America in grass seed imported from Eurasia. An early maturing species, smooth brome can form dense stands long before many native grasses have initiated spring growth.