BCAS Articles
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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!
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...
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…
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?
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.
Teen Naturalists: Moonlight Hike on Bobolink and Centennial Trails
Five of us walked 2 miles under a brilliant full moon, accompanied most of the way by the soothing sounds of chorus frogs and winnowing snipe.
May Nature Almanac: Listen, It’s Spring
All birds have a wide repertoire of sounds ranging from sweet melodies to raucous cries and soft chips and chirps.
April Nature Almanac: March Snows Nourish Fields of Wildflowers
When 2-5 feet of snow fell on Boulder County's foothills and mountains during the second week of March, local wildflower-lovers jumped with joy.
Teen Naturalists: Arthropods at the Butterfly Pavillion
Entomologist Francisco Garcia took the group into the collection room to show us how the staff at the Pavilion manages and cares for a large collection of arthropods from all over the world.
Conservation Corner Updates
Updates on 79th Street Tennis Facility, East Boulder Creek Site Management Plan, NOCO Places, and the Boulder County Weed Management Plan.
Catios as Outdoor Enrichment for Indoor Cats
The significance of enriched environments for indoor cats cannot be overstated. Catios, or cat enclosures, provide a sanctuary where cats can indulge their curiosity and natural behaviors in a controlled environment.
March Nature Almanac: Soaring Into Spring on a Turkey Vulture’s Wing
A hulking black bird associated with carrion is not what most people think of as a harbinger of spring. Nevertheless, the return of Turkey Vultures brings excitement to winter-weary Colorado birders.
February Nature Almanac: Cavity-Nesting Ducks Take to Front Range Woodlands
Fifty years ago, some of us would have driven miles to see courting mergansers, and Wood Ducks were considered uncommon in Boulder County. What has changed?