Teen Naturalist Program Relaunches with Stargazing & Fall Colors
Twenty teen naturalists and parents gathered at the Left Hand Valley trailhead on September 24, 2023 for our annual stargazing pizza party. Highlights included clear views of Jupiter and five of its moons, at their closest distance to the earth in 50 years; Saturn and its rings; the Andromeda galaxy and Milky Way; a half-dozen spectacular shooting stars; and the space shuttle passing right overhead.
Sky scientist Regner Trampedach and long-time Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks naturalist Dave Sutherland provided the primary telescopes and sky analysis. Boulder County Audubon provided the pizzas and drinks.
The stargazing party was an inspiration of teen naturalists Eva Getman and Annelise Trampedach and their parents four years ago. It was suspended during the first two years of the pandemic. Its renewal this year seemed the perfect way to re-launch Boulder County Audubon's Teen Naturalist program, which has flourished since 2013. Several participants in the program have gone on to become respected wildlife ecologists; one recently discovered a new species of meadowlark.
Okay, our views weren’t quite this good but it was still spectacular to view Saturn and its rings in the telescopes. Image courtesy of NASA.
In October, Dave Sutherland led a 3.5-mile hike along the Goshawk Trail. Participants observed spectacular fall colors, along with several Abert's squirrels, a Golden Eagle, and a flying Accipiter that looked a lot like a goshawk.
A total of 16 students have participated in our trips so far this fall, and we're excited to have the privilege of working with another very enthusiastic group of budding naturalists.
Upcoming Events
Future Teen Naturalist events include a winter raptor survey at White Rocks Trail in November, the Boulder Christmas bird count in December, and our traditional wild duck observation and photography outing along Clear Creek in January. Students have requested a trip to the Butterfly Pavilion, and we’re thinking about another trip to the Denver zoo, where Carol McCasland has promised to introduce us to her orangutan friends.
Our outings are open to middle and high school students as well as younger students accompanied by adults. To find out more details and to register, please see the individual trips listed on the Teen Naturalists page.
Teen Naturalists, and other teens living in Colorado, also have the opportunity to apply for one of Boulder County Audubon’s scholarships to the National Audubon Society’s Coastal Maine Bird Studies for Teens Program at Hog Island, Maine. Applications are due January 15, 2023. Learn about eligibility and find the application information on the Scholarships page.