Past BCAS Conservation Projects
Boulder County Audubon has completed many conservation projects over five decades. In addition to those listed below, BCAS volunteers have helped with many community conservation projects as well.
Restoration of Native Prairie at Dodd Reservoir - 2014-2017
Dodd Reservoir (aka. Dodd Lake), located just west of Niwot in Boulder County, is a small reservoir that was once a major source of ice for the surrounding area. Now it is an excellent little birding area. In 2017, the management of this property was turned over to the Boulder County Open Space. Prior to that Boulder County Audubon Society had an active program to restore the native prairie habitat around Dodd.
Progress by December 2015
We are making progress to return Dodd Reservoir to native prairie, providing habitat for native and migrating birds as well as prairie wildlife. This is an exciting project, and we have the right technical team on board. We need lots of hands and energy. The Teen Naturalists have already set up the transects to do bird, butterfly and dragonfly counts; identified shoreline tracks; sample water quality; and picked up barbed wire and other discarded junk. They also help with the tree planting and prairie dog fencing.
Progress by October 2014
The restoration plan at Dodd includes using the most environmentally conscious techniques that are possible in the restoration process. So, when John Kaltenbach notified Boulder Audubon that a rust fungus (Puccinia punctiformis) had been approved for field studies as a bio-control agent for Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), we were excited about an herbicide-free Canada thistle control. This host-specific pathogen causes the early spring shoots of the thistle to be weak and leggy with undersides covered with spores. These gangly shoots fall over and infect nearby rust-free plants. As with most bio-control agents, the host is not eradicated but able to be maintained with mechanical measures such as mowing, grazing or fire. Colorado Department of Agriculture will follow the plot at Dodd for 2 years and will keep us informed about the research from the plots around the state. Native seeds and forbs were planted around the area in late October 2014.
Progress by December 2013
Boulder County Audubon does not fit the parameters for the WHIP grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA for 2013, they will stay on for technical support and information. Their help was very important in the complicated restoration process. The Boulder County Audubon Board has committed $6,000 for this project. Since prairie dog fencing is quite expensive, we will be looking for other partners and extra support from our members. We hope that we can raise an amount equal to the $6000.00 the Board has pledged. We are also looking forward to some outstanding times at Dodd with old and new friends from our organization.
Results of 2013 restoration efforts:
The cover crop of Milo was very successful, and much of it is still standing.
The Smooth Brome really took a hit, but enough has come back to require another double application this spring.
The plowed area has some Smooth Brome but is doing well as a comparison.
With the demise of the Smooth Brome, there was an emergence of a lot of Russian Knapweed and several varieties of thistle.
The county was unable to burn the wetlands, and there is a heavy infestation of Canada Thistle and Teasel in these areas.
The Prairie Dogs have begun to explore on the BCAS side of the pasture fence on the west.
Plans for 2014:
Add Prairie Dog barrier of 36” neutral-colored snow fence to pasture fence on west boundary of property, remove pasture fence on north boundary to allow migration and remove downed and standing barbed wire along the north shoreline.
Mow restoration area both for mulch and to allow spraying and planting.
Disc the plowed area and plant to natives this spring.
Plant shrubs (Peach Leaf Willow) to begin replacing Crack Willow on the southern shore in mid-Aprl, and hand spray Canada Thistle and Teasel where possible in mid-April. The shrubs have been ordered, and BCAS plans a work day in April.
Spray (2 times) the restoration area in early May or whenever the Smooth Brome has begun growing and the knapweed and thistle rosettes are growing.
Plant cover crop of Milo in restoration area in mid to late May.
Hand weed worst areas of non-restoration areas in mid-July.
Work with Boulder County to burn non-restoration areas; hand broadcast wetland grasses, reeds, sedges and forbs as determined and when appropriate.
Hand weed and spray worst areas of the non-restoration area in late September.
Mow milo and weeds in October to prepare for fall planting of natives.
Plant native grasses and forbs in both restoration areas as recommended by Phillips Seeding, if the brome and weeds appear to be under control; or, do one more year of cover crop if necessary.
Maintain bird boxes, bee boxes, transect counts. Erect bat box and drill holes in the standing unused fence posts to attract more native bees.
Wes Sears Memorial Wildscape Garden - 2005
Thirty volunteers made Wes Sears’ dream of creating an Audubon At Home Wildlife Garden at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Boulder become a reality.
Two long, narrow berms measuring 3700 sq. feet edging the parking lot and roadside were transformed on May 12 and 13 with the planting of 279 xeriscape plants that will soon attract birds, butterflies, moths, spiders, and other wild creatures. The plants selected for the garden are low water users and hardy survivors. Forty-five tons of local river rock was brought in for mulch along with six tons of cobble for edging — a whole lot of shoveling and heavy work by some very committed volunteers. River rock was chosen since it stays in place – as compared to wood chips – and retains soil moisture, an important factor since these berms do not have irrigation. To help the plants settle in, Bev and a few volunteers will water, as necessary, over the hot summer months.
This is BCAS’s first project in Wildscaping, creating healthy, diverse habitats that feed, shelter and nurture birds and other creatures. In partnership with Audubon Colorado, BCAS committed to this new national initiative that is really a program for optimists – people who believe that the actions they do can have a positive impact on the world around us.
You can learn more about Wildscaping from the book Colorado Wildscapes, the habitat landscaping guide that helps people become backyard stewards – by reducing pesticide usage and removing invasive plants, protecting water supplies by using waterwise native plants and limiting the use of high-water grasses such as bluegrass. The habitat landscaping guide is now available through the Audubon Rockies website.
Wes’ spirit was very much a part of this gardening project and we’re sure that once the plants start attracting birds and butterflies, his memory will stay alive through the years as the wildscape flourishes and sustains the wild creatures he so enjoyed, respected and loved.
We join with Bev in thanking all the hardy volunteers who worked and worked over the two days to create this wildscape. Our sincerest thanks to Susan J. Tweit for the garden design and plant selections. The plants were purchased from The Flower Bin in Longmont and High Country Gardens mail order in Sante Fe, NM.
As the garden progresses, we will update the photos to show you how the wildscape is flourishing. Anyone interested in doing a similar garden for a church, school or in the community can learn more about wildscaping through the Habitat Heroes program.
Restoration of Coal Creek Riparian Corridor - 1997 to 2000
Over the decades, as the regional Open Space programs thrived and expanded, Boulder County Audubon worked with several other groups to monitor wildlife, protect special areas, and create bridges between recreationists and environmentalists. One of the most successful collaborations was between the City of Boulder Open Space Department, the Terra Foundation, Boulder County Nature Association, and our chapter to set aside acreage for wildlife along Coal Creek, with subsequent monitoring over 15 years to record changes systematically. Such studies are used by land management agencies across the West, and Boulder County Audubon members are proud to be a part of this.
The Coal Creek Project began in 1997 when Boulder County Audubon entered into discussions with the City of Boulder Open Space about fencing four linear miles of the Coal Creek riparian corridor south of Boulder to protect the area from cattle grazing and other intrusions. Bird surveys at 30 point-count stations were initiated in 1998. The Terra Foundation contributed the funds to pay for fencing, and fencing was completed in December 1999. Boulder County Audubon also raised $25,000 to contribute to the fencing but when these funds weren’t needed, the board voted to dedicate $14,000 to help pay for a video describing the project that was used for regional education efforts. Bird counts continued through the 2000s documenting dramatic increases in numbers of shrub-nesting and cavity-nesting birds within the protected corridor.