Welcome to the Boulder County Nature Association
For more than 50 years, the Boulder County Nature Association has been dedicated to understanding, preserving, and celebrating the rich natural heritage of Boulder County. We are an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization committed to fostering a deeper connection between people and the landscapes, wildlife, and ecosystems that make this region extraordinary.
Through scientific studies using volunteers, a grants program for relevant research, educational programs, field trips, and conservation advocacy, BCNA brings together nature enthusiasts of all ages who share a passion for learning and stewardship. Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist or simply curious about the world just outside your door, we invite you to explore, discover, and help protect the natural wonders of Boulder County.
BCNA and Boulder Audubon jointly administer an email list serve, Nature-Net, to keep everyone updated about items of interest to both organizations.
To discover more about BCNA’s programs, please follow the links above the photo or in the hamburger drop-down menu.
BCNA’s Educational Hike Series: Climate Change and Forests of Boulder County
Are you curious about how climate change has influenced wildfire activity and forest insect outbreaks in Boulder County? Have you ever wondered how scientists use tree rings to reconstruct fire history—and how fire activity under modern fire suppression compares to fire activity prior to fire suppression? Or how climate change is affecting tree regeneration after recent fires and driving increased mortality among mature trees?
Join Tom Veblen, CU Distinguished Professor Emeritus, and Karl Ford, BCNA Education Committee member, for a series of educational hikes exploring these themes in Boulder County’s lower montane, upper montane, and subalpine forests.
The third hike in this series will focus on subalpine forests near the CU Mountain Research Station near Ward. We will visit some of the permanent forest plots where Tom Veblen’s research group has been monitoring thousands of trees since the early 1980s. Through interactive discussions and firsthand observations, participants will gain insight into how peer-reviewed scientific findings apply to local forest conditions. We will also connect research conducted in the subalpine forests near the CU Mountain Research Station to broader patterns of climate impacts across Colorado and the western U.S.
This hike series is designed for conservation-minded nature enthusiasts who want to better understand how scientific evidence relates to messages about fire risk and forest management from national and local government and the media. Each hike will highlight key science-based knowledge of Boulder County forests and support informed public engagement on climate adaptation initiatives.
We will meet at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 10, at Buckingham Park in lower Lefthand Canyon and drive to the CU Mountain Research Station. We will make one or two stops on the way to the Mountain Research Station.
Participants must be capable of hiking (at a leisurely pace) 2 miles from approximately 9,500 to 10,400 feet on a rocky, moderately steep old mining road. We do not yet know if 4WD vehicles will be available to transport us for the first half of the uphill climb.
Participants need to be prepared for sudden weather changes (including the possibility of thunderstorms). Bring lunch and snacks, plenty of water, and sunscreen. No dogs or children please.
We will return to Buckingham Park by 5:00 p.m.
No fee. To register, email Tom at veblen@colorado.edu. Limit 14 participants. Please notify Tom if you need to cancel after registering.
KGNU Monthly Nature Almanac
Giving a Hoot about Great Horned Owls
For the May Nature Almanac, Naturalists Steve Jones and Ruth Carol Cushman head to a Louisville Park on a cool, misty evening, seeking a family of Great Horned Owls, beloved by the neighborhood, whose three baby owls have recently fledged. Owls are so good at hiding among large willow and cottonwood trees, the odds are that neither mom nor dad, nor the babies, will be seen. But Steve and Ruth Carol remain undaunted, and they give a hoot about explaining owl lore and the differences between male and female Great Horned Owls. Will any real owls speak up? Which will they find? What about a small hawk, and an angry crow, also on the lookout for Great Horned owls?
Photo courtesy of Glenn Cushman
Calendars of Upcoming Local Environmental Events
Boulder.Earth Climate Action Portal
People and pollinators action network: Upcoming events
Wildlands Restoration Volunteers
Gifts for the Naturalist in Your Life
Look for the BCNA books Butterflies of the Colorado Front Range by Janet Chu and Stephen Jones and Dragonflies of the Colorado Front Range by Ann Cooper books as well as CDs published by BCNA at any of these places:
- Special events hosted by BCNA
- Locally at the Front Range Birding Company: 5360 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, and 10146 W. San Juan Way, Littleton
- Wild Birds Unlimited: 2720 S. Wadsworth, Denver; 7370 W. 88th Ave., Arvada; and 1520 S. Hover St., Suite D, Longmont 80501
- Wild Bear Nature Center Gift Shop in Caribou Village Shopping Center, 20 Lakeview Drive, Nederland
- Covered Treasures Bookstore, 105 Second Street, Monument CO
- Boulder Audubon Chapter’s annual holiday sale
- Amazon: Butterflies of the Colorado Front Range or Dragonflies of the Colorado Front Range
- Brigham Distributing
- Some Barnes & Noble stores in the Front Range
- Butterfly eBooks are available from Amazon, Apple Books (purchase using the Apple Books app), and barnesandnoble.com.
Banner Photo: Mink at Sawhill Ponds, Boulder; July 24, 2021 © CCVanWie
Boulder County Nature Association
P.O. Box 493, Boulder, CO 80306