BCNA Classes, Hikes, and Webinars
“Can we imagine a world in which social and economic practices are in symbiosis with nature – rather than just means to human ends?”
— from “Exiting the Anthropocene? Exploring Fundamental Change in Our Relationship with Nature” by European Environment Agency, published March 20, 2023, last modified September 18, 2023
The mission of the BCNA Environmental Education Program is to build a community interested in learning from experts and each other about local environmental
systems and actions to conserve Boulder County’s natural world.
Since the 1980s, BCNA has partnered with knowledgeable instructors to offer classes, field trips, nature hikes, social gatherings, an annual Ecosymposium, and other activities to present an in-depth understanding of the complexity and value of interconnected natural ecosystems in Boulder County and the Front Range. By highlighting the challenges facing these ecosystems and exploring avenues for advocacy, BCNA empowers members, the public, and professionals to contribute to the health and resilience of the environment.
If you are interested in leading a class, field outing, nature hike, or other activities to help us grow our environmental education program, please contact us to join our team!
2024 Classes, Hikes, and Webinars
Discover the Future of Farming: Permaculture & Regenerative Agriculture
Join us for an immersive experience in sustainable land stewardship at Yellow Barn Farm!
Explore how people in Boulder County are becoming more effective land stewards while growing the food you need, all within the context of Boulder County’s unique ecosystems. You’ll dive into the philosophy of permaculture and how it can revolutionize agricultural systems to better support the health of our environment.
What is Permaculture?
Permaculture is a design philosophy that works with nature, not against it. By creating agricultural systems that mimic natural ecosystems, we can grow food while enhancing the environment around us. In Boulder County, permaculture principles can lead to an agricultural landscape that supports biodiversity, restores soil health, and creates resilient, self-sustaining communities.
What is Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture goes beyond sustainable practices—it’s about actively improving and revitalizing the land. This method enhances soil fertility, increases biodiversity, and sequesters carbon, all while producing healthy food. Imagine an agricultural system that not only feeds us but also restores and strengthens Boulder County’s natural ecosystems for future generations.
Experience Farming as a Holistic Service
At Yellow Barn Farm, you’ll tour our innovative silvopasture, where 3,500 trees were planted in contour swales over just two days by 175 dedicated volunteers. See firsthand how we integrate animal and plant agriculture through rotational grazing and the use of pigs to process food waste into compost, enriching the soil in the process.
Shift the Narrative
We’ll explore the concept of “farming as a service,” which prioritizes soil health over mere food production. This approach shifts the narrative from food as a commodity to farming as a holistic service that benefits the entire ecosystem.
Special Guest Speaker
During lunch, Amy Scanes-Wolfe will provide an overview of Permaculture Design and discuss how these practices align with regenerative economics and social design. Learn how to build a fully integrated community framework that supports not just the land, but the people who depend on it.
Join us for this transformative field outing and learn how to become a steward of both the land and the community. 🌾
Leaders: Azuraye Wycoff, Executive Director and Operator at Yellow Barn Farm and Amy Scanes-Wolfe, Agroecology Incubator Program Manager at Drylands Agroecology Research
Location: Yellow Barn Farm, 9417 N. Foothills Hwy, Longmont
Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024, 10:00 – 12 noon
Tuition: $20. Reservations are required.
Register on Eventbrite. Limited to 12 participants.
PAST 2024 CLASSES
Biodiversity Walk: Biodiversity and Resilience Within Changing Times and Climates
Leader: Lynne Sullivan
Location: Ranger Cottage at Open Space and Mountain Parks, Chautauqua Park, 900 Baseline Rd. & 9th St., Boulder
Date: Tuesday, June 4, 9:30 am to 1:00 pm
Deep observation of large to small-scale patterns seen on the land reveals the bountiful diversity of life found in the Front Range of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks system. Immersing ourselves in this expressive landscape, we realize how adaptability to changing climate emerges in these habitats comprising some of the most biologically rich regions in the interior of the United States.
Please dress for the weather, including sturdy walking shoes, a hat, and sun protection. Bring water, your lunch, and/or snacks, allow ample time (~10 minutes) to find parking, and we’ll find inspiration for body and soul on this gentle meandering walk.
Tuition: Free. Reservations are required.
Registration on Eventbrite opens Tuesday, April 23 for BCNA members and Thursday, April 25 for everyone. Limited to 12 participants.
Cancellation: If you need to cancel, please go to Eventbrite and cancel so another person can have the spot. Thanks!
The top photo of Boulder was taken in 1874 and used with permission of the Carnegie Library for Local History, Boulder. The lower photo is a recent aerial photo of Boulder.
History from a “Bird’s Eye View” – Changes in Feathered Fauna in an Evolving Landscape
Please note: The date for this program has been changed to Thursday, August 8 at 6:30 pm.
Speakers: Martin Ogle and Gerry Morrell
Location: Lafayette Public Library, 775 W. Baseline Road
Date: Thursday, August 8, 2024, 6:30 pm
In addition to its song, the Blue Jay calling out in your backyard sings its part in the chorus of Boulder County’s story. This fascinating program, presented by Lafayette Open Space naturalist, Martin Ogle, and the Lafayette Historical Society’s Gerry Morrell, tracks how changes in human land use have transformed the avian fauna of our region.
Learn how the building of cities, planting of trees, creation of water projects, and other human activities have ushered in many species (including some of the most familiar) and ushered out others. What other songbirds followed the path of the Blue Jay? What water birds are newcomers to our prairie landscape? And what of the Burrowing Owl?
This program is sponsored by Lafayette Open Space and the Boulder County Nature Association . This program is free, and reservations are not required.
Field Trip: Birds and Butterflies of Boulder Tallgrass Prairies
Leaders: Steve Jones and Scott Severs
Location: South Boulder Creek State Natural Area. Park at the South Boulder Creek West trailhead, on South Broadway (Highway 93) 1/2 mile north of the Eldorado Springs light. Bring a hat, some sunscreen, binoculars, and a hand lens.
Date: Friday, August 2, 7:30-10:30 am
This field trip accompanies the History from a Birds Eye View program at the Lafayette Public Library on Thursday, August 8 at 6:30 pm. Steve and Scott will talk about and look for the many changes in bird and butterfly communities as a result of the changes in human land use in Boulder County. Learn how the building of cities, planting of trees, creation of water projects and other human activities have ushered in many bird and butterfly species and ushered out others. Identify the factors that still make Boulder County so rich in biodiversity.
Boulder’s protected tallgrass prairies, among the largest tallgrass remnants along the northern Front Range, still support native prairie birds, but the invasion of deciduous trees along South Boulder Creek and the Boulder urban fringe has given the species composition a decidedly eastern flavor. We should see some typical prairie birds such as lark sparrow, grasshopper sparrow, and Western Meadowlark; but also expect Blue Grosbeak, Cedar Waxwing, Blue Jay, and other species more typical of eastern deciduous woodlands.
As for butterflies, abundant milkweed plants support monarchs and viceroys, and we may see one or two Arogos Skippers, which lay their eggs on the big bluestem. We should also get an intimate look at some of the tallgrass blossoms.
Registration on Eventbrite opens Saturday, June 22 for BCNA members and Monday, June 24 for everyone. Limited to 12 participants.
Cancellation: If you need to cancel, please go to Eventbrite and cancel so another person can have the spot. Thanks!
Willows of Boulder County
Outdoor Field Course
Saturday, Aug 10th 8 am – 3 pm
Come learn willows with a willow expert, Gwen Kittel. Willows occur throughout Colorado in wetlands, along streams, ditches, and in forests. This tour is for anyone interested in riparian and wetland ecology and in learning (or re-learning) their willows. It is designed for beginners as well as for experts. We’ll see as many as 15 different species of willow on this tour.
We’ll meet on the plains, then travel by car with several stops along the way, ending in the subalpine. We’ll hike on uneven ground for short distances. Bring a hat, water, lunch, a 10x or greater hand lens if you have one, and a 6 inch ruler.
A handout of stop locations and expected willow species will be provided.
Gwen Kittel is a Conservation Ecologist specializing in wetland and riparian ecology and restoration. She has taught plant identification for the Colorado Native Plant Society for over 30 years, has written a well vetted vegetative key to willows, and now has a field guide to Colorado Willows, which will be available for purchase.
Tuition: Gwen’s book, “Willows (Salix) of Colorado” is available at a discount if purchased at the time of registration. Normally $40, Gwen’s book, “Willows (Salix) of Colorado” will be discounted to $35 if purchased at the time of registration. There is a $20 registration fee, and reservations are required.
Registration on Eventbrite opens Saturday, June 29 for BCNA members and Monday, July 1 for everyone. Limited to 15 participants.
Cancellation: If you need to cancel, please go to Eventbrite and cancel so another person can have the spot. Thanks!
Todd Gulch Fen Phenology
Outdoor Field Course
Saturday, August 24th, 8 am – 2 pm
What is a Fen? What is Phenology? Come learn about wetlands, rare species, and citizen science with botanist and ecologist Gwen Kittel. We’ll cover plant identification and learn how to document the phenological stages (bud burst, flowering, fruiting, etc.) of wildflowers, sedges, shrubs and even conifer trees!
This is a unique chance to look closely at the highly biodiverse ecosystem with rare plants, designated as part of Environmental Conservation Area #5 in the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan.
Bring a hat, water-proof shoes, water, lunch, a 10x or greater hand lens if you have one, and a 6 inch ruler. Handouts on species and their phenological stages will be provided.
The Fen is about a ¼ mile hike from a parking lot west of Gold Hill. There is a gentle trail, dropping about 200 feet. We then go off-trail and into the wetland. How wet you get will be up to you!
Gwen Kittel is a Conservation Ecologist specializing in wetland and riparian ecology and restoration. She has taught plant identification for the Colorado Native Plant Society for over 30 years.
Tuition: $20 Reservations are required.
Registration on Eventbrite opens Saturday, July 13 for BCNA members and Monday, July 15 for everyone. Limited to 15 participants.
Cancellation: If you need to cancel, please go to Eventbrite and cancel so another person can have the spot. Thanks!
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EDUCATION PROGRAM
Boulder County Nature Association
P.O. Box 493, Boulder, CO 80306 | Contact Us