Programs

Unless otherwise noted, these events are held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, 5001 Pennsylvania Ave. (off 55th St. between Arapahoe and Baseline) and begin at 7:30 PM.

(Currently, it's )

• September 28, 2010: Steve Jones, Linda Andes-Georges, and Paula Hansley, "Riparian Renaissance at Coal Creek"

  

  Coal Creek Bald Eagle nest
  
  Coal Creek May Mist
  
  Elk bull strutting with his harem at Coal Creek
  In 1998, Boulder County Audubon approached Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks about fencing (to exclude cattle) and protecting a relatively natural stretch of Coal Creek south of Boulder.  Aided by a generous grant from Terra Foundation, the city was able to complete fencing off 5 miles of the creek corridor in December 1999.  We initiated bird monitoring within the corridor in 1998 and have carried out monthly bird counts since then.  These counts have documented a threefold increase in numbers of native cavity-nesting and tree canopy-nesting birds.  Elk have returned to the riparian corridor for the first time in 150 years, and a bald eagle pair has nested successfully.  Boulder County Audubon financed production of a DVD, by John Vanderpoel, that chronicles some of these changes.
  (NOTE: Click on the thumbnail images above to see larger versions.)

  Steve Jones, Linda Andes-Georges, and Paula Hansley are local naturalists who have initiated and participated in a variety of bird studies, including the Indian Peaks Four-Season Bird Counts, the Boulder County Nature Association wintering raptor and small owl surveys, and the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas.

  
  
• (Special Program! Please note the special date and location for this program.)
  Tuesday, October 5, 7:00 p.m. "Ghost Bird"
  Lafayette Public Library, 775 W. Baseline Rd., Lafayette, CO 80026

  Every year another bird species vanishes forever. What are the chances of one coming back? Boulder County Nature Association and Boulder County Audubon are proud to cosponsor this free screening of the much acclaimed documentary chronicling the search for the ivory-billed woodpecker.

  "A multi-layered story that will fascinate practically everybody." - New York Times
  "Spellbinding..." - New York Magazine

  Lafayette Public Library is located at 775 W. Baseline Rd. Please join us for the film and a short discussion afterward.

  See the Ghost Bird event listing at Eventbrite.
  

• (Special Event! Please note the special date and location for this event.)
  Sunday, October 10, 7:00 p.m. "Boulder 350 Global Work Party"
  University of Colorado’s University Memorial Center

  Global action on climate change starts locally! Rise to the challenge by supporting the Boulder 350 Global Work Party on 10/10/10 (October 10, 2010), this year’s biggest day of international action to cut carbon emissions. Attend hands-on carbon-reduction workshops, join in on work parties to reduce our carbon footprint, and help address the serious problem of climate change we all face. All members of the Boulder community, including kids, teens, students and adults, are invited to participate.  The primary Global Work Party venue is the University of Colorado’s University Memorial Center. Events include:

  • Kick-Off Rally: Featuring international live music and speeches by community leaders, including Hunter Lovins, founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions.
  • Workshops and Work Parties: A variety of interactive opportunities to reduce carbon emissions in our own lives and in our community - hosted by local organizations and open to the public. Workshops hosts include: City and County of Boulder, Earth Guardians, Eco-Cycle, NOAA, RTD, Solar Gardens Institute and many others!
  • “Carrotmob” party at the local winning brewery, with a percentage of the evening’s revenue supporting the host’s carbon reduction improvements.

  Please visit www.Boulder350.org to learn more and register for workshops. Boulder 350 is an all-volunteer affiliate of 350.org, the international movement dedicated to reaching climate solutions that science requires and justice demands.

  The Boulder County Audubon Society is an assisting sponsor of this event.

• (Special Program! Please note the special date and location for this program.)
  Thursday, October 21, 7:00 p.m. "Uganda: Life in the Pearl of Africa"
  George Reynolds Branch Library

  Uganda – the Pearl of Africa – is a land of friendly and gentle people, moderate climate, scenic lakes, rivers, hills, and mountains and stunning biodiversity, but also with a harsh history and stubborn poverty. In this program, Bob Andrews will discuss the educational work he did for four years at a small college, introduce the daily life of rural Uganda, and give a sampling of Uganda’s rich flora and fauna.

  Bob Andrews, born and raised in Denver and currently living in Englewood, is a long-time Colorado field ornithologist and naturalist. He has led many birding field trips and is the senior author of Colorado Birds. He graduated from the University of Colorado with a Master’s in biology. He lived in Africa for 13 years, 9 years in Namibia and 4 years in Uganda, where he was a biology and geography lecturer, Academic Registrar, and Assistant Vice-Chancellor at Central Buganda University.

  This Boulder County Nature Association special program is free and open to all. The Reynolds Branch Library is located on Table Mesa Drive one block west of Broadway and opposite the Table Mesa King Soopers.
  

• October 26: Dave Sutherland, Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, "Treasures of the Boulder Mountain Park"
  

  The Boulder Mountain Park and neighboring open space support a dozen species of wild orchid, rare ferns and mosses, nesting goshawks and flammulated owls, and perhaps the largest concentration of foraging black bears found anywhere in eastern Colorado. Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks naturalist Dave Sutherland will open our eyes to these and other wonders through his beautiful photos and years of experience exploring and teaching about Mountain Park ecosystems.

  Dave Sutherland has been an interpretive naturalist for Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks for more than 10 years. Previously, he worked for 5 years as an interpretive naturalist for the Darwin Research Center in the Galapagos Islands. Using his bilingual skills and experience as a professional guide, he has taught nature classes and conducted workshops in Honduras, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colorado.
  Photo: White Adder's-mouth Orchid, courtesy University of Colorado Herbarium.

• November 23: Rick Hatfield, Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, "30 Years of Raptor Research in Boulder"

  Rick has been monitoring nesting eagles, falcons, and other raptors in the Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks system for nearly three decades, and he helped establish one of the most successful raptor nest-monitoring programs in North America. He'll update us on nesting behaviors and nesting success of these charismatic raptors.

  Don't miss our annual Holiday Sale beginning at 6 p.m. We'll have a good selection of books and art works from local authors and artists, along with other holiday delights, with a percentage of the proceeds going to benefit Boulder County Audubon Society.
  Photo: Young golden eagle on nest, Steve Jones