8th Annual High Country Speaker Series On the Move: Science and Stories of Animal Migration
Through a partnership of the Eagle Valley Library District and Gore Range Natural Science School, the 8th Annual High Country Speaker Series launches on Tuesday evenings beginning January 26. Expanding from 3 to 5 speakers this year, the High Country Speaker Series brings scholars to our community to share their knowledge and views of our unique western landscape. The theme for this year’s series is animal migration and we are pleased to bring these exciting speakers to the Vail Valley.
All events start at 6:30, are free to the public and take place
at the Avon Library in Avon, CO.
For more information about the High Country Speaker Series please call Natalia Hanks at Gore Range Natural Science School, 970.827.9725 ext. 30.
January 26 Paige Bonaker is Staff Biologist for the Center for Native Ecosystems in Boulder, which works to prevent extinction and recover native species of the Greater Southern Rockies, such as the Canada lynx, the elusive wildcat and the black footed ferret. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University, and an M.S. in Environmental Studies at the University of Montana. Paige has studied human-wildlife interaction issues in areas as diverse as Montana and Africa and will focus her talk on these issues in Colorado.
Before coming to the Center for Native Ecosystems, Paige helped coordinate the Citizen Science Wildlife Monitoring Program with the Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project.
February 9
Delia Malone will share the details of her current project, Song Birds as Indicators of Riparian Habitat Quality. Sponsored by the Aspen Field Biology Laboratory, Delia’s work studies stream health and how birds can potentially be used to measure changes in riparian quality. The project’s goal is to develop an index of riparian and stream habitat using breeding song birds as an indicator of habitat health. Protecting, conserving and restoring riparian habitat is essential to healthy streams.
Delia, who holds a BS in biology and MS degrees in education and environmental science, joins us from the Roaring Fork Valley. Her work conserving natural resources in a human-dominated landscape includes working as an ecologist for the Colorado Natural Heritage Program surveying, documenting and assessing wetlands throughout Colorado.
February 23 Chris Ray, PhD, is a researcher at CU Boulder in the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and is a world renowned expert on pika, which she has been researching for over 18 years. She focuses her field research on understanding climatic and other influences on the many pre-historic and recent local extinctions of this species throughout the western United States. Dr. Ray will describe how man-made climate change is pushing pika populations up the mountains - closer to their preferred colder temperatures, and perhaps closer to extinction.
March 9 David M . Armstrong, PhD, will address the diverse and complex mammalian fauna of the Colorado High Country in this presentation, titled “Movements of Mammals of the High Country: Patterns and Prospects”. The fauna has changed over time-scales of years to millennia to eons. In the past dozen decades, rates of change have accelerated due to direct and indirect human influences. This presentation will look at the big picture—geologic history, biogeography, broad ecological patterns—and then focus on on-going changes in distribution and migration (most of them traceable to human domination of the environment) in the Colorado Rockies of both “charismatic mega-mammals,” and small mammals as well.
David Armstrong grew up in Greeley, Colorado, and holds degrees from Colorado State University, Harvard, and the University of Kansas. His research has emphasized the ecology and biogeography of mammals, especially of the Rocky Mountain West and the Great Plains. He has published several dozen papers and a half dozen books in this general field and is beginning a book on the natural history of the foothills of the Colorado Front Range. Dave retired spring 2009 after 38 years at the University of Colorado-Boulder as Professor Emeritus, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies. He is Resident at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, west of Loveland . Dave is a Trustee of the Nature Conservancy in Colorado.
March 23 Kim Langmaid, PhD, is an environmental educator and natural historian who has lived in the Vail Valley since 1969. She is the founder of Gore Range Natural Science School and she has taught environmental studies for Teton Science Schools' Graduate Program and for Prescott College's Master of Arts and PhD programs in Sustainability Education.
If an American Robin shows up at your Vail doorstep in January, is this evidence of climate change? How do we know if ecological change around us is due to climate change or some other phenomena? In her presentation, Seeing Shifts: Ecology and Climate Change in the Rocky Mountains, Kim will share her recent adventures exploring the scientific stories and experiences of prominent mountain scientists who study the effects of climate change on plants and animals from New Mexico to Montana.
The Nature Discovery Center
The Nature Discovery Center is located adjacent Adventure Ridge on Vail Mountain just east of the gondola. Guided, one-hour summer nature hikes leave daily at 11 am and 2 pm, and run June 25 through August 29, and do not require reservations. Programs are offered complimentary of Vail Resorts, the United States Forest Service and Gore Range Natural Science School.
Call the Discovery Center at 970-754-4675 for more details.
The Discovery Center is open daily from 10am-4pm and on Fridays from 10am-8pm.
Guided Nature Discovery Walk
Offered Daily
Time: 11 am - noon; 2 pm - 3 pm
Join Gore Range Natural Science School on a morning or afternoon nature walk and discover how plants and animals adapt to the high elevation environment as you identify signs of life on Vail Mountain.
US Forest Service interpretive programs
Gore Range Natural Science School partners with the White River National Forest to present a variety of community programs on public lands. Meet naturalists at the designated trailhead and be prepared for hiking in the Rockies : wear appropriate clothing and footwear and bring your own snacks and water. Call the Nature Discovery Center at (970) 479-4675, or the USFS Visitor Center in Minturn at (970) 827-5715 for exact trailhead and meeting locations.
Evenings at Gore Creek
Days: Saturdays, June 19 - September 4
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Location: Gore Creek Campground Amphitheater
What makes the Rocky Mountains special? How about a clear night of dazzling stars, fascinating tales from mining history, or a glimpse into the lives of bear or moose? Weekly program topics vary so be sure to check out the campground bulletin board for details.
Evenings at Yeoman Park
Days: Saturdays, June 19 - September 4
Time: 7 pm - 8 pm
Location: Yeoman Park Campground Amphitheater
What makes the Rocky Mountains special? How about a clear night of dazzling stars, fascinating tales from mining history, or a glimpse into the lives of bear or moose? Weekly program topics vary so be sure to check out the campground bulletin board for details.
The Vail Nature Center
The Vail Recreation District partners with GRNSS to provide programming at the Vail Nature Center adjacent to Ford Park and Gore Creek. Programs run from late June to the beginning of September and cost a nominal fee charged by the Vail Recreation District. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and registration is required for evening programs. Call the Vail Nature Center at 476-2291 for reservations and program fee information.
Wildflower Walk
Days: M & W; June 21 through August 11
Time: 11:30 am– 12:30 pm, $3/person or $2/Vail tax payers
Wildflowers abound in the summer high country of Colorado. From May to September there is a succession of color at the Nature Center. Join us for a leisurely walk to learn about the flowers that carpet our mountain floors and about the places and conditions they need to thrive.
Morning Bird Walk
Days: T & Th; June 22 through August 12
Time: 8:30 – 9:30 am, $3/person or $2/Vail tax payers
Birds love the Nature Center and so do people who love birds! On our morning walks we are likely to see Warblers, Western Tanagers, Grosbeaks, Dippers and a host of others. Come to amble along the streamside of Gore Creek and watch for a variety of birds.
Evening Beaver Pond Tour
Days: Tuesdays, June 22 through August 24
Time: 7 pm – 8:30pm
$5 child/$10 adult/$30 family
Beavers are one of the animals that define the Rocky Mountains , and we often see them right here in Vail! Join us at dusk to learn about and look for these amazing animal architects.
Family Fun Night
Days: Wednesdays, July 7 – August 4
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm Bring the whole family to meet a series of special guests who will teach us about our natural world. This is your chance for an up-close and personal encounter with live animals, outdoor professionals and other colorful characters. Call the Nature Center for a list of guest speakers.
S’mores and More: Family Campfire Program
Days: Thursdays, June 24 through August 26
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm
$5 child/$10 adult/$30 family
A warm campfire, exciting stories of woodland adventure and the sweet smell of burning marshmallows fill this family program at the Nature Center! It’s sure to be a fun evening for the entire family.
Stories in the Sky: Stargazing at the Vail Nature Center
Days: Fridays, June 25 through August 27
Time: Sunset (time varies weekly call Nature Center for details)
$5 child/$10 adult/$30 family
Each constellation has a story. Identify the stars and hear their stories while you gaze into the dark and bedazzled night sky of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
Creekside Tours from the Vail Market
Days: Sundays, June 27 through August 22
Time: 10am and 1pm
Location: Meet at the Vail Nature Center Booth at the Vail Market
Join a naturalist for a walk along Gore Creek. You’ll learn about the special plants and animals living in this riparian ecosystem in the heart of Vail. You’ll also learn about some of Vail’s first residents as you make your way to the end of the tour at the historic Nature Center farmhouse building.
