Walking Mountains Curious Nature | Walking Mountains (6)

Walking Mountains

Our mission is to awaken a sense of wonder and inspire environmental stewardship and sustainability through natural science education.

The Minturn Formation: Rocking with its Strata Out In Colorado

Posted by Walking Mountains on Oct 10, 2016 2:29:31 AM

Itching to shred the gnar and leave first tracks on the fresh pow-pow this winter? Translation: Excited to ski or snowboard on the freshly fallen powder this winter? As we wait for opening day on..

Topics: Curious Nature

These ‘Bird Brains’ Are Anything But!

Posted by Walking Mountains on Oct 3, 2016 2:05:51 AM

A local high-mountain dweller has evolved an ingenious way to beat the empty belly blues during long Colorado winters. It’s the Clark’s Nutcracker: a tiny-brained individual bird in the jay family..

Topics: Curious Nature, Birding

Elk and Deer Migration Habits in Eagle County Colorado

The Mystery of Migration Revealed!

Posted by Walking Mountains on Sep 26, 2016 2:30:51 AM

Fall is in the air, and the animals that take up summer residency in Colorado sense it, understanding the waning daylight and cooler temperatures as a signal that it is time to move. Migration is..

Topics: Curious Nature

Gambel Oak Scrub Oak Fall Colors Colorado

You Call That a Mighty Oak? The Gambel Oak in Colorado

Posted by Walking Mountains on Sep 12, 2016 2:28:24 AM

The monsters of the eastern forests are no Sasquatch—instead they are the massive and mighty oaks, growing many feet in diameter and over a hundred feet tall. The dozens of oak species native to..

Topics: Curious Nature

Colorado Mountain Goat Habits and Viewing

Mountain Goats: Nature’s Mountaineers

Posted by Walking Mountains on Sep 5, 2016 2:29:57 AM

If you’ve ever spent time in the mountainous regions of North America, you may have seen large white animals with curved horns and long scraggly beards scaling the rock faces of steep cliffs. These..

Topics: Curious Nature

The Bird the Swallow in Colorado Violet Green Swallow

Swallow Your Pride: About the Swallow bird in Colorado

Posted by Walking Mountains on Aug 29, 2016 2:15:17 AM

Throughout the spring and summer, you may see Swallows darting and sailing overhead while singing out their favorite songs. The beauty of their flight and harmonious sounds are a treasure in the..

Topics: Curious Nature, Birding

Animal Horns vs Antlers they are not the same

Animal Horns vs Antlers: Why They Are Not The Same

Posted by Walking Mountains on Aug 22, 2016 2:53:33 AM

Wow, look at the rack on that … elk, of course. But a rack of what? We tend to use the terms “horns” and “antlers” interchangeably, but they are really very different structures. A common..

Topics: Curious Nature

The Pika in The Colorado Rocky Mountains and Vail Valley

The Pika: Princes of the Mountain

Posted by Walking Mountains on Aug 8, 2016 2:20:59 AM

High up on a mountain, little furry animals run between rock crevices underneath the snow. They cheep to one another, emitting a high pitched call to send signals to their friends. After resting and..

Topics: Curious Nature

About Pollination and How Pollination with Bees Happens

Pollination: Teamwork at its finest

Posted by Walking Mountains on Aug 1, 2016 2:16:59 AM

What is pollination? Pollination, essentially, is plant sex. More specifically, it is the act of transferring pollen grains from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma. The goal is to..

Topics: Curious Nature

Ancient Trees: The Bristlecone Pine

Posted by Walking Mountains on Jul 25, 2016 2:35:16 AM

Long ago, before the discovery of the Eagle Valley and even before the rise of Egyptian pharaohs, a young seed drifted on the wind and landed in the Rocky Mountains. This young seed took hold of the..

Topics: Curious Nature

Scatological Specimens: How to Identify Types of Animal Scat

Posted by Walking Mountains on Jul 18, 2016 2:30:57 AM

“Ewwwww!” The kids were clearly repulsed as I wantonly picked up piece after piece of what looked like elk scat, holding it out for them to get a closer look. In case you don’t know, scat is the..

Topics: Curious Nature

Beautiful and Blue: The Colorado State Flower, The Columbine

Posted by Walking Mountains on Jul 11, 2016 2:47:42 AM

If you’ve been out hiking recently, you have probably seen this striking flower blooming in the summer wind. The pale-blue to lavender sepals, the delicate white petals, and the golden pistils is the..

Topics: Curious Nature, Wildflower Update

Curious Nature