Walking Mountains Curious Nature | Walking Mountains (8)

Walking Mountains

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

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

Showy Milkweed In the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Gardening

Milkweed for the Mountains and Monarch Butterflies

Posted by Walking Mountains on Jul 4, 2016 3:00:20 AM

Milkweed is becoming a popular buzzword in the gardening community and the push to plant it in gardens and on public lands seems greater than ever. While admittedly the flower has a lovely bloom, why..

Topics: Curious Nature, Wildflower Update

Gaillardia and bee pollination and pollinating

Symbiosis in Action

Posted by Walking Mountains on Jun 27, 2016 2:36:08 AM

Hiking a trail that meanders through the brilliant reds, yellows, purples, and oranges of emerging wildflowers, I feel a sense of wonder and awe. As I stop to enjoy the beauty of these blossoms, I..

Topics: Curious Nature

In Light of the Summer Solstice

Posted by Walking Mountains on Jun 20, 2016 2:02:48 AM

Grilling out with friends and family, playing competitive yard games until late in the evening, hiking or walking the dog after work, and finishing the day with a breathtaking sunset. These are just..

Topics: Curious Nature

Nice Marmot! Yellow Bellied Marmot in Colorado

Posted by Walking Mountains on Jun 13, 2016 1:56:58 AM

How would you like to eat and sunbathe all day during the summer and then sleep through the cold winter months? The yellow-bellied marmot of the high regions of Colorado and the West do just that. At..

Topics: Curious Nature

Avoiding the Spool System Swindle

Posted by Walking Mountains on May 23, 2016 2:35:11 AM

Dear reader, I have been fooled by a system! The swimsuit pictured on the advertisement on my social media newsfeed was elegant, totally my style, and the price was right. Fast forward almost a month..

Topics: Curious Nature

Little Brown Birds and how to identify different species

Little Brown Birds: Pine siskin, Dark-eyed Junco & the House Sparrow

Posted by Walking Mountains on May 9, 2016 2:46:38 AM

Birding is a great hobby that everyone can take part in, but most birders (myself included) tend to be drawn to the flashy or colorful species because they can be easier to identify, and they seem..

Topics: Curious Nature, Birding

A Rocky Mountain Love Story: Lichen!

Posted by Walking Mountains on May 2, 2016 11:57:25 AM

That’s not moss, it’s lichen! Next time you are on the trail, you can easily distinguish moss from lichen by getting up close and making some simple observations. At the most basic level, moss is a..

Topics: Curious Nature

Curious Nature