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..
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Topics: Curious Nature, Birding
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..
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Topics: Curious Nature
Aspens form the backdrop to so many of our recreational activities here in Colorado. Hiking, skiing, camping and snowshoeing seem to be much more enjoyable when done in the shade and beauty of our..
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Topics: Curious Nature
Winter is on its way out and spring is on its way in! It’s time for budding aspens, rushing rivers, bare feet, and clear highway conditions. This time of year can go by in the blink of an eye, and if..
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Topics: Curious Nature, Birding
As a naturalist up at the Nature Discovery Center on Vail Mountain, I am commonly asked about the large black and white bird they see hopping around town. Perhaps to a local, this bird has lost its..
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Topics: Curious Nature, Birding
It’s difficult to see the forest for the trees, especially when most of those trees are conifers. After all, conifers all tend to look the same, especially from a distance. People don’t come from all..
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Topics: Curious Nature
I want you to imagine the wildest place you can. It doesn’t have to be a place you’ve been, I just want you to create that space, as you understand it, in your mind. What does it look like? Is it hot..
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Topics: Curious Nature
If you’ve had the opportunity to explore the trails this season, you have probably seen a network of footprints decorating the blanket of snow around our valley. Although winter can seem quiet and..
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Topics: Curious Nature
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another. So says the all-powerful, all-governing, and all-encompassing First Law of Thermodynamics, also known as..
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Topics: Curious Nature
We have all seen them. Sometimes we see them as the chair lift steadily climbs up the mountain. Other times it we might see them during a snowshoe hike or even in our own backyards. Animal tracks are..
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Topics: Curious Nature
Each morning when I go out and brush the snow off my car, the temperature seems to be a little colder. As humans, we heavily rely on our layers and puffy coats to keep us warm. It’s not uncommon to..
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Topics: Curious Nature
Are you always cold? Always asking to turn the heat up? It can be the middle of summer, and I will still be cold in my sleeping bag, no matter how many blankets I pile on or how warm the night is...
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Topics: Curious Nature
