Teen Naturalists: A Glimpse at a Unique Boulder Habitat - White Rocks Nature Preserve

Trip Leaders: Dave Sutherland and Megan Jones Patterson, with Juanita Echeverri, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks.

Participant Limit: 15 Teen Naturalists. A waitlist will be available if the trip fills.

White Rocks Nature Preserve is a unique habitat and one of the most remarkable places in Boulder County. The white sandstone formations along Boulder Creek create this area that is so fragile and precious that it is ordinarily closed to visitation. Ricky Weiser, a pioneering Boulder conservationist, made her home here on the towering sandstone cliffs amid the rare plant community. The area teems with wildlife and is rich in history.

Teen Naturalists have the rare opportunity to join naturalist Dave Sutherland on this special trip and easy 2-mile hike. The area is host to a bald eagle nest, rare plants and a rare lizard that are found nowhere else in Boulder County, fossils, and creek scenery that will be at the height of fall color change are part of this unique sand prairie ecosystem.

Everyone should bring water and food, as well as sun, rain and, mosquito protection.

Registration Required: To register or for any questions, contact Dave Sutherland, [[email removed]](mailto:[email removed]) or [phone removed].

Who Can Participate?: Outings are open to unaccompanied students in sixth grade and up, as well as younger students accompanied by parents. New participants are welcome at any time.

Transportation: Participants must provide their own transportation to teen naturalist trips. A participant list will be shared if participants want to coordinate carpooling among themselves. If you don’t want your contact information shared with other participants, please include this when you register.

Trip Location: We’ll meet on 75th Street near Walden Ponds. Special instructions for access will be included in the confirmation email.

Learn more about Boulder County Audubon’s Teen Naturalist program or send questions to Dave Sutherland, [[email removed]](mailto:[email removed]) or [phone removed].

The white bluffs of White Rocks Nature Preserve. Image by David Sutherland.

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Trip Leader Bios

Dave Sutherland is an award-winning interpretive naturalist, recently retired from the City of Boulder’s Open Space program. He has a Bachelor’s in biology from Pomona College, and a Master’s in nature interpretation from the University of Idaho. Besides nearly 30 years of work in the Boulder area, Dave has led outdoor education programs in California, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands. Dave is a self-professed natural science geek who uses games and activities to inspire others with his love of nature. He has been training for his job since the age of 4, when he began collecting rocks and butterflies and drawing his own bird books with crayons.

Megan Jones Patterson has a lifelong interest in the intersections of science, outdoors, and education, often with birds being the focal point. She has a doctorate in animal behavior, researching the display behaviors of manakins in Costa Rica. Education and work have allowed Megan to enjoy birding around the globe; she loves living here in Colorado, where there is great avian diversity. Megan's current contributions to field ornithology include volunteer bird banding, raptor monitoring, and submissions to eBird. Megan has volunteered with BCAS in various capacities for nearly a decade.