Day 2 of Volunteer Naturalist Training

If you don’t know about the 10 week training I’m taking to become a Volunteer Naturalist for the County of Boulder Parks and Open Space Department, you might want to check out my first post about it here. I had my second class today and showed up late because of a car crash on the highway to get here. I hope whoever it was is okay.

The first half of class was about our computer system. I won’t bore you with that. But I will tell you that if you live in or near Boulder, Colorado, or plan to visit then check out BoulderCountyOpenSpace.org that’s where you can find info on the events and classes that I’ll soon be helping to teach about the natural world around us in the beautiful Front Range of Colorado.

The second part of class we met after lunch at the Walden Ponds.

I was sure it was named that because of Henry David Thoreau but I was mistaken. We had a county commissioner named Wally and he came up with the brilliant idea of turning the old gravel pits into a wildlife preserve. Smart guy that Wally, and he got to live on infamously by having the place named after him.

It’s a peaceful spot and if you’re a birdwatcher a must see. I got this checklist there and am now on the lookout to check every bird on it… which is probably about a hundred.

I got 5 on the walk with our class around the lake. Many of the people in class are avid birders so I got a little help. I saw Rock Doves (aka Pigeons), Mallards, Canada Geese (you’re not supposed to call them Canadian Geese… I got corrected), Bald Eagles, and a Kestrel that was tearing apart a mouse! I like the Kestrel best because I’ve never seen one before… at least not knowingly. Oh yeah and a Red Tailed Hawk! I guess that's 6! “6 steps forward,” one of my classmates told me.

We walked around the boardwalks of the ponds for a while. It was such a nice day! And then we visited the little house that our volunteer office makes its home in. Inside this secret little space is an extensive library and tons of props for classes. That includes some awesome taxidermy (If you don’t know me I have a really odd fascination with bad taxidermy… these are mostly good though). Then there are puppets, pelts, posters, maps, games, antlers, and other props for teaching kids and adults about our ecology.

And that was the day! Next week we have extensive training on plant and tree ecology. I’m really excited about this one!!! Can’t wait to learn and share!