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Boulder County Hikes, Nature and Outdoor Events BOULDER COUNTY PARKS & OPEN SPACE PROGRAMS Get wild with programs on the flora and fauna of Boulder County Parks and Open Space. Check website for complete schedule. 303-678-6214.
More adventures than you can imagine! Visit the tropical rainforest, with 1,200 beautiful butterflies fluttering around you. Hold a tarantula, touch sea stars, or Get Shrunk! and discover what lurks in your own backyard. The Butterfly Pavilion is at 6252 W. 104th Ave. in Westminster. 303-469-5441. CITY OF BOULDER OPEN SPACE & MOUNTAIN PARKS Lace up your boots and pack a bag for free treks and nature programs led by naturalists. Check the website for a schedule of Natural Selection walks and programs, and directions to meeting points. 303-441-3440. The Colorado Mountain Club offers a wide variety of mountain-oriented activities as well as entertainment, education and community events. Its plentiful classes and seminars cover everything from how to hike, climb or ski to wild plants, birds, painting and geology. Most programs are at the American Mountaineering Center, 710 10th St., Golden. The Boulder CMC office is at 633 South Broadway. 303-554-7688. All mushrooms are edible, but some only once. Learn which ones of the 6 million species of fungi on the planet are delicious and nonpoisonous, and how to find them. Join mushroom forays with the Mycological Society. 303-447-2740. COMMUNITY CLEANUP DAY, May 16 Help clean up Boulder! Pick a location, and on-site project leaders provide directions and all the supplies you’ll need for removing trash, planting flowers, pulling weeds, and more. Afterward, enjoy a free ice cream social in appreciation of your hard work. May 16, from 8:30-11:30am at various locations; ice cream social 11:30am-12:30pm at Scott Carpenter Park, 30th Street and Arapahoe Avenue. 303-413-7245. DENVER GEM AND MINERAL SHOW, annually in the fall Concurrent with the Colorado Fossil Expo, the Denver Gem & Mineral Show features some 300 vendors and exhibits from around the world. Guest speakers give talks on related topics. Children’s activities include free gold panning, free gem and mineral identification, and Mr. Bones, a walking dinosaur. At the Denver Merchandise Mart, 451 E. 58th Ave. (I-25 at Exit 215). 303-233-2516. Visit the website for 2009 dates. ELK FEST, annually in fall Celebrate all things elk, and see them in the wild during rutting season in October in Estes Park. In addition to viewing and seminars, you can bugle in the bugling competition and enjoy live music and food, elk-related arts and crafts, Native American storytelling, raptor displays and much more. In Bond Park, at Elkhorn and MacGregor avenues, Estes Park. Call or visit the website for 2009 dates. 970-586-6104. FLAGSTAFF NATURE CENTER Before your next hike, stop by this log cabin to see displays and illustrations about the ecology and wildlife of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. The center is on Flagstaff Summit Road, 3.5 miles west of Boulder on Baseline Road. Open weekends through September, 10:30am-4pm. 303-441-3440. FLATIRONS MINERAL CLUB SHOW, annually in the winter Hunt for gems and other treasures at the annual Flatirons Mineral Club’s Gem and Mineral Show at Boulder County Fairgrounds, Hover and Nelson roads, Longmont. Learn about geology in a room full of gleaming specimens, and shop for stocking stuffers more than a step above coal. Held in conjunction with the Boulder Model Railroad Club Annual Show. 303-493-7885. FREE FISHING DAYS, annually in summer As part of the annual National Fishing and Boating Week, Colorado lakes, rivers and ponds are open to everyone to fish for free. No permit is required. For more information on Fishing and Boating Week events, visit the website. INTERNATIONAL TREE-CLIMBING RENDEVOUS Shinny on up. This international event gathers tree-climbing enthusiasts, instructors and arborists to share experiences, stories and ideas. Dozens of workshops and tree-climbing opportunities are available, including a basic course. Call or check the website for upcoming events. 303-526-2904. Soar over the Rocky Mountains in a solo or tandem paraglider with Peak to Peak Paragliding school. Two-day introductory classes are offered regularly. 303-817-0803. Reconnect with your inner child as you safely shimmy up trees. Introductory climbs, safe for both climber and tree, are open to adults and kids 7 and up at outdoor locations in the Boulder area. See website for updated schedules and registration. 303-526-2904. ROCKY MOUNTAIN BALLOON FESTIVAL, annually in summer At sunrise, dozens of hot-air balloons take flight during this annual festival. Mass-ascension launches take place at 6:30am on Sat and Sun. There’s also live music, glow-in-the-dark balloon illumination, educational exhibits, and lots more at Chatfield State Park, Wadsworth Boulevard and C-470 in Littleton. Call or visit the website for 2009 dates. 303-697-1039. WALTER ORR ROBERS WEATHER TRAIL Travel through the weather and climate of NCAR’s Mesa Lab with this half-mile-long wheelchair-accessible trail. The loop begins at 1850 Table Mesa Drive and extends west, including a spur connecting to the Boulder Mountain Parks system north of Bear Creek. The trail features 11 viewpoints, each with a sign explaining a facet of the Boulder area’s wild and varied meteorological conditions. 303-497-1174. Four-hour Colorado Division of Wildlife workshops teach participants how to use their senses, binoculars and field guides to discover and understand wildlife habitats. Watch the website for schedule updates. 303-291-7258. Women’s Wilderness outdoor adventures offer education in backcountry skills and provide a way for women to come together to enjoy the outdoors. Upcoming free clinics at REI in Boulder include Intro to Backpacking, March 2. Other programs include rock climbing, canoeing, wilderness yoga, and singletrack mountain biking. See website for complete schedule. 303-938-9191.
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