Dave Sutherland Naturalist
@dave-naturalist.bsky.social
Naturalist Dave Sutherland
www.DaveSutherland.CO
Free nature hikes! Retired interpretive park ranger, award-winning field naturalist, native plant gardener, birds & bugs, astronomer, photography, fluent in Spanish.
www.DaveSutherland.CO
Free nature hikes! Retired interpretive park ranger, award-winning field naturalist, native plant gardener, birds & bugs, astronomer, photography, fluent in Spanish.
Boulder Magazine just published a profile of my work as a local community naturalist, “Boulder’s Nature Guru Dave Sutherland.” Check out the link! thebouldermag.com/boulders-nat...
June 7, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Boulder Magazine just published a profile of my work as a local community naturalist, “Boulder’s Nature Guru Dave Sutherland.” Check out the link! thebouldermag.com/boulders-nat...
Today I presented Superior with its Bird City designation, making it the newest Bird City in Colorado! The event was part of World Migratory Bird Day celebr in Purple Park. Thanks to all the hard work from people in Superior to make their town a friendly place for birds and creating shared spaces.
May 18, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Today I presented Superior with its Bird City designation, making it the newest Bird City in Colorado! The event was part of World Migratory Bird Day celebr in Purple Park. Thanks to all the hard work from people in Superior to make their town a friendly place for birds and creating shared spaces.
Let’s all work to protect migratory birds!
May 7, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Let’s all work to protect migratory birds!
Western Tanagers are back in Boulder! 6 in my back yard! Around Mothers' Day, the front of the migrating wave passes through CO. Most of the migrating pulse continue on (WTanagers breed up into the Yukon, the farthest north of all tanagers) but a few will stick in the Boulder area. Jack Sasson photo
May 7, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Western Tanagers are back in Boulder! 6 in my back yard! Around Mothers' Day, the front of the migrating wave passes through CO. Most of the migrating pulse continue on (WTanagers breed up into the Yukon, the farthest north of all tanagers) but a few will stick in the Boulder area. Jack Sasson photo
It’s the season when you’ll find shed antlers from deer and elk lying around in the forest. PLEASE leave them! Collecting antlers removes a vital source of minerals and nutrients from the forest. You’ll see how many of the shed antlers have been gnawed on by rodents seeking vital minerals.
May 6, 2025 at 3:06 PM
It’s the season when you’ll find shed antlers from deer and elk lying around in the forest. PLEASE leave them! Collecting antlers removes a vital source of minerals and nutrients from the forest. You’ll see how many of the shed antlers have been gnawed on by rodents seeking vital minerals.
"In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans; In one aspect of You are found all the aspects of existence
— Kahlil Gibran
— Kahlil Gibran
May 3, 2025 at 2:22 PM
"In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans; In one aspect of You are found all the aspects of existence
— Kahlil Gibran
— Kahlil Gibran
Mars is passing through the Beehive Star Cluster over the next few nights! I checked @ 10 pm last night with binocs. Easy to spot the red circle of Mars against the faint cluster of stars. Look up from the crescent moon to find Mars, which looks like a bright star. Photo by FERNANDO MENEZES.
May 3, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Mars is passing through the Beehive Star Cluster over the next few nights! I checked @ 10 pm last night with binocs. Easy to spot the red circle of Mars against the faint cluster of stars. Look up from the crescent moon to find Mars, which looks like a bright star. Photo by FERNANDO MENEZES.
May 1 marks a Cross Quarter Day, halfway between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. This important annual milestone is celebrated as the Celtic festival of Beltane, with traditional May poles, bonfires and baskets or bouquets of flowers to honor spring, fertility and the waxing power of the sun.
May 1, 2025 at 2:08 PM
May 1 marks a Cross Quarter Day, halfway between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. This important annual milestone is celebrated as the Celtic festival of Beltane, with traditional May poles, bonfires and baskets or bouquets of flowers to honor spring, fertility and the waxing power of the sun.
Flashback 2022: 5 months after the Marshall Fire - the huge fire that burned over 1000 homes in Superior and Louisville, Colorado. I got there in as soon as they re-opened the trail system to document the land’s recovery - and found this. Deep roots are not touched by the fire. (more below ↓)
April 30, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Flashback 2022: 5 months after the Marshall Fire - the huge fire that burned over 1000 homes in Superior and Louisville, Colorado. I got there in as soon as they re-opened the trail system to document the land’s recovery - and found this. Deep roots are not touched by the fire. (more below ↓)
In the Northern Hemisphere, the group of stars we call the Big Dipper never sets! The end to stars of the dipper always point to Polaris, the North Star. It’s not actually a constellation - it’s an ASTERISM forming part of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear.
April 30, 2025 at 3:43 PM
In the Northern Hemisphere, the group of stars we call the Big Dipper never sets! The end to stars of the dipper always point to Polaris, the North Star. It’s not actually a constellation - it’s an ASTERISM forming part of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear.
Insects make up about ¾ of all living animals on the planet! And in many ways, they make our lives possible.
April 30, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Insects make up about ¾ of all living animals on the planet! And in many ways, they make our lives possible.
At over 15 billion miles distant, Voyager 1 is the farthest a human artifact has ever traveled from the Earth since its launch in 1977. Light travels at 186,000 miles per SECOND. That puts Voyager 1 at a distance of about 1 light DAY - that is… (more below)
April 30, 2025 at 3:39 PM
At over 15 billion miles distant, Voyager 1 is the farthest a human artifact has ever traveled from the Earth since its launch in 1977. Light travels at 186,000 miles per SECOND. That puts Voyager 1 at a distance of about 1 light DAY - that is… (more below)
Checking out the new Hobbit hole. I was surprised to learn that Hobbits come from New Zealand!
April 21, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Checking out the new Hobbit hole. I was surprised to learn that Hobbits come from New Zealand!
Want to KILL. YOUR. LAWN? Here’s a great resource comparing different native turfs and how to care for them, and strategies for getting rid of the water-hog bluegrass. Lots of suggestions and tips. Wish I had had this when I tried to replace my lawn with buffalo grass - would have saved me grief.
Colorado Native Grass Guide | Learn to landscape with native grasses.
Livability and climate resiliency starts with saving water—and native grasses are a low-water alternative that mirrors our grasslands.
coloradonativegrass.org
April 19, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Want to KILL. YOUR. LAWN? Here’s a great resource comparing different native turfs and how to care for them, and strategies for getting rid of the water-hog bluegrass. Lots of suggestions and tips. Wish I had had this when I tried to replace my lawn with buffalo grass - would have saved me grief.
Ancient Wind Ripples! Walking in a Boulder neighborhood, we found this cool paving stone in the sidewalk - 250 million year old Lyons sandstone. It preserves the ridges left by winds that blew across the surface of a sand dune long before dinosaurs walked the earth. MORE below:
April 18, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Ancient Wind Ripples! Walking in a Boulder neighborhood, we found this cool paving stone in the sidewalk - 250 million year old Lyons sandstone. It preserves the ridges left by winds that blew across the surface of a sand dune long before dinosaurs walked the earth. MORE below:
First wild iris in my garden this year!
April 16, 2025 at 5:56 PM
First wild iris in my garden this year!
Join me for a free 4 mile wildflower hike on one of the best trails on Boulder’s Open Space! Details and sign up link here:
www.davesutherland.co/upcoming-hik...
www.davesutherland.co/upcoming-hik...
April 14, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Join me for a free 4 mile wildflower hike on one of the best trails on Boulder’s Open Space! Details and sign up link here:
www.davesutherland.co/upcoming-hik...
www.davesutherland.co/upcoming-hik...
TOMORROW! See ya there.
April 13, 2025 at 12:55 AM
TOMORROW! See ya there.
Let’s try something here. If you’re feeling kinda blue, let’s create a Waterfall Photo Gallery. Everyone go through your old pics and find a favorite waterfall pic YOU TOOK YOURSELF and share it here. It’s an excuse to revisit your photos and savor the memories. Here’s Havasu Falls in Arizona.
April 11, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Let’s try something here. If you’re feeling kinda blue, let’s create a Waterfall Photo Gallery. Everyone go through your old pics and find a favorite waterfall pic YOU TOOK YOURSELF and share it here. It’s an excuse to revisit your photos and savor the memories. Here’s Havasu Falls in Arizona.
Another old photo i dug out - a Galápagos penguin in a mangrove swamp. This was at Urvina Bay on the west side of Isabela Island. The little pod of penguins swam right up to us in the shallows, without fear, and hung out feeding in the shallows.
April 11, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Another old photo i dug out - a Galápagos penguin in a mangrove swamp. This was at Urvina Bay on the west side of Isabela Island. The little pod of penguins swam right up to us in the shallows, without fear, and hung out feeding in the shallows.
Going back through old pictures and found this one: Canyonlands NPark.
April 11, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Going back through old pictures and found this one: Canyonlands NPark.
2 IMPT conservation bills in US House, contact your rep to support, alert your senators to support
* Public Lands in Public Hands Act - HR 7430 congressional oversight before selling public land over 300 acr
* Wildlife Movement through Partnerships Act - HR 717 preserve fed $ for wildlife corridors
* Public Lands in Public Hands Act - HR 7430 congressional oversight before selling public land over 300 acr
* Wildlife Movement through Partnerships Act - HR 717 preserve fed $ for wildlife corridors
April 4, 2025 at 4:00 PM
2 IMPT conservation bills in US House, contact your rep to support, alert your senators to support
* Public Lands in Public Hands Act - HR 7430 congressional oversight before selling public land over 300 acr
* Wildlife Movement through Partnerships Act - HR 717 preserve fed $ for wildlife corridors
* Public Lands in Public Hands Act - HR 7430 congressional oversight before selling public land over 300 acr
* Wildlife Movement through Partnerships Act - HR 717 preserve fed $ for wildlife corridors