Birding & Conversation Series

The high altitude sagebrush shrubland ecosystem abounds with wildlife activity at first light when the sun is still below the horizon. Early morning in this iconic landscape is a magical time to experience the dawn chorus of breeding songbirds, including the Brewer’s sparrow, whose distinctive, buzzy song carries amid the voices of other birds. Colorado Parks and Wildlife Biologist Brett Walker, joins us for this unique field trip to guide the experience and share his wealth of knowledge from his long-standing field research on Brewer’s Sparrows and other avian inhabitants of the sagebrush steppe. 

We will arrive at our field trip site in time to be in sagebrush habitat before dawn so we can hear the chorus as it begins. Brett will identify bird voices and share natural history stories as increasing light brings our surroundings into view. This special experience will enhance your confidence with Brewer’s Sparrows, one of the most notorious “little brown jobs,” and other birds at our site. After this field experience, we will regroup for the conversation component over coffee, tea, and a light snack, when Brett will continue to share his extensive knowledge of the birds, ecological relationships, current research, and context for the conservation future of this key western ecosystem. You will have ample opportunity to ask questions and engage with Brett. Join us for this special opportunity!

Please dress in warm layers for the chilly morning. Bring your headlamp, travel mug, and binoculars (or borrow a pair of ACES’ binoculars). *There is no restroom at the start of this trip, but there will be one after the dawn chorus experience partway through the field trip.

Forests across the Rocky Mountains are changing, and our valley is no different. Pushed by multiple stressors, tree species that once dominated the landscape are receding, sometimes replaced by different tree species, and other times shifting to entirely different ecosystem types. Join ACES Forest and Climate Program Director Adam McCurdy and birding expert Rebecca Weiss to explore Douglas fir forests and contemplate the future of our forests and the birds that inhabit them in the face of climate change, beetles, fire, and other challenges.

This field trip will go to two locations where we will observe the current outbreak of Douglas fir beetle and other challenges facing our local forests.

This class requires advance registration to ensure appropriate planning for the field experience.

Meeting location and details will be communicated to registered participants closer to outing date.

This class will meet at 6:30 am.

Join us for this special opportunity to explore the concept and history of Wilderness, the current effort to protect more Wilderness in Colorado, and how this public land designation pertains to the avian world with special guest Will Roush, Executive Director of Wilderness Workshop. The Birding and Conversation series offers a unique combination of birding and compelling discussion in a small group setting, perfect for in-depth inquiry and inspiring dialogue. Wilderness Workshop works to protect 8.5 million acres of public lands across Western Colorado through policy and action. Will brings extensive knowledge and experience to the trail and table during this outing, where conversation begins in the field as we enjoy the birdlife of the upper Castle Creek Valley and views of existing and potential future Wilderness lands. The discussion then continues at the historic lodge building of Toklat, where over the decades, scores of visitors have learned about and experienced firsthand the values and the paramount importance of Wilderness. 

Bird species and Wilderness values intermingle as we dive into conversation: American goshawks and their need for unbroken subalpine forest; white-tailed ptarmigan and the cold, deep snowpack they rely on for protection during the alpine winter; and the mountain wildflowers that fuel migrating hummingbirds in late summer. Public lands are havens for many birds, and Wilderness designation is an important way to protect habitats, migration corridors, and the conditions that sustain complex ecological systems. Join us on July 8th to learn about all things Wilderness and birds!

About the Instructors:

Will Roush is the Executive Director of Wilderness Workshop. Will first joined Wilderness Workshop to inventory lands for citizen wilderness proposals, then worked as an organizer and advocate for efforts to designate new wilderness and protect the Thompson Divide. He went on to conduct outreach and advocacy for WW’s federal lands policy work, organized the popular Naturalist Nights winter speaker series, started the restoration program, and led our advocacy work to move water rights for dams on Castle and Maroon Creeks. Will served as Conservation Director for four years before becoming Executive Director in 2018. Today, Will leads an amazing team and collaborates with staff to determine and execute conservation priorities and programs, raise funds for the organization, and oversees its community and outreach programs. A native of the Roaring Fork Valley, he has a Master’s in Geography and Environmental Science examining the impact of climate change on alpine ecosystems.

Rebecca Weiss is a birding guide and naturalist with thirty years of experience in the Aspen area and Colorado’s mountain regions. She is author of the local guidebook, Birds of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley and the primary guide for ACES’ Birding Program. She is a certified interpretive guide and holds a BS in Biology and a MA in Education. Rebecca’s professional background includes bird banding, field research, and conservation writing as well as outdoor education, program administration, and guide training. Past employers and affiliations include the National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Outward Bound, and the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab.

Join us in the field for this special opportunity to bird alongside one of the most inspiring voices in ornithology and bird conservation, author and ornithologist Scott Weidensaul. This field trip follows Scott's July 28th ACES talk (link), in which he will share stories from his latest book The Return of the Oystercatcher, released in April 2026. In the field, we will enjoy observing local birdlife at various locations along the scenic Frying Pan River. Possible highlights include white-throated swifts, several swallow species, Lewis's woodpeckers, American dippers, western tanagers, and more. Our relaxed approach to observing birds will be welcoming and engaging for birders of all experience levels.

As we bird our way upriver, our destination will be a private ranch where we will gather in the sun-dappled shade beneath aspen trees on the shore of a pond for the conversation part of the field trip, in which Scott will share more about the bird conservation success stories he has written about, his involvement in Project OwlNet and Project SNOWstorm, and insights into the process and rationale of writing his new book. You will have ample opportunity to ask Scott questions in this small group setting where birds will hopefully distract us as they share our outdoor space:) 

Scott's infectious optimism and first-hand experience with exciting bird conservation work will leave you energized, motivated, and filled with actions and hope for the future of the birds and our planet. Scott will be happy to sign your book; copies of The Return of the Oystercatcher will be available for purchase or feel free to bring yours if you already have one.

This outing meets at 7am in Basalt at Lion’s Park. We will carpool up the Frying Pan Valley about 10 miles, returning to Lion’s Park by 12pm.

About the Instructors:

Scott Weidensaul is the author of nearly 30 books on natural history, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist “Living on the Wind” and his the New York Times bestseller “A World on the Wing.” His latest book, Return of the Oystercatcher, coming in April 2026, showcases what’s working for bird conservation around the world. Weidensaul is a contributing editor for Audubon magazine, a columnist for Bird Watcher’s Digest, and writes for a variety of other publications including Living Bird. He is a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society and an active field researcher, studying saw-whet owl migration for 30 years, as well as winter hummingbirds in the East, bird migration in Alaska, and the winter movements of snowy owls through Project SNOWstorm, which he co-founded.

Rebecca Weiss is a birding guide and naturalist with thirty years of experience in the Aspen area and Colorado’s mountain regions. She is author of the local guidebook, Birds of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley and the primary guide for ACES’ Birding Program. She is a certified interpretive guide and holds a BS in Biology and a MA in Education. Rebecca’s professional background includes bird banding, field research, and conservation writing as well as outdoor education, program administration, and guide training. Past employers and affiliations include the National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Outward Bound, and the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab.