Location:      Rocky Mountain Nature Association Field Seminar & Conference Center

                        1895 Fall River Road, Estes Park, Colorado 

Time:               3:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Course Description:

This course will investigate the six species of owls that inhabit RMNP and the Estes Valley. These species include the Great Horned, Long-eared, Boreal, Northern Saw-whet Northern Pygmy, and the Flammulated Owls.  A Power Point presentation, covering the natural history of each species, will begin this class. After which, participants will travel into the field in search of as many owls as possible starting with the Northern Pygmy-Owl and Great Horned Owl.

Course Level:  III

Moderate hikes of less than five miles per day with elevation gain of less than 1,000 ft.

Brief Instructor Biography (additional information available at www.rmna.org): 

Author, researcher and artist Scott Rashid has been studying birds of prey most of his adult life. In 1998 Scott found and documented his first Northern Pygmy-Owl nest in RMNP, and has been finding pygmy-owls nesting in the park virtually every year since. He began finding Northern Saw-whet Owl nests in the park beginning in 2000 and had found and documented the first every Flammulated Owl nest in RMNP in 2004.

Scott  has published  three paper on these small owls and his first book Small Mountain Owls is the only book ever written that covers the natural history of Northern Pygmy, Flammulated, Northern Saw-whet and Boreal Owls all of which can be found nesting within RMNP.

Expectations:  Professional conduct will be expected from participants at all times.  Individual ideas will be respected.  Except during course breaks, cellular phones, pagers, and personal entertainment devices are strictly prohibited in the classroom and during field sessions.

Car-pooling:  Rocky Mountain Field Seminars courses utilize car-pooling to limit vehicles traveling into the Park.  Car-pooling makes it easier to keep the group together, reduces transit time, and allows courses greater access because fewer parking spaces are required at destinations.  In addition, it provides an opportunity for participants to discuss course material in small groups during transit.  Typically, a few participants from each course volunteer the use of their vehicles for car-pooling to course locations.

Tentative Course Schedule:

3:00 PM                       Welcome, introductions

3:15 PM                       Slide presentation

4:45 PM                       Dinner break

5:15 PM                       Begin traveling to various sights searching for owls.

What to Bring:

·        Sack dinner, snacks, energy bars, Water                             

Equipment  Recommendations:

Binoculars

Spotting Scope

Camera

Bird Book, Sibley Guide Birds of Western North America

Quiet Clothing

Hiking Books

Remember to Bring the 10 Essentials:

Rocky Mountain National Park recommends that hikers always carry the 10 essentials in their daypacks.

     Raingear                                     Map and compass                      Flashlight or headlamp

     Sunglasses and sunscreen            Candles                                      Matches or other fire starter

     Pocketknife                                First-aid kit                                 Extra layers of clothing

     Sack lunch, snacks, water             

Note:  Rocky Mountain Field Seminars recommends that participants for all courses dress in layers and wear comfortable, sturdy hiking boots/shoes.  Participants should be prepared for sudden changes in temperature and weather conditions.

Recommended Reading:

Small Mountain Owls:  Scott Rashid

The Owl and the Woodpecker:  Paul Bannick

Owls, Their Lives and Behavior:  Julio De LaTorre

Owls of the World:  Dr. James Duncan

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Teacher Recertification Credit: 

Most seminars are eligible for teacher recertification credit through the Centennial Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES).  The fee is $25.00 per seminar (.5 unit) or $25.00 per series of threaded seminars (1.0 - 3.0 units).   A list of threaded seminars can be found online at www.rmna.org.  Participants must enroll in all seminars of a threaded series in order to qualify for the $25.00 multi-unit fee. Please be prepared to pay for this credit with a check, made payable to BOCES, on the first day of a seminar or on the final day of a threaded series of seminars.