{"id":722,"date":"2015-08-27T15:13:04","date_gmt":"2015-08-27T21:13:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/?p=722"},"modified":"2015-08-27T15:13:04","modified_gmt":"2015-08-27T21:13:04","slug":"autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/","title":{"rendered":"Autumn Transition: Trees, Bears and Bats"},"content":{"rendered":"

That first morning you awaken to a cool nip in the air. That first aspen leaf tinged gold on the tip. Geese flying south in formation across a clear blue sky. A dusting of snow sprinkled atop Longs Peak. These are all signs that fall is in the air, and winter is coming soon. Autumn in Boulder County is a time of transition and a time of preparation. All of the natural world around us is changinggetting ready for the harshness of winter.<\/p>\n

When you think of autumn in the Rockies, the image that comes to mind is the vivid gold and orange hues of the aspen sprinkled along the foothills. It seems entire groves reach peak color all at the same time, which is no coincidence. Aspen have the unique ability to propagate by sprouting or cloning new trees, so that one parent tree can send out hundreds of sucker trees, spanning several acres.
\nBecause they all share the same DNA, the entire grove will reach peak color at the same time. But what causes the trees to turn such brilliant shades of gold and orange?<\/p>\n

Color is Revealed<\/h2>\n

Chlorophyll is constantly produced in a tree while it is growing during spring and summer months, making the leaves green. But underneath the chlorophyll are the oranges, yellows and reds of carotenoids. In fall, the shorter days of sunlight cause the chlorophyll to eventually stop producing, unmasking the yellows, reds, and oranges we associate with fall foliage. What makes for the perfect peak colors of fall? Ideally, a succession of warm, sunny days interspersed with crisp, cool (not sub-freezing) nights brings out the most intense colors.<\/p>\n

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”
\nLauren DiStefano<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But the trees aren’t the only ones changing colors in preparation for winter. Much of the wildlife found in our county parks are also getting ready by changing their coats. Foxes and coyotes grow thicker, denser coats, adapting to the colder temperatures, while some animals even change the color of their coat in an attempt to disguise themselves from predators during the winter. If you are lucky enough to spot an ermine (a winter weasel) or a snowshoe hare in mid-color change from brown to white, you’ve seen something truly special.<\/p>\n

For me, a particular vivid image of wildlife preparing for fall is the black bear I spied in Boulder Canyon one September day in full pig-out mode. He’d found himself an apple tree and was sitting on his butt, legs spread out in front of him, shoveling apples into his mouth as fast as he could. That was one happy bear! But it’s not surprising to see a bear so obsessed by eating during fall, as bears put on a lot of weight prior to winter denning. An adult black bear can consume up to 20,000 calories a day while in the midst of this obsessive eatingthat’s like eating 400 Oreo cookies!<\/p>\n

A Long Sleep<\/h2>\n

Bears are not alone in preparing for a long period of sleep during the winter. Unlike bears that actually den for long periods, bats truly hibernate during winter, sinking into such deep sleep that they appear dead. During hibernation, their heart beat drops from 400 beats per minute to as few as 25 beats per minute and their body temperature may drop as low as 44 degrees. Bats begin their hibernation sometime in September or October, and can sleep for as many as 80 days straight. You never know when you might encounter a hibernating bat, as they like old barns and attics as much as caves and trees. We even found one hanging off a beam in our house one fall day!<\/p>\n

Like the wildlife and plants around us, we as visitors to county parks, must be prepared to change as well during autumn. In autumn, weather conditions change quickly, bringing snow and subfreezing temperatures as early as September to our higher elevations. But a walk or bike ride in autumn also offers a chance to glimpse the beauty and marvel of nature in transition, reaching its finest moments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

That first morning you awaken to a cool nip in the air. That first aspen leaf tinged gold on the tip. Geese flying south in formation across a clear blue sky. A dusting of snow sprinkled atop Longs Peak. These are all signs that fall is in the air, and winter is coming soon. Autumn […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":723,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[33],"class_list":["post-722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","tag-fall-2015"],"yoast_head":"\nAutumn Transition: Trees, Bears and Bats - Images<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Autumn Transition: Trees, Bears and Bats - Images\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"That first morning you awaken to a cool nip in the air. That first aspen leaf tinged gold on the tip. Geese flying south in formation across a clear blue sky. A dusting of snow sprinkled atop Longs Peak. These are all signs that fall is in the air, and winter is coming soon. Autumn […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Images\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BoulderCountyOpenSpace\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-08-27T21:13:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/aspen.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"678\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Staff\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@BoulderCountyOS\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BoulderCountyOS\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/science\\\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/science\\\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Staff\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/da2f36fa5d1303978a009abad62743a8\"},\"headline\":\"Autumn Transition: Trees, Bears and Bats\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-08-27T21:13:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/science\\\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":708,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/science\\\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/aspen.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Fall 2015\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Science\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/science\\\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/science\\\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\\\/\",\"name\":\"Autumn Transition: Trees, Bears and Bats - Images\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/science\\\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/science\\\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/aspen.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-08-27T21:13:04+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/science\\\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/science\\\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/science\\\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/aspen.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/aspen.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":678,\"caption\":\"Aspen trees\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/science\\\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Autumn Transition: Trees, Bears and Bats\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/\",\"name\":\"Images\",\"description\":\"Articles from Boulder County Parks & Open Space\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Boulder County Parks & Open Space\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/10\\\/pos-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/10\\\/pos-logo.png\",\"width\":170,\"height\":80,\"caption\":\"Boulder County Parks & Open Space\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/BoulderCountyOpenSpace\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/BoulderCountyOS\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/BoCoOpenSpace\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/bouldercountyos\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\\\/i\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/da2f36fa5d1303978a009abad62743a8\",\"name\":\"Staff\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Autumn Transition: Trees, Bears and Bats - Images","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Autumn Transition: Trees, Bears and Bats - Images","og_description":"That first morning you awaken to a cool nip in the air. That first aspen leaf tinged gold on the tip. Geese flying south in formation across a clear blue sky. A dusting of snow sprinkled atop Longs Peak. These are all signs that fall is in the air, and winter is coming soon. Autumn […]","og_url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/","og_site_name":"Images","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BoulderCountyOpenSpace","article_published_time":"2015-08-27T21:13:04+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":678,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/aspen.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Staff","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@BoulderCountyOS","twitter_site":"@BoulderCountyOS","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Staff","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/"},"author":{"name":"Staff","@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/#\/schema\/person\/da2f36fa5d1303978a009abad62743a8"},"headline":"Autumn Transition: Trees, Bears and Bats","datePublished":"2015-08-27T21:13:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/"},"wordCount":708,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/aspen.jpg","keywords":["Fall 2015"],"articleSection":["Science"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/","url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/","name":"Autumn Transition: Trees, Bears and Bats - Images","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/aspen.jpg","datePublished":"2015-08-27T21:13:04+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/aspen.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/aspen.jpg","width":1200,"height":678,"caption":"Aspen trees"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumn-transition-trees-bears-and-bats\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Autumn Transition: Trees, Bears and Bats"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/#website","url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/","name":"Images","description":"Articles from Boulder County Parks & Open Space","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/#organization","name":"Boulder County Parks & Open Space","url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/pos-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/pos-logo.png","width":170,"height":80,"caption":"Boulder County Parks & Open Space"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BoulderCountyOpenSpace","https:\/\/x.com\/BoulderCountyOS","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/BoCoOpenSpace","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/bouldercountyos"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/#\/schema\/person\/da2f36fa5d1303978a009abad62743a8","name":"Staff"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/aspen.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":485,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/quaking-aspen\/","url_meta":{"origin":722,"position":0},"title":"Quaking Aspen: Flaming Forests of Fall","author":"Staff","date":"08\/29\/2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Forests shimmer. Leaves tremble. Branches quiver. Aspens dance. A crisp breeze courses through the forest and the sound of delicate leaves softly tapping upon one another fills the air. These are the relaxing rustlings of golden trees during a Rocky Mountain autumn. In the last weeks of September, vibrant islands\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Science"","block_context":{"text":"Science","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/science\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"aspen trees","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/aspen.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/aspen.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/aspen.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/aspen.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1817,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/autumns-kaleidoscope-of-color\/","url_meta":{"origin":722,"position":1},"title":"Autumn\u2019s Kaleidoscope of Color","author":"Staff","date":"09\/01\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"If you\u2019ve lived in Colorado for more than a year, you\u2019ve likely seen the brilliant color display that occurs in autumn. Countless leaves change to yellows, oranges, and reds before falling off with winter\u2019s arrival. Other trees keep their leaves for the whole year and don\u2019t change color at all.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Science"","block_context":{"text":"Science","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/science\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Aspen Trees","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/aspen-trees.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/aspen-trees.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/aspen-trees.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/aspen-trees.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/aspen-trees.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/aspen-trees.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1265,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/park-visitors\/beautiful-colors-cool-temperatures-time-get-outdoors\/","url_meta":{"origin":722,"position":2},"title":"Beautiful Colors & Cool Temperatures – Time to Get Outdoors","author":"Staff","date":"08\/30\/2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The arrival of autumn in Boulder County brings happiness and bliss to many residents and visitors alike. Besides the cooler weather, increased wildlife sightings and dazzling colors, fall is an exceptional time to get out and explore our open space. With diverse elevations, Boulder County\u2019s Parks and Open Space (BCPOS)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Park Visitors"","block_context":{"text":"Park Visitors","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/park-visitors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Aspen trees","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/aspen-trees.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/aspen-trees.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/aspen-trees.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/aspen-trees.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/aspen-trees.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2495,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/nature-studies\/the-hidden-messages-of-aspen-trees-a-contemplative-look\/","url_meta":{"origin":722,"position":3},"title":"The Hidden Messages of Aspen Trees: A Contemplative Look","author":"Summer Alameel","date":"09\/01\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"My early connection to nature was based on a symbiotic relationship. I was fortunate to have never been exposed to an anthropomorphic perspective and relationship with the more-than-human world. Rather, my experience was one of poetic and spiritual resonance with all I observed \u2014 the unity that a youngster experiences\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Studies"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Studies","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/nature-studies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Aspen leaves on a puddle of water","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Aspen-Leaves-on-Water.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Aspen-Leaves-on-Water.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Aspen-Leaves-on-Water.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Aspen-Leaves-on-Water.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Aspen-Leaves-on-Water.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":356,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/news\/reducing-fire-hazards-at-mud-lake\/","url_meta":{"origin":722,"position":4},"title":"Reducing Fire Hazards at Mud Lake","author":"Staff","date":"02\/28\/2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In 2014, the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department is treating approximately 100 acres at Mud Lake Open Space for wildfire fuel reduction. The hazardous fuels reduction treatment plan was approved in the 2004 Mud Lake Management Plan, and the 2010 FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant awarded in 2013. Hazardous\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mud Lake treatment area map","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/mudlaketreamentmap.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/mudlaketreamentmap.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/mudlaketreamentmap.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/mudlaketreamentmap.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/mudlaketreamentmap.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/mudlaketreamentmap.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1670,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/land-management\/what-a-difference-a-year-makes\/","url_meta":{"origin":722,"position":5},"title":"What a Difference a Year Makes","author":"Staff","date":"12\/03\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Every year, various work groups at Parks & Open Space finish projects. Some, like trails and property openings, are very visible to the public. Others are less prominent, but no less important. Here are a few projects that were finished up in 2019 to show what a difference the efforts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Land Management"","block_context":{"text":"Land Management","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/land-management\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Before-and-after image showing a field full of brown cheatgrass transform into a healthy green field","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/hall-before-after-animate.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/hall-before-after-animate.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/hall-before-after-animate.gif?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/hall-before-after-animate.gif?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/hall-before-after-animate.gif?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=722"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/722\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":724,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/722\/revisions\/724"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}