Join us for a rootin’-tootin’ good time at Harvest Fest — a celebration of fall fun for all ages!

What to Expect:

Pumpkin patch fun for the kids

Painted pumpkins by Carousel of Happiness

Face painting at the Uproot booths & on the deck of Hair By Holly

Chile roasting to spice things up

Live music to keep you dancing

Local breweries & wine vendors to sip and savor the season

Featuring our amazing local ag vendors:

Sunburns • Sunflower • Uproot • Bee Hugger • Buckner Family Ranch • Skeen Acres • Sourdough Farms • …and more!

Don't miss it — grab your boots, bring the whole family, and celebrate the season with us!

This year, The Post Lafayette is raising money for wildfire mitigation in Boulder County through The Boulder Watershed Collective and the Lafayette Fire Department, specifically for a project that helps protect our most vulnerable communities from wildfire.

Help us raise $10,000 for Boulder County Fire Mitigation and Lafayette Fire Department!

In a push for "The First Five Feet", we're raising funds to complete a project that focuses on reducing fire risk in the five feet directly surrounding homes. This includes clearing debris, adding metal skirting around the base of mobile homes to protect against embers, and creating safe storage for firewood that many residents currently use to heat their homes. 

Live Local Music by Juicebox and Los Mocochetes

Open Fire Cooking:  Our chefs will be stoking the flames, firing up the chile roaster, and serving up delicious eats hot off the fire. 

Killer Beer: The Post will be serving up our award winnin' brews, including a single special cask we'll hand tap at the event of SPICY COWBOY - our classic easy drinkin' Cowboy Pilsner brewed with a Pueblo chile tincture just for this event. Plus, Townie IPA, Top Rope Mexican Style Lager, Oktoberfest, and Permanent Breeze Hazy IPA. 

Kids Zone:  Arts & crafts galore for all the kiddos

Stein Hoist competition for adults. Get in the Oktoberfest spirit!

Just $5 at the door for a day of music, games, and good times.
(Kids under 12 are free) 

Interested in reserving a VIP cabana? Roll in with your crew—reserve a private cabana for 8–10 people. Limited availability, so grab yours early! Email marketing@bigredf.com to inquire. 

SEE YOU THERE!

Forest bathing, or forest therapy, is a relational practice and time to unplug, slow down, and connect with our amazing senses while in the forest we are so fortunate to be near. Through a series of sensory awakening invitations, this practice and our walk will foster our relationship with the Natural World, ourselves, and others.

This morning walk will allow us to take a break from our “thinking minds” and let our “heart’s intelligence” have time to be alive and present, all while lowering stress hormones, calming the nervous system, regulating the heart rate, increasing white blood cells, supporting creativity, improving mood, and decreasing anxiety. The gifts of this practice are abundant!

The Japanese nature-based practice of Shinrin-Yoku translates into "forest bathing." Bathing in the healing energy of the forest. Trees and plants release tiny little molecules called phytoncides. They are active substances that help protect them from rotting or being attacked by insects or diseases. Phytoncides emitted by trees have also been shown to have a beneficial effect on human physiology. When we breath in these phytoncides, they support our immune systems by increasing our white blood cells.

Join Darlene Rooney of Nature Heals: Forest Immersions on this journey to quiet your mind and open your senses. Bring good shoes, sunscreen, and water for this mild walk from the Flagstaff Nature Center, at the junction of Flagstaff Road and Flagstaff Summit Road.

$10+ Donation Greatly Appreciated

Home Assessment Demos! Information & Resource Sharing!
Connect with Neighbors & Experts!

Join your neighbors at
345 Mapleton (Seventh Day Adventist Church)
on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, from 5-7PM,
to strengthen our wildfire and emergency preparedness actions!

The event will include tours, demonstrations, and presentations/discussion about
wildfire mitigation, wildfire considerations in historic preservation and landscaping, and program resources.

RSVP in the form below - it will be helpful to make sure we have enough resources!

But first: make sure you’re up to date on the alert systems offered in Boulder County!
CLICK HERE and HERE to confirm and learn more!

Partners Include:

• Mapleton Neighborhood Residents

• Boulder Watershed Collective

• City of Boulder Fire-Rescue

• Boulder Historic Preservation

• City of Boulder Climate Initiatives

Rough Agenda:

• 5 - 6PM - Welcome + Presentations from Boulder Fire Rescue, Historic Preservation, and Wildfire Resilient Landscaping

• 6 - 7PM - Detailed Home Assessment (DHA) Demonstration: Follow along as Boulder Fire-Rescue performs a home assessment. Learn what to look for on your own property to better protect your home and neighborhood.

Please bring a folding chair if you’d like, and walking/biking would be best since parking will be extremely limited. Thank you!

Reach out if you have any questions!
Kirin Riddell - email or 907-707-9196

COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM BELOW TO RSVP!

Join the Boulder Watershed Collective and the Wild Bear Nature Center for a Riparian Plant Walk & Beaver Talk along North Beaver Creek, Saturday, August 16th at 10am.

We will be taking a small hike through wet meadows to sites along North Beaver Creek where BWC has worked with Boulder County to build Beaver Dam Analogues. Come see the dams, learn about the importance of beaver in riparian ecosystems, and enjoy a beautiful walk through the riparian areas and meadow.

Parking on site is extremely limited, so we will be utilizing vans to transport participants to/from the event site. We will gather at 10am at the Wild Bear Nature Center, travel to/from the site, and be back at Wild Bear Nature Center by Noon.

Event capacity is limited to 12 participants! Sign up today!

Remember to bring water, good shoes, sunblock, and be prepared to walk through tall grass.

Looking for more info? Contact julien@boulderwatershedcollective.org.

See you there!

Join the design team and partners to talk through the project plans for the Middle Boulder Creek Fuel Reduction Project. Learn about how the project is being designed, the scope and timeline for the project, provide feedback, and ask questions.

Food will be provided, so please make sure to reserve your spot in order to have enough!

The Middle Boulder Creek Fuels Reduction Partnership Project is a collaborative forestry project taking place west of the Town of Nederland in the next few years. This project fulfills a Nederland CWPP priority item, and includes broad treatment goals to reduce future fire behavior, enhance aspen and limber pine stands, treat declining lodgepole pine stands, and protect water resources for Nederland and the City of Boulder.

Please view the full project website here.

Looking for more info? Contact julien@boulderwatershedcollective.org.

Join us on Sunday, June 22nd, 2025, for the Sunset Trail Running Festival in Gold Hill, CO! Hosted by The Boulder Watershed Collective and in collaboration with Team BOCO, all money raised from the event will be donated to the town of Gold Hill and will fund wildfire preparation and response initiatives such as forest restoration, home hardening, emergency planning, land stewardship, and community resiliency. 

This event provides an opportunity for the Front Range trail community to show its support for small mountain town communities that live with a high risk of disruption and destruction from wildfire while providing visitors with access to their unique character, beauty, and the surrounding landscapes.

RACE DETAILS SUBJECT TO CHANGE: 

Runners can choose between a 28K (17.4M), 12K (7.7M), 5K, or kids 1K trail race. All distances start and finish on the main street of Gold Hill at the Gold Hill Inn, and the longer distances are run, in part, on the National Forest System roads. Runners will enjoy varied terrain of dirt roads and trails through ponderosa pine and aspen forests while taking in amazing views on these challenging courses. 

The 28K course heads south to Salina and then west along Fourmile Canyon Dr to the historic town of Sunset. From there, runners will head north up the Switzerland Trail and back to Gold Hill. The 12K course heads west along Gold Hill Rd to the famous Mount Alto Picnic area and back into town. 

Please note: We encourage all runners and spectators to utilize the free shuttle to and from Boulder leaving from Boulder County Justice Center (1777 6th St, Boulder, CO 80302). To ensure minimal vehicle impact and disruption to the Gold Hill community on race day, parking will be very limited. The cost per car will be a required donation of $30.

Gold Hill Locals: Reach out for a special registration offer!

REMEMBERING THE HISTORY OF SUNSET AND GOLD HILL: 

Gold Hill is the oldest continuously occupied mining town in Colorado and today is home to around 200 permanent residents. The town was established in 1859 after placer gold was found in the nearby Gold Run Creek and soon became a beacon for economic opportunity as settlers moved west. By the late 1800s, Boulder was a hub of activity that supported nearby mining operations with the help of a rail line, The Switzerland Trail, that wove through and between the canyons and small mining towns west of Boulder. 

Sunset, the namesake of this trail running festival, was once a small, bustling mining town and a stop on The Switzerland Trail. During the race, the 28K runners will pass through Sunset around mile 10 before continuing up The Switzerland Trail until they join with the 12K runners at the site of the historic Mount Alto Picnic Area, a resort destination for train travelers. 

This more recent history of The Boulder Valley and its historic human-built sites was made possible only by the unlawful and unjust claim of land by white settlers. This theft was in direct opposition to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, which protected the Arapaho and Cheyenne nations and their land, and it went against the agreements prospectors made with Chief Niwot, chief of the Southern Arapaho. 

Today, there are ample opportunities to honor, celebrate and learn from the Indigenous Peoples whose homeland we now live, recreate on, and travel on, as well as all of the communities of people, animals, and plants that have existed here through time.  

We hope that through this event, runners and spectators reflect on and honor this history and acknowledge the ways to live more mindfully within these wildfire resilient landscapes.

To learn more about the Indigenous history of The Boulder Valley and the ways you can participate in healing with the land and its People, there are many resources including those available through Right Relationship Boulder and the Museum of Boulder.

Join the design team and partners to talk through the project plans for the Middle Boulder Creek Fuel Reduction Project. Learn about how the project is being designed, the scope and timeline for the project, provide feedback, and ask questions.

Food will be provided, so please make sure to reserve your spot in order to have enough!

The Middle Boulder Creek Fuels Reduction Partnership Project is a collaborative forestry project taking place west of the Town of Nederland in the next few years. This project fulfills a Nederland CWPP priority item, and includes broad treatment goals to reduce future fire behavior, enhance aspen and limber pine stands, treat declining lodgepole pine stands, and protect water resources for Nederland and the City of Boulder.

Please view the full project website here.

Looking for more info? Contact julien@boulderwatershedcollective.org.

Join the design team and partners to walk through the project area for the Middle Boulder Creek Fuel Reduction Project. Learn about how the project is being designed, the scope and timeline for the project, and ask questions.

The Middle Boulder Creek Fuels Reduction Partnership Project is a collaborative forestry project taking place west of the Town of Nederland in the next few years. This project fulfills a Nederland CWPP priority item, and includes broad treatment goals to reduce future fire behavior, enhance aspen and limber pine stands, treat declining lodgepole pine stands, and protect water resources for Nederland and the City of Boulder.

Please view the Boulder County Parks & Open Space Event Waiver & Release form. Registering for this event via Eventbrite is accepting these terms and conditions for the May 17, 2025, site visit.

Looking for more info? Contact julien@boulderwatershedcollective.org.

Forest bathing, or forest therapy, is a relational practice and time to unplug, slow down, and connect with our amazing senses while in the forest we are so fortunate to be near. Through a series of sensory awakening invitations, this practice and our walk will foster our relationship with the Natural World, ourselves, and others.

This morning walk will allow us to take a break from our “thinking minds” and let our “heart’s intelligence” have time to be alive and present, all while lowering stress hormones, calming the nervous system, regulating the heart rate, increasing white blood cells, supporting creativity, improving mood, and decreasing anxiety. The gifts of this practice are abundant!

The Japanese nature-based practice of Shinrin-Yoku translates into "forest bathing." Bathing in the healing energy of the forest. Trees and plants release tiny little molecules called phytoncides. They are active substances that help protect them from rotting or being attacked by insects or diseases. Phytoncides emitted by trees have also been shown to have a beneficial effect on human physiology. When we breath in these phytoncides, they support our immune systems by increasing our white blood cells.

Join Darlene Rooney of Nature Heals: Forest Immersions on this journey to quiet your mind and open your senses. Bring good shoes, sunscreen, and water for this mild walk from the Flagstaff Nature Center, at the junction of Flagstaff Road and Flagstaff Summit Road.

$10+ Donation Greatly Appreciated

Join elementary students, neighbors, and businesses in the Gunbarrel community to connect with each other, learn about, and take action on nature-based climate solutions! Plus there’s a tree sapling and mulch giveaway!

Join us near the top of the watershed for Wild Bear’s 24th Earth Day celebration! Enjoy this free community event full of activities from various environmental organizations, along with live Birds of Prey from Nature’s Educators!

Join Street Wise Arts for a special bike tour in partnership with the City of Boulder during Boulder Arts Week, beginning with a stop at the Beaver Mural artist Lindee Zimmer created for the Boulder Watershed Collective in 2024!

This tour combines art with science, spotlighting topics of stormwater and water quality and preservation in honor of the City’s new public artwork Water Trail. Led by Street Wise Arts docents, we’ll visit environmentally-themed murals created by local and national artists during the Street Wise Mural Festival. Learn more about our murals and how they relate to local water issues. The tour features guest speakers from the City of Boulder as well as Street Wise artists!

Tours run for approx. 2 hours and cover about 9 miles. We begin and end our tour at Valmont City Park near the Skatepark, Dog Park, and Pump Track.

Tour participants must bring their own bikes; Street Wise Arts does not provide bikes. If you need to rent a bike, we recommend Boulder BCycle!

Registration required. Limited to 16 riders. Your ticket purchase helps Street Wise Arts fund community projects, youth programs, and the organization's mission.

Note: Street Wise Arts reserves the right to reschedule this tour due to inclement weather. The alternate date is Saturday, April 19 from 10 am to 12 pm.

PROTECT YOUR HOME AND COMMUNITY!
LEARN ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL WILDFIRE MITIGATION EFFORTS!

Join your neighbors at The Clubhouse (707 Poplar) on Saturday, March 8, 2025,
to strengthen our wildfire preparedness actions and collaborate for upcoming grant funding of community-wide mitigation efforts!

TOPICS WE’LL COVER:
Project Overview: This is a cross-boundary mitigation effort that benefits our community and beyond!

Meet Project Partners dedicated to the Wonderland Hills Wildland-Urban Interface:
● HOA Representatives will speak to the local momentum/organizing and their role in the project
● City of Boulder Fire-Rescue will discuss their continued commitment to the community and updated programs available for WH residents
● Open Space & Mountain Parks will present on their work planned for 2025 on adjacent City land
● Boulder Watershed Collective will talk about their support as grant and project managers

Fund Planning: Potential Strategic Fuels Mitigation Grant + Individual Labor Tracking for Match

Mitigation Resource Pooling: Sign up for cost- and implementation-efficient execution of widespread or common mitigation tasks.
—

RSVP in the form below - it will be helpful to make sure we have enough resources!

BUT FIRST!
(1) Make sure to get your Detailed Home Assessment from City of Boulder Fire-Rescue Risk Reduction Specialists, and
(2) Make sure you’re up to date on the alert systems offered in Boulder County!
CLICK HERE and HERE!

Reach out if you have any questions!
Kirin Riddell, BWC - Email or 907-707-9196
Claire Riley, Wonderland Hills: Email

Join us for a Potluck Celebration of Wildfire Mitigation Work!

Throughout the early fall, The Boulder Watershed Collective and Wildfire Partners has been providing free home mitigation and defensible space services, as well as slash and trash dumpsters to residents in the Old Town Nederland neighborhood. We want to celebrate this work and the homeowners who were a part of this program.

From wherever you live in Nederland or the area, join us for this potluck. The Boulder Watershed will provide the main entrees. Bring a side dish, eat, and learn about the free services this program provided, as well as up to date emergency preparedness information.

Before you attend the potluck, tell us what dish you will bring:

Once signed up, we will be in touch within one week of this potluck. If you have any additional questions or comments, please contact Julien at blundell.julien@gmail.com.

Para información en español, haga clic aquí

Wildfire Mitigation Planning! Info & Resource Sharing!
Connect with Neighbors & Experts! Food & Music!

Join your neighbors at The Sans Souci Community Park on Sunday, October 6, 2024,
to strengthen our wildfire and emergency preparedness actions, and have some fun community connection too!

Boulder County’s Wildfire Partners will discuss upcoming wildfire mitigation work to be completed by the Mile High Youth Corps, as well as financial assistance available to residents who take measures to protect their homes from wildfire: funding and other support are available for eligible wildfire mitigation actions!

City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks leaders will discuss the mitigation strategies OSMP plans to utilize in the open space surrounding Sans Souci in the next few years, including grazing, mowing, and prescribed fire.

Mountain View Fire Rescue District will lead discussions about wildfire response, as well as evacuations and alerts/notifications.

Let’s connect with purpose, but get a joy-filled jam session out of it too!
Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided.

RSVP in the form below - it will be helpful to make sure we have enough resources!

But first: make sure you’re up to date on the alert systems offered in Boulder County! CLICK HERE and HERE to confirm and learn more!

Partners Include:

• Sans Souci Cooperative - Board of Directors

• Boulder Watershed Collective

• City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

• Mountain View Fire Rescue District

• Wildfire Partners

Please bring a folding chair and an instrument if you’d like!

Reach out if you have any questions!
Peggy Kuhn, Sans Souci + Kirin Riddell, BWC - email or 907-707-9196

COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM BELOW TO RSVP!
It will be helpful to make sure we have enough resources!

¡Planificación para la mitigación de incendios forestales! ¡Compartir información y recursos! ¡Conéctese con vecinos y expertos! ¡Comida y música!

¡Únase a sus vecinos en el Parque Comunitario Sans Souci el domingo 6 de octubre de 2024 para fortalecer nuestras acciones de preparación para emergencias e incendios forestales, y también para divertirse con la comunidad!

El condado de Boulder Wildfire Partners discutirá el próximo trabajo de mitigación de incendios forestales que realizará el Mile High Youth Corps, así como la asistencia financiera disponible para los residentes que toman medidas para proteger sus hogares de los incendios forestales: ¡hay fondos y otro apoyo disponibles para acciones de mitigación de incendios forestales elegibles!

Los líderes de City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks  discutirán las estrategias de mitigación que OSMP planea utilizar en el espacio abierto que rodea a Sans Souci en los próximos años, incluido el pastoreo, el corte de césped y los incendios prescritos.

Distrito de bomberos y rescate de Mountain View Dirigirán discusiones sobre la respuesta a los incendios forestales, así como sobre evacuaciones y alertas/notificaciones.

Conectémonos con propósito, ¡Pero también disfrutemos de una sesión de improvisación llena de alegría! Se proveerá alimentos y bebidas sin alcohol.

Confirme su asistencia en el formulario a continuación: ¡será útil para asegurarnos de que tengamos suficientes recursos!
Pero primero:¡Asegúrese de estar actualizado sobre los sistemas de alerta que se ofrecen en el condado de Boulder! HAGA CLIC AQUÍ  ¡Para confirmar y saber más!

Los socios incluyen:

• Cooperativa Sans Souci - Junta Directiva

• Colectivo de la cuenca hidrográfica de Boulder

• Espacios abiertos y parques de montaña de la ciudad de Boulder

• Distrito de bomberos y rescate de Mountain View

• Wildfire Partners

¡Por favor traiga una silla plegable y un instrumento si lo deseas!

¡Contáctanos si tienes alguna pregunta!

Peggy Kuhn, Sans Souci + Kirin Riddell, BWC -correo electrónico o  907-707-9196

¡COMPLETE EL FORMULARIO DE REGISTRO A CONTINUACIÓN PARA CONFIRMAR SU ASISTENCIA!

¡Será útil asegurarnos de que tengamos suficientes recursos!

See the cows in action!

Join Louisville Open Space, Grama Grass and Livestock, the Louisville Fire Protection District, and Wildfire Partners for a mellow walk in our local grasslands to learn about some of the nuances involved in planning and managing these landscapes. Starting at Davidson Mesa, this will be the second in a series of grassland field trips exploring how management objectives are approached on the ground. Topics will include grasslands ecology, grazing, and wildfire education.

Home Assessment Demos! Information & Resource Sharing!
Connect with Neighbors & Experts! Coffee & Pastries!

Join your neighbors at 350 Arapahoe Avenue on Saturday, September 21, 2024, to strengthen our wildfire and emergency preparedness actions!

Boulder County’s Wildfire Partners will share information about their County-wide chipping program. The Arapahoe West Condominium Association (AWCA) will give a tour of vegetation management work they have done to date. AWCA is also hosting a Wildfire Partners Chipping Event this the same day. If you’d like more information about that, please email Chris Clasen.

Learn about the Firewise USA program for community wildfire mitigation in Colorado from a representative from the Colorado State Forest Service.

Last but not least, the City of Boulder’s Fire Community Risk Reduction Program Specialists will lead home hardening and emergency preparedness discussions & interactive demos of the City's exterior/curbside assessment tool for wildfire defensible space actions.

RSVP in the form below - it will be helpful to make sure we have enough resources!

But first: make sure you’re up to date on the alert systems offered in Boulder County! CLICK HERE and HERE to confirm and learn more!

Partners Include:

• Arapahoe West Condominium Association (AWCA)

• Boulder Watershed Collective

• City of Boulder Fire-Rescue

• Colorado State Forest Service

• Wildfire Partners

• Neighborhood Connection: Chris Clasen

Rough Agenda:

• 10-10:45AM - Welcome + Current Efforts + HOA Vegetation Tour

• 10:45-11:30PM - Partner Presentations + Group Discussion

• 11:30-12PM - Detailed Home Assessment Demonstrations

Please bring a folding chair if you’d like, and walking/biking would be best since parking will be extremely limited. Thank you!

Reach out if you have any questions!
Kirin Riddell - email or 907-707-9196
Chris Clasen - email

COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM BELOW TO RSVP!

Join artist Lindee Zimmer, Boulder Watershed Collective and local partners in a discussion of Lindee's mural telling the tale of the beaver!

Muralist Lindee Zimmer, The Boulder Watershed Collective, and other local partners are thrilled to tell the tale of beaver in a public mural created during the 2024 Street Wise Mural Festival. This artwork illustrates the beaver’s impact on water, ecosystems and climate change, featuring these keystone species who rehydrate parched landscapes creating wildfire buffers, replenishing groundwater, and expanding habitat for numerous species.

During this panel, Lindee and local watershed and climate resilient practitioners and leaders will discuss this collaborative eco-arts project process and inspiration, and dive into Lindee’s vision to tell the impactful story of beavers. This conversation will examine beaver’s influence on water, ecosystems, wildfire resilience, and climate change. Through an interactive Q&A, audience members will be able to ask panelist questions. The finished mural will be on display at BeaverCon 2024, held at CU Boulder from October 19 to 24 (more information at www.beaverinstitute.org).

PANELISTS:

Artists: Lindee Zimmer

Scientists/Activists: Preston Brown, The Boulder Watershed Collective

Moderated by Erin Fried, The Boulder Watershed Collective

Information & Resource Sharing! Home Assessment Demos!
Fire Truck Tours! Snacks & Cold Refreshments!

Join your neighbors at the Cottage Lane Green Space on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, to strengthen our wildfire and emergency preparedness actions! Visit with insurance consultants, talk all things land management with Open Space and Mountain Parks staff, join City of Boulder Fire Rescue team members on Detailed Home Assessment demos discussing actions you can make for a more resilient home, and collaborate with neighbors about how to leverage your impacts for the greater good of the community. This will be a great opportunity to have face-to-face conversations with local land managers and have all of your questions answered!
RSVP in the form below - it will be helpful to make sure we have enough resources!

But first: make sure you’re up to date on the alert systems offered in Boulder County! CLICK HERE and HERE to confirm and learn more!

Partners Include:

• Boulder Watershed Collective

• Boulder County Open Space & Mountain Parks

• City of Boulder Fire-Rescue

• United Policy Holders

• Neighborhood Connections: Joanna Rosenblum

Rough Agenda:

• 3:30-3:45PM - Partner Tables with Information + Neighbor Mingling

• 3:45-4:45PM - Partner Presentations + Group Discussion

• 4:45-6PM - Detailed Home Assessment Demonstrations - This is rich information!

Please bring a chair / blanket if you’d like, and walking would be best since parking will be extremely limited. Thank you!

Reach out if you have any questions!
Kirin Riddell - email or 907-707-9196
Joanna Rosenblum - email

COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM BELOW TO RSVP!

Join us on Sunday, June 23rd, 2024, for the Sunset Trail Running Festival in Gold Hill, CO! Hosted by The Boulder Watershed Collective and in collaboration with Team BOCO, all money raised from the event will be donated to the town of Gold Hill and will fund wildfire preparation and response initiatives such as forest restoration, home hardening, emergency planning, land stewardship, and community resiliency. 

This event provides an opportunity for the Front Range trail community to show its support for small mountain town communities that live with a high risk of disruption and destruction from wildfire while providing visitors with access to their unique character, beauty, and the surrounding landscapes.

RACE DETAILS: 

Runners can choose between a 28K (17.4M), 12K (7.7M), 5K, or kids 1K trail race. All distances start and finish on the main street of Gold Hill at the Gold Hill Inn, and the longer distances are run, in part, on the National Forest System roads. Runners will enjoy varied terrain of dirt roads and trails through ponderosa pine and aspen forests while taking in amazing views on these challenging courses. 

The 28K course heads south to Salina and then west along Fourmile Canyon Dr to the historic town of Sunset. From there, runners will head north up the Switzerland Trail and back to Gold Hill. The 12K course heads west along Gold Hill Rd to the famous Mount Alto Picnic area and back into town. 

Please note: We encourage all runners and spectators to utilize the free shuttle to and from Boulder leaving from Boulder County Justice Center (1777 6th St, Boulder, CO 80302). To ensure minimal vehicle impact and disruption to the Gold Hill community on race day, parking will be very limited. The cost per car will be a required donation of $30.

Gold Hill Locals: Reach out for a special registration offer!

POST-RACE:

After the race, celebrate the day with your family, friends, and fellow participants at our after race party! We will have food, drinks, music, and a chance to win trail running gear and local goods!

To view more race details, register, or donate, visit Team BOCO’s event page here! 

REMEMBERING THE HISTORY OF SUNSET AND GOLD HILL: 

Gold Hill is the oldest continuously occupied mining town in Colorado and today is home to around 200 permanent residents. The town was established in 1859 after placer gold was found in the nearby Gold Run Creek and soon became a beacon for economic opportunity as settlers moved west. By the late 1800s, Boulder was a hub of activity that supported nearby mining operations with the help of a rail line, The Switzerland Trail, that wove through and between the canyons and small mining towns west of Boulder. 

Sunset, the namesake of this trail running festival, was once a small, bustling mining town and a stop on The Switzerland Trail. During the race, the 28K runners will pass through Sunset around mile 10 before continuing up The Switzerland Trail until they join with the 12K runners at the site of the historic Mount Alto Picnic Area, a resort destination for train travelers. 

This more recent history of The Boulder Valley and its historic human-built sites was made possible only by the unlawful and unjust claim of land by white settlers. This theft was in direct opposition to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, which protected the Arapaho and Cheyenne nations and their land, and it went against the agreements prospectors made with Chief Niwot, chief of the Southern Arapaho. 

Today, there are ample opportunities to honor, celebrate and learn from the Indigenous Peoples whose homeland we now live, recreate on, and travel on, as well as all of the communities of people, animals, and plants that have existed here through time.  

We hope that through this event, runners and spectators reflect on and honor this history and acknowledge the ways to live more mindfully within these wildfire resilient landscapes.

To learn more about the Indigenous history of The Boulder Valley and the ways you can participate in healing with the land and its People, there are many resources including those available through Right Relationship Boulder and the Museum of Boulder.

Join local fire and land managers for a virtual presentation to learn about the nuances that go into utilizing fire as a land management tool and other local land management practices. We'll get into depth about response strategies, prescribed fire treatment types, weather requirements, and what it means to live in a fire adapted landscape!

Speakers include:

• Town of Superior Land Managers

• Mountain View Fire Wildland Fire Management Officer

• Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest Service South Zone Prevention Specialist

• USDA FS Rocky Mountain Region Smoke Specialist / Air Resource Advisor

Presented by the
Town of Superior Disaster Preparedness and Recovery
+ The Boulder Watershed Collective

In Colorado, the Front Range can present unique fuel and weather conditions for wildfires. Combined with numerous wildland/urban interface and intermix settings, these conditions can be critical in wildfire management.

Register now for the Front Range Grassland Fire Workshop to increase your knowledge and understanding of the ecology, behavior, risks, and management of grassfire conditions on the Front Range.

Hear speakers from both the Front Range and the Great Plains to discuss grassland fire.

Limited space available. Registration closes May 15.

See the cows in action!

Join Louisville Open Space, Grama Grass and Livestock, the Louisville Fire Protection District, and Wildfire Partners for a mellow walk in our local grasslands to learn about some of the nuances involved in planning and managing these landscapes. Starting at Davidson Mesa, this will be the second in a series of grassland field trips exploring how management objectives are approached on the ground. Topics will include grasslands ecology, grazing, and wildfire education.

Forest bathing, or forest therapy, is a relational practice and time to unplug, slow down, and connect with our amazing senses while in the forest we are so fortunate to be near. Through a series of sensory awakening invitations, this practice and our walk will foster our relationship with the Natural World, ourselves, and others.

This morning walk will allow us to take a break from our “thinking minds” and let our “heart’s intelligence” have time to be alive and present, all while lowering stress hormones, calming the nervous system, regulating the heart rate, increasing white blood cells, supporting creativity, improving mood, and decreasing anxiety. The gifts of this practice are abundant!

The Japanese nature-based practice of Shinrin-Yoku translates into "forest bathing." Bathing in the healing energy of the forest. Trees and plants release tiny little molecules called phytoncides. They are active substances that help protect them from rotting or being attacked by insects or diseases. Phytoncides emitted by trees have also been shown to have a beneficial effect on human physiology. When we breath in these phytoncides, they support our immune systems by increasing our white blood cells.

Join Darlene Rooney of Nature Heals: Forest Immersions on this journey to quiet your mind and open your senses. Bring good shoes, sunscreen, and water for this mild walk from the Flagstaff Nature Center, at the junction of Flagstaff Road and Flagstaff Summit Road.

REGISTRATION VIA EVENTBRITE

$10+ Donation Suggested & Appreciated

Beavers are out there doing the work! Come check it out!

Join us at a beaver dam site in Lefthand Canyon on Monday, May 6th, from 2-4PM, to hear from ecohydrologist and beaver researcher Emily Fairfax about the habitat, activity, and the multitude of benefits beavers bring to our landscape.

We’ll convene at approximately 12.5 miles up Lefthand Canyon Drive towards Jamestown where we’ll view an active beaver site, hear from a leading expert, and discuss all the impressive impacts these ecosystem engineers bring to our watershed!

Carpooling is encouraged. Please reach out if we can help with coordination.

We'll have limited waders/muck boots for community use, but we encourage coming prepared in water-wise footwear and layers for Colorado spring.

Plan your drive before leaving reception:
Click Here for Location Pin on Google Maps

Hosted in partnership by the Boulder Watershed Collective and The Watershed Center.

Free Breakfast Treats! Information & Resource Sharing! Home Assessment Demos!
Fire Truck Tours!

Join your neighbors at the Wonderland Hills Recreation Clubhouse on Saturday, May 4, 2024, to strengthen our wildfire and emergency preparedness actions! Visit with insurance consultants and firewise landscaping experts, talk all things land management with Open Space and Parks and Recreation staff, join City of Boulder Fire Rescue team members on Detailed Home Assessment demos discussing actions you can make for a more resilient home, and collaborate with neighbors about how to leverage your impacts for the greater good of the community. This will be a great opportunity to have face-to-face conversations with local land managers and have all of your questions answered!
RSVP in the form below - it will be helpful to make sure we have enough resources!

But first: make sure you’re up to date on the alert systems offered in Boulder County! CLICK HERE and HERE to confirm and learn more!

Partners Include:

• Boulder Watershed Collective

• Boulder County Open Space & Mountain Parks

• City of Boulder Fire-Rescue

• City of Boulder Parks & Recreation

• United Policy Holders

• ClimateScaping Consulting

• Neighborhood Connections: Claire Riley & Doug Parker

Reach out if you have any questions!
Cat Price - email or 903-235-7754
Claire Riley - email
Doug Parker - email

COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM BELOW TO RSVP!