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The Science Behind Homemade Herbal Balms and Lotions

November 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Discover how to make healing lotions the way your grandparents did!  Using natural materials like beeswax, shea butter, and various essential oils, learn the art of creating your own skincare products. Participants will make hand cream, sunscreen, healing salve, and lip balm all without the use of petroleum products. This program is hands-on and interactive, participants will leave with multiple samples of each item. These would be great holiday gifts!

Rita Manna, owner of Reet’s Garden & Design LLC, will be teaching the class in conjunction with Lara Carlson from Walking Mountains.  Rita is a certified and licensed Permaculture Designer and Landscape Designer who specializes herbal and medicinal plants. She will discuss some of the healing properties of the ingredients used in each product.

The Science Behind series of classes highlights useful and fun skills that have underlying scientific principles.  Each class provides a hands-on, interactive component with instruction from a local subject matter expert and a Walking Mountains educator.  Classes are held once a month at Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon.  Spaces are limited, cost is $20/person for supplies, please call to reserve your spot today (970) 827-9725!

IF YOU GO…

What: The Science Behind Homemade Herbal Balms and Lotions
When: December 12th, 6:30pm
Where: Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon
Cost: $20 for supplies – you will take home multiple samples of each item made

Seating is limited, please call to reserve your spot today!  (970) 827-9725

Filed Under: Events, Family Activities, Fun, The Science Behind Series Tagged With: , , , ,

The Deep Ecology of Pueblo Indian Society with Dr. Mark Varien

November 26, 2012 By 1 Comment

Please join us for another fantastic lecture by Dr. Mark Varien of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, a continuation from Mark’s first lecture at the Science Center:

“Using Computer Simulation and Archeological Analyses to Study 1,000 Years of Human-Environment Interaction”

Dr. Mark D. Varien, Crow Canyon Archaeological CenterThe Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, in partnership with Indian Tribes and scientists from across America, is conducting an innovative study of the long-term interactions between humans and their environment. Known as the Village Ecodynamics Project, of VEP, the study examines Pueblo Indian society in the southwestern United States during the period between A.D. 600 and 1600. The VEP employs three major studies: an innovative computer simulation, the analysis of about 25,000 archaeological sites, and an experimental farming project designed by scientists and Pueblo Indians.

The VEP examines the affects of the Neolithic Revolution: the period when hunting and gathering was replaced by domesticated food production. For Pueblo Indians this means the adoption of corn farming and the domestication of turkeys. The VEP creates a detailed reconstruction of the ancient environment and how precipitation and temperature changed annually.The Deep Ecology of Pueblo Indian Society This environmental reconstruction is the basis for an innovative and sophisticated computer simulation where virtual Pueblo farm families settle this landscape, find a location suitable for farming, collect wood for fuel and water for drinking, hunt deer and rabbits, and exchange goods with their neighbors when these activities don’t meet their needs. In this way, the simulation examines many different strategies that ancestral Pueblo might have used to cope with the ever-changing environment. The simulation generates 500 possible scenarios, and these are evaluated by comparing each to the analysis of the known archaeological sites. In this study of ancestral Pueblo society, the VEP examines a constellation of factors that also describe the world we live in today: the intersection of transformative technological change, exponential population growth, human impact on the environment, and climate change. The results of the VEP teach us about our shared human past and illustrate the choices we face as we shape our collective future.

Reserve your seats today, register online at the Vail Symposium website.

IF YOU GO…

Date: December 17, 2012
Place: Walking Mountains Science Center
Time: 5:30PM-Pre Event Reception
6:00PM- Lecture
7:00 pm—Post Event Reception
Lecture Title: The Deep Ecology of Pueblo Indian Society: Using Computer Simulation and Archeological Analyses to Study 1,000 Years of Human-Environment Interaction
Speaker: Mark D. Varien, PhD, Research and Education Chair, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Sponsors: Walking Mountains Science Center, Vail Symposium, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Cost: $10, Register online at www.vailsymposium.org

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Walking Mountains to Participate in Colorado Gives Day 12/4/12

November 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The third annual Colorado Gives Day takes place on Tuesday, December 4th, beginning at 12 am and continuing for 24 hours. Last year, the single biggest day of giving in Colorado inspired the generosity of thousands who donated $12.4 million on line to their favorite local charities. Colorado Gives Day is a project of GivingFirst.org, an on line resource created by Community First Foundation that profiles Colorado non-profits and encourages charitable giving by providing comprehensive, objective, and up-to-date information about hundreds of Colorado organizations. In order to be eligible to participate, Walking Mountains had to submit a detailed profile for approval that includes mission, governance, programmatic, and financial information that is now posted on the GivingFirst.org website: www.GivingFirst.org

Every single dollar donated to Walking Mountains on Colorado Gives Day, from midnight to midnight, is eligible for a boost from the FirstBank Incentive Fund, increasing the value of each contribution. 

“We are thrilled to be a part of the third annual Colorado Gives Day. As a Colorado nonprofit, we recognize the value of bringing local communities together in support of the charitable sector – and Colorado Gives Day is an ideal outlet for raising awareness of the need to support organizations like ours,” remarked Markian Feduschak, Executive Director of Walking Mountains.

Colorado Gives Day is an incredible opportunity for everyone to make a positive difference in the lives of people in our community. For Walking Mountains, the money raised will translate into enhanced natural science education for over 3,000 Eagle County students who participate in field studies and summer science camps and for 20,000 visitors to the Nature Discovery Center on Vail Mountain and Vail Nature Center. Remember to “give where you live and where you play” by visiting www.GivingFirst.org/walkingmountains to schedule your donation in advance for Tuesday, December 4th!

This year 20 local non-profits are collaborating to spread the word about Colorado Gives Day, find your favorite online at: www.EagleCOGives.org

New to the Science Center? Stop by and visit us at our new campus. We are open Monday through Saturday, 10am – 6pm, admission is free to the public.

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John Fielder Photography Tour at Walking Mountains, December 4th

November 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Gates Ranch - John Fielder's Colorado's Great OutdoorsRenowned Colorado nature photographer John Fielder will return to Eagle County for a free photography presentation on December 4th at 6:00pm in Avon at The Walking Mountain Science Center.  The event is being hosted by the Eagle Valley Land Trust and will showcase photos from John’s recently published book Colorado’s Great Outdoors: Celebrating 20 Years of Lottery Funded Lands.

We hope you can join EVLT on December 4th for this intimate evening with our friend, John Fielder.  John will lead attendees in an inspiring photo presentation set to beautiful music.  The show will feature photographs of hundreds of county and city open spaces; wildlife habitat; state parks and wildlife areas; local and regional trails; community parks, ball fields, and playgrounds; and private ranches throughout Colorado’s 64 counties.  State lottery funds were invested in all of the lands featured in this exciting photo presentation.  Several of the lands are right here in Eagle County, and we know you will enjoy John’s wonderful photos of our great outdoors.

This fun evening will also feature a book signing with John Fielder.  John’s classic photo books and popular calendars will be available for purchase.  Autographed books and calendars will make great holiday gifts for your friends and family this year!  And, 30% of gross proceeds from the sale of books and calendars will be generously donated by John to the Eagle Valley Land Trust for their ongoing conservation work in Eagle County.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Fielder recently published two new books – a guide book, Guide to Colorado’s Great Outdoors: Lottery-Funded Parks, Trails, Wildlife Areas & Open Spaces, and a picture book, Colorado’s Great Outdoors: Celebrating 20 Years of Lottery-Funded Lands, depicting many of the places invested in by GOCO with lottery funds.

Admission to this event is FREE.  Join your local Land Trust and John Fielder on December 4th at Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon.  Seating is limited, for more information or to reserve your spot please contact: jdenhart@evlt.org or call 970-748-7654.

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Comets, Meteors and Meteorites at Walking Mountains

November 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Eagle Valley Astronomical Society Presents…
Comets, Meteors, and Meteorites
Thursday, November 8—7:30 to 9:00pm
FREE, All Ages Welcome
At Walking Mountains Science Center,
318 Walking Mountains Lane, Avon CO

  • Most folks don’t realize it, but on any given night, there are 20 or more comets available in the sky that are bright enough to be photographed with a backyard telescope.  Currently the easiest comet to see was discovered in 1998 by American astronomer Carl W. Hergenrother, and it orbits the Sun every 6.9 years.
  • Weather permitting, EVAS will view Comet Hergenrother with portable telescopes at Walking Mountains Science Center.  Especially exciting, however, are two new comets that will soon become bright enough to see without a telescope.  Comet PanSTARRS will appear in the spring of 2013, and Comet ISON — possibly the “comet of a lifetime” — will blaze the fall of 2013.
  • John Briggs, a frequent contributor at EVAS meetings, will describe these objects, along with the connection to meteors and meteorites.  Just last week, a network of video sky cameras allowed the recovery of at least two stony meteorites after a huge meteor lit up the California sky.  John runs a similar camera every night as part of a Colorado meteor network.  Along with the comet news, he will show several recent recordings of large meteors above Eagle Valley.

Walking Mountains Science Center: (970) 827-9725 | info@walkingmountains.org
John W. Briggs, HUT Observatory:  (970) 328-6228 | john.w.briggs@gmail.com
www.walkingmountains.org

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The Science Behind Making Wine

October 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Science Behind Wine Making with David RoyThe Science Behind series continues next month at Walking Mountains with “The Science Behind Making Wine”.  Join us Wednesday, November 14th at 6:30pm for a fun-filled, educational evening.

Perhaps you didn’t know that oenology is the science of wine and wine making.  During this session we’ll delve into the history and steps of the wine making process – from the selection of the grapes to the finished bottle.  Crushing, pressing, fermentation, blending, preservatives, filtration, red vs. white – unleash the mystery and learn to discern.

Vintner, David Roy of Denver-based winery “The Infinite Monkey Theorem”, will be on hand to share his vast knowledge of the wine making process.  Although David is currently juggling his wine crafting time with surgery rotations, he has traveled the world to further his passion and remains active in the process at the winery.  Originally from Grand Junction, CO – he began his journey at the Grand River Vineyard in Palisade.  Since those days, The Infinite Monkey Theorem has grown into a successful Colorado winery, serving the Denver restaurant scene from their LoDo production facility.  David has an interesting perspective shaped by a hand in every part of the process – it will be a real treat to have him present this topic.

The Science Behind series of classes highlights useful and fun skills that have underlying scientific principles.  Each class provides a hands-on, interactive component with instruction from a local subject matter expert and a Walking Mountains educator.  Classes are held once a month at Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon.

Participants for this class must be 21 or over.  Spaces are limited, please call to reserve your spot today (970) 827-9725!

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ERWC’s Water’wise’ Series Brings Redford WATERSHED Film to Science Center

October 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Watershed Movie Narrated by Robert Redford

As part of their Water Wise Wednesday Series, The Eagle River Watershed Council is presenting a free screening of Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West at the Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon on Wednesday, October 24, 2012. The 55-minute documentary, narrated by Robert Redford and directed by award-winning filmmaker, Mark Decena, exposes the threats endangering the West’s once-mighty Colorado River through heartening character vignettes.

“This documentary provides a succinct overview of current threats to the Colorado River,” says Melissa Macdonald, Executive Director of the Eagle River Watershed Council. “We are just beginning a science based study of the Colorado River in Eagle County to learn what local threats and opportunities might be.”  

The film was created by The Redford Center in partnership with the Save The Colorado Campaign to engage, inform and inspire Americans to conserve water and begin restoring the Colorado River so that it can once again reach the sea. The Colorado River sweeps through seven U.S. and two Mexican states, has over 20 major dams, and is drained of 5 trillion gallons of water each year. It’s no wonder it runs dry before reaching its natural end at the Gulf of California.

“If we see the Colorado River as just a river, we are overlooking a natural engine that powers both our economy and our environment,” says Robert Redford. “We want this film to raise awareness of the idea that this river is the canary in the coalmine. If business, government and citizens come together and make some changes, the mighty Colorado can continue to serve us.”

Come check it out! Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 5:30 p.m. at Walking Mountains Science Center (www.walkingmountains.org) 318 Walking Mountains Lane, Avon, CO. Mingle and wind down with a complimentary Crazy Mountain Beer and popcorn before the film begins at 6:00 p.m. We will conclude with a quick Q&A after the movie.

Interested in learning more about the Eagle River Watershed Council and how you can make a difference in your local rivers and streams?  Please contact our office at 970-827-5406 or visit www.erwc.org for a complete list of our projects and volunteer opportunities.  The Eagle River Watershed Council advocates for the health and conservation of the Upper Colorado and Eagle River basins, for people and wildlife through science, projects and education.

Filed Under: Environmental Education, Events Tagged With: , , , , ,

Use Simple Video Cameras to Get Great Celestial Movies of Celestial Objects

October 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Eagle Valley Astronomical Society will gather Thursday evening, October 18, starting at 7:30 PM at the Walking Mountains Science Center near the base of Buck Creek Road in Avon. Our speaker will be John Briggs, a regular presenter at Eagle Valley Astronomical Society.

Last month John travelled to Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona, to perform a historical reenactment of the first photographic observation of solar granulation. The project was in collaboration with veteran solar astronomer Dr. Jack Harvey of National Solar Observatory. John and Jack used electronic “still” photography, traditional film photography, and modern video imaging to record the fine, granular-appearing surface of the Sun.

At our meeting, John will explain and demonstrate how easy it is to make celestial movie clips with video cameras that cost only $100 or less. This can be done with almost any telescope and is a wonderful project for youngsters. Common webcams, for example, can be modified to image the Moon and planets with a small telescope, and the results are surprisingly impressive. John will also report on his adventure making video recordings at Kitt Peak and will show results including the Sun, Moon, and double stars.

FREE Event.  All ages are welcome, no reservations necessary.

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The Science Behind Personal Water Filtration Systems

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Restructured tap water, using personal water ionization technologies, can enhance health and eliminate the need for common household cleaning chemicals.

Join Walking Mountains Science Center on October 10th at 6:30pm for the continuation of the Science Behind series.  By the end of this fun, hands-on workshop, participants will understand the basics of how restructured, alkaline-iodized drinking water neutralizes acids, balancing our body and blood pH which can help prevent degenerative diseases, fight aging and flush body toxins.

Participants will experience first-hand how restructured tap water can be made to have varying levels of pH, which allows for its use as a cleaning and disinfecting agent, eliminating the need for expensive and often toxic chemicals.  They will also compare the pH level of various brands of bottled water, popular beverages and restructured, ionized tap water.  Just like in our local rivers and streams, increased alkalinity in our own bodies helps buffer us against the toxic effects of acidity.

Ted James is a retired science teacher who serves on the Boards of both the Walking Mountains Science Center and the Colorado Watershed Assembly.  Ted continues his work as a River Watch volunteer, monitoring the pH of Buck Creek, Beaver Creek and the Eagle River.  Ted will be joined by Jim Coddington, a Hydration Specialist from Los Angeles.

If You Go…

When: October 10th, 6:30pm
Where: Walking Mountains Science Center
What: The Science Behind Personal Water Filtration Systems
Cost: FREE

Please call for reservations, (970) 827-9725 or info@walkingmountains.org

Filed Under: Events, The Science Behind Series Tagged With: , , , , ,

Domain Chandon and Newton Vineyards Vail Wine Tasting

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Esteemed wine personality Ellen Flora will be in Vail to discuss her love of wine and nature at Masters Gallery during  “For the Love of Mountains,” a benefit for Walking Mountains Science Center.

“We are delighted to welcome Ellen to Vail, and to have her on hand for this fun evening” said Jonathan Staufer, proprietor of Grappa Fine Wines & Spirits. “Wine is the product of nature and it was nature Ellen fell in love with in the wine country of Northern California. Walking Mountains’ programs are terrific way for children and adults to learn from nature. It’s an ideal link-up.”

Ms. Flora, who is Wine Ambassador for Newton Vineyards and Domain Chandon, is visiting Vail as part of Vail Restaurant Month. She will be introducing attendees to six wines from the two estates at this relaxed social gathering.

Walking Mountains is very excited to be part of this event.  What a perfect way to celebrate the bounty of nature during this beautiful fall season in the mountains.  Money raised during the event will go directly toward assisting Eagle County school children to attend science field studies programs at Walking Mountains Science Center.

“For the Love of Mountains”  will take place at Masters Gallery in Vail on October 13th, will feature hors d’oeuvres from Campo de Fiori and Frost at the Sebastian Hotel Vail.

If you go…

When: October 13, 4:30pm-6:30pm
Where: The Masters Gallery, Vail
What: Wine Tasting Benefit for Walking Mountains
Cost: $45/couple

Please contact Walking Mountains for ticket information, (970) 827-9725 or info@walkingmountains.org

Filed Under: Events, Fun Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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