Celebrate Spring With Saturday Evening Programs At Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park officials have announced two Saturday evening programs occurring over the next two weeks:

Bear Necessities: Black Bears in Rocky Mountain National Park

On Saturday, May 25 at 7:00 p.m. join park ranger Sue Langdon to explore Rocky's black bears and their lifestyles. Rocky has a relatively small population of black bears compared to many other national parks. Yet, these forest roaming bears still make an impression to visitors in the most surprising places throughout the park!

Bears can completely surprise people with their activities and it is easy for people to mis-interpret what a bear is about to do. Does a bear standing upright on its hind feet mean it is ready to attack? What do bears prefer to eat? Is it humans or ants? Find out the truth about black bears and what they need to survive and thrive in Rocky Mountain National Park.

What's up with these forests? Mountain pine beetle impacts in Rocky Mountain National Park

On Saturday, June 1 at 7:00 p.m. learn the latest about the mountain pine beetle and their impacts on our forests. The recent mountain pine beetle outbreak has left a vast number of dead trees in its wake. From a distance it can appear as though entire forests are dying, but research suggests that many trees and seedlings have survived. This presentation will discuss mountain pine beetle ecology, impacts in the park, and how forests may change in the future as a result of this disturbance.

Join Katie Renwick, a PhD candidate at Colorado State University who spent last summer in the Rocky Mountain Nature Association fellowship program. Her research focuses on understanding how climate change and disturbance affect landscape-scale patterns of forest composition. She has been conducting research in Rocky Mountain National Park since 2010.

Both programs are free, and will be held at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com