Boulder’s Nature Guru

Dave Sutherland shares his lifelong penchant for the outdoors

By Irene Middleman Thomas

Imagine if you could wrap the personalities of “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” Willie Wonka and your favorite teacher into one person—you’d have retired Boulder naturalist Dave Sutherland. He brings enthusiasm, humor, community spirit and education to Boulder County residents of all ages. “He’s a rock star,” exudes a passerby on a recent hike at Lafayette’s Waneka Lake. “I’ve been on his excursions, and I give him an A plus!” Sutherland guided a small group of home-schooled kids on a bird-watching stroll around the lake with their parents. 

Right away, the group spotted a fluffy young red-tailed hawk sitting a few yards away on a pole amidst a cacophony of birdsong from red-winged blackbirds. Sutherland engages the students with genuine excitement, translating that enthusiasm to them as well. “Come look through the scope,” he called out. “I have it fixed on a cormorant and a turtle across the lake. Look, there’s a whole group of Common Merganser ducks, too!” The kids rushed over to take turns looking through the scope, calling to their parents to have a look as well.

Sutherland often quips about various things, sometimes meant for the adults, but always G-rated. “Did you know that geese mate for life? Just like people intend to do?” 

Sutherland has been a field naturalist in Boulder since 1996 and has worked for the Open Space and Mountain Parks department. He now serves the community by offering free nature hikes and programs with local organizations. He also promotes planting native plant gardens and writes natural history content on social media. His monthly community newsletter lists upcoming events with sign-up links and details of environmental projects and advice. Periodically, he sends out a brief nature almanac with some seasonal fun nature facts, recommended places to hike or explore, things to look for, and amusing surprises and general musings about nature. 

All of Sutherland’s hikes are free of charge and open to the public. He does accept donations, which he uses to purchase supplies used for educational presentations.

He earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Idaho, where he was unanimously awarded the 1991 Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Range Sciences. Before that, Sutherland was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras and completed his senior honors thesis and master’s thesis in Costa Rica. He was the head of environmental education at the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands for three years. Fluent in Spanish, Sutherland leads hikes and events for the county’s Hispanic community.

In 2005, Sutherland received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education in recognition of his work in the field.  

Themes for hikes and presentations are varied and creative, ranging from bird-watching to pollination and insects, gardening to native plants and flowers, among others. One of the most inviting programs is held in conjunction with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. Sutherland often combines his love for classical music with his hikes and talks, offering such events as “Bird-watching and Music,” “Enchanted Lakes: Music and Ponds,” and the “Music of Landscapes.”

Other affiliate groups with which he collaborates include Environment for the Americas, Boulder County Audubon Society, Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, Boulder Pollinator Garden Project and the Colorado Native Plant Society. 

This year, Boulder has been recognized as an official Bird City by the Bird City Network and was celebrated at the “Shared Spaces: Building Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities” event in May, focusing on simple, actionable ways to protect birds. The American Bird Conservancy and Environment for the Americas have created the Bird City Network that unites Bird City Programs across the Americas to foster innovation and connections that lead to on-the-ground advances for bird conservation while making communities healthier and more beautiful places for people to live.

Dave Sutherland, who lives in Boulder, reflects on his so-called retirement: “I vowed not to be sitting on the couch. Why not volunteer to do the work I did before? I started with Boulder County Audubon and then spread out in the county.” Indeed, this self-professed “natural science geek” is in his happy place, inspiring others to love nature as he has since he began collecting rocks and butterflies at just 4 years old. 

For more information, see Boulder Magazine events section and visit davesutherland.co