Highlights In This Issue:
Stars Above Aspen , Annual Mushroom Fair, Adult Naturalist Field School Classes , Rock Bottom Ranch Products, New Burlap Dinner Series ... and more!
Thank You, Firefighters!
ACES Explorers practiced gratitude last month by making and delivering a card to  Aspen Fire to thank them for protecting the homes and habitats of animals affected by the Lake Christine Fire .

To all of the brave women & men who continue to work hard
to protect our valley, we say thank you!
Upcoming Community Events
Wednesday, August 1 | 7 PM - 8:30 PM
Hallam Lake
Free

Join Dr. Andrew Wilson, Assistant Curator of the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi at the Denver Botanic Gardens, to learn identification clues and gain great appreciation for the amazing diversity of mushrooms in our local habitats. 

This evening presentation kicks off our 2-day field class on Thursday-Friday . Both mushroom events culminate with ACES' annual public Mushroom Fair on Friday afternoon from 1 - 4PM. Come for the evening presentation, for the Mushroom Fair, or for the whole fungi event!

Please bike, walk, or carpool to Hallam Lake. Parking is extremely limited.
Friday, August 3 | 1 PM - 4 PM
Hallam Lake
Free

Join visiting fungi experts, Vera Evenson and Dr. Andrew Wilson to learn all about mushrooms! A wide variety of specimens will be exhibited, identified, and examined at this annual community event.

Please bike, walk, or carpool to Hallam Lake.
Parking is extremely limited.
Tuesday, August 7 | 6 PM - 7 PM
Hotel Jerome Ballroom
Free

Gina McCarthy is one of the world’s most respected voices on the critical connection between the environment and global public health. McCarthy served as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency under President Obama, leading historic progress in public health and environmental protection. Her lecture, "The Future of the Planet: Climate Change & Environmental Protection," will feature her passion and vast wealth of knowledge gained from over 30 years as a public servant.

Please bike, walk, or carpool to Hotel Jerome.

Reminder: an RSVP doesn't reserve a seat!
We recommend arriving early to this event.

Monday, August 13 | 6 PM - 10:30 PM
Sundeck on Aspen Mountain
$15 per person (includes gondola ride)

ACES and Aspen Skiing Company are thrilled to present the 3rd annual Stars Above Aspen, a community event all about astronomy! The public is invited to gaze through telescopes, learn the constellations, and enjoy interactive presentations at this family-friendly event. The Sundeck will be open for dinner and drinks throughout the evening.

This year, Stars Above Aspen will feature:
  • STARLAB planetarium tent
  • Guided telescope station
  • Interactive presentations
  • Sunset yoga
  • Legends and facts of the constellations
  • Celestial crafts and games
  • Space-themed face painting
  • A collaborative mural of the universe
  • Physics experiments, and more!

Don't miss our keynote speaker, astronomer David Aguilar, who will give a talk on “Fantastic Night of Planets” at 8:15PM! A naturalist, astronomer, lecturer, author, and illustrator of over ten National Geographic and Random House children’s books on space, David is an expert when it comes to communicating the sciences to all ages.
Summer Events Calendar
Click on the titles below to register and for more information.

Wednesday, August 1 | Colorado Mushroom Lecture
Friday, August 3 | Annual Mushroom Fair
Saturday, August 4 | Farm to Table Dinner SOLD OUT
Monday, August 13 | Stars Above Aspen
(ON SALE NOW: BUY TICKETS )
Thursday, August 16 | Burlap Dinner
(ON SALE NOW: BUY TICKETS )
Thursday, August 30 | Burlap Dinner
 (ON SALE NOW: BUY TICKETS )
Thursday, September 13 | Contra Dance
Thursday, September 20 | Fall Colors Membership Potluck
Saturday, October 13 | Harvest Party
On Sale Now: Burlap Dinner Series Tickets
Join Rock Bottom Ranch staff for a casual evening spent exploring our agriculture systems, followed by a family-style meal in our open-air pole barn.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at some of our favorite food products at the Ranch! The evening begins with wine and beer, followed by a production tour of each night's featured menu item, and concludes with salad, dinner, and dessert.
Burlap Dinner | August 16
Rock Bottom Ranch
Burlap Dinner | August 30
Rock Bottom Ranch
Explore Summer with ACES
Click on the titles below for more information.

Daily Tours
Aspen Mountain  tours explore Richmond Ridge at the top of the Aspen Mountain gondola. This 45-minute tour is offered daily on the hour from 11AM - 3PM.

Snowmass Wildflower Hikes are offered daily at 10AM, and Ice Age Discovery Hikes are offered daily at 1PM. Each tour is two hours roundtrip and departs from outside the Ice Age Discovery Center.

Maroon Bells Crater Lake Hike and Maroon Lake Walk are offered daily at 10:15AM and 1:15PM. Enjoy a two hour one-way hike to Crater Lake, or a 45-minute one-way hike around Maroon Lake. Both tours depart from the Maroon Bells Information Center.

Custom Tours
Green World Day Hike and River Run Sunset Hike include the historic ghost town of Ashcroft, and a gourmet lunch or dinner at the Pine Creek Cookhouse. Green World Day Hike is offered daily from 10:30AM - 2:30PM, and River Run Sunset Hike is offered daily from 5PM - 8PM. Reservations required. Call (970) 925-5756 to book.

Hire a Guide  for private, custom tours to explore many Aspen locations on your own schedule. Offered daily. Reservations required. Call (970) 925-5756 to book.
MB hike
Aspen grove
adult NFS castle hike
Kids Camps & Family Programs
Click on the titles below to register and for more information.

Monday - Saturday* | 11 AM
Rock Bottom Ranch
*No program September 3rd (Labor Day)

June 18 - September 1
Monday - Friday  |  4 PM
Saturday  |  2 PM
Hallam Lake

Tuesdays & Thursdays, June 19 - August 30 | 7:30 PM
Hallam Lake

Saturdays, June 16 - September 1 | 10 AM - 3 PM
Hallam Lake
eagle
Adult Hikes & Field Classes
Click on the titles below to register and for more information.

Birding
Monday, August 6 | 5 PM - 7 PM
Hallam Lake

Tuesdays, August 7, 14, 21*, 28* | 7:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Hallam Lake
*August 21 meet at Rock Bottom Ranch

Monday, August 13 | 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
North Lot parking lot at North Star Nature Preserve

Single-Day Naturalist Field School Classes
Wednesday, August 15 | 5 PM - 8 PM
Rock Bottom Ranch

Sunday, August 26 | 7 PM - 10 PM
Rock Bottom Ranch

Two-Day Naturalist Field School Classes
Thursday & Friday, August 2 & 3 | 9 AM - 4 PM
Hallam Lake
*Graduate credit available.
**Don't miss ACES' annual Mushroom Fair on Friday, August 3!

Thursday & Friday, August 9 & 10 | 9 AM - 4 PM
Hallam Lake (Thursday); Catto Center at Toklat (Friday)
*Graduate credit available.

Free, Donation-Based Classes
Mondays, June 18 - August 27 | 4 PM   - 5 PM
Hallam Lake

Tuesdays, June 19 - Sept 11 | 5:15 PM - 6:30 PM
Hallam Lake

Take a Walk on the Other Side CLASS FULL (WAIT LIST OPEN)
Friday, August 24 | 9 AM - 1 PM
Offered in partnership with Pitkin County Open Space and Trails.
Meet at the North Lot parking lot at North Star Nature Preserve.
bluebird
birding
Summer Educators-in-Training:
Volunteers Needed in August
ACES seeks young adults ages 14 and up to volunteer this summer - especially in August!

Volunteers will help ACES Educators during our week-long summer camps for kids ages 4 - 14. This opportunity is perfect for teens who are looking for increased responsibilities in a fun and educational setting, especially those who may have "graduated" from ACES camps or are interested in the field of environmental education.
Rock Bottom Ranch Products
Summer is in full swing down at the ranch! The vines are dripping with cherry tomatoes and our padron peppers are bursting from the plants. Our cattle and sheep are munching fresh pasture all day long, and the chickens are, well,… doing the things that chickens do. Join us for a Farm Tour Monday-Saturday at 11AM to learn more about our agricultural systems, and visit us at the Ranch or the farmers' market to pick up some non-GMO and Animal Welfare Approved meat, eggs, and vegetables this summer!

We are open Monday - Friday from 9AM - 5PM, and Saturdays from 9AM - 1PM. We are located on the Rio Grande trail so bike on down if you can!

Our products can be purchased at the Ranch during open hours, and eggs are also available for purchase at Hallam Lake in Aspen. Please call ahead to confirm product availability. In addition, select products are available from Skip's Farm to Market in Basalt and Meat and Cheese in Aspen. You can also visit our booths at Aspen Saturday Market and Basalt Sunday Market!

Available products include:
  • Eggs
  • Kale, salad mix, swiss chard, spinach
  • Carrots, cucumbers, sugar snap peas, basil
  • Sungold cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes
  • Pork, beef and chicken

Please call the Ranch ahead of time to confirm availability.
food
greens
Rock Bottom Ranch pano RBR
Become a partner in ACES' work!
This newsletter is brought to you in part by  The Aspen Times  and  Post Independent .
Aspen Center for Environmental Studies
aspennature.org | 970.925.5756 
100 Puppy Smith Street, Aspen, CO 81611