ACES Birding and Conversation: Mindful Birding and the Spirit of Toklat 07/16/25

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Wednesday, July 16, 2025, 7:00am-12:00pm
Weather: Mostly sunny
Location: Castle Creek Rd, Aspen, CO

This field trip with Jody Cardamone, ACES’ founding director, focused on the legacy of Stuart and Isabel Mace and their historic home and lodge, now known as the Catto Center at Toklat. We spent the morning birding at ACES’ Riverdance property, where highlights included Cassin’s finches, several species of thrushes and warblers, and red-naped sapsuckers attending fledglings. We were able to compare violet-green and tree swallows as they fed over the beaver pond. Out in the field, Jody shared stories of Stuart Mace’s life, including his service in WWII and his arrival in the Aspen area on invitation of the Paepckes when he and his wife Isabel built their Toklat lodge.

Species List: