BCAS September program on Pikas
Details
Speaking Eep! A Film About the American Pika
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
7:15 PM 8:45 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder
5001 Pennsylvania Avenue Boulder, CO, 80303 (map)
Join BCAS for social time with light refreshments before this program! Doors open at 6:30.
This program is free!
First, we will present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Ruth Carol and Glenn Cushman for their decades of contributions to Boulder County, through nature writing and much more!
After the award presentation, Ethan Cleveland will present a talk on his experiences at Hog Island Audubon Camp, “A Scholarship that Took Flight.” Ethan is a local homeschooled birder and field guide who leads trips with Denver Field Ornithologists. He also provides one-on-one birding lessons focused on identification skills, birding etiquette, and practical strategies that help clients become more confident and able to find more birds in the field. His interest in birding began with his grandfather, who first introduced him to nature photography. Through years of birding Cherry Creek State Park, Ethan has gradually honed his birding skills, developing birding into a passion and continuing to develop his skills as both a birder and photographer.
After the two short presentations, we will present our main program for the evening.
SPEAKING EEP! follows a team of scientists working to conserve one of North America’s most climate-sensitive species: the American pika. Using a combination of cutting-edge AI technology and traditional research techniques, population biologist Dr. Chris Ray and PhD student Rachel Billings hope to decode the iconic “eeps” of pika language and determine how communication between subspecies might help separate populations of pikas come together to adapt in the face of a warming climate. SPEAKING EEP! highlights women-led science and calls attention to the importance of the American pika as an indicator species. Transporting viewers high into Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, the film offers a message of hope that these beloved critters can adapt to an increasingly fragile environment.