Are We Loving It To Death?
Wildlife Has The Right of Way
Life is Brutal!
Survival for wildlife can be very difficult. Even though plants and animals have special adaptations that improve their chances of survival in specific environments, it is no guarantee. “Survival of the Fittest” is a reality for the natural world, not just a phrase.
When we really look at our...
Winter Survival
There is no bad weather in Colorado. It is just a bad choice of clothing! For humans we have learned how to deal with a variety of weather conditions. We use wool, fleece, and all kinds of insulation in our clothing to keep the cold at bay. In recent years we have added chemical heat packs for...
Keystone Species
Ecologists have long understood food chains. The animal at the top, the prime predator in an ecosystem, was believed to be the most significant. That predator helped keep their prey in check.
That belief has some value but does not fully describe the dynamics of a community or ecosystem. The view...
Closures!
Read this article in Spanish here.
What a spectacular area we live in. Recreational opportunities abound and we do not have to travel far to enjoy beautiful scenery, areas of solitude, wildlife, meadows of flowers, streams, and rivers. But there is a catch. A lot of us take advantage of those...
Black Bears are Hungry
The Rut Season
The Rut is the mating season for many ruminant mammals. In Colorado that would include ruminants like elk, deer, moose, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, and bison. Each species has a rutting season that is different than the others. In addition, the behavior for each of the species is different, but it...
Angling In Today's Climate
Fish ecology and streamflow data are changing in today’s climate. Whether it’s high runoff, drought, or higher water temperatures occurring earlier in spring due to low snowpack and heat waves, it is important to understand how those conditions affect water quality and aquatic life.
Many of the...
Wildfires and Wildlife
Fire has been a common natural event in history, even before humans. Lightning historically ignited fires on the grasslands and in the forests around the world. Many plants and animals have adapted, through millions of years, to surviving those fires. Fires tended to burn a patchwork across the...
Wolves
Re- Thinking Like a Mountain, by Aldo Leopold, “I now suspect that just as a deer herd lives in mortal fear of its wolves, so does a mountain live in mortal fear of its deer. And perhaps with better cause, for while a buck pulled down by wolves can be replaced in two or three years, a range pulled...
Wildlife Hazards
Text and photos by Rick SpitzerThe wildlife around us encounter many hazards. Most are environmental. Some of the hazards involve things we, as responsible citizens, have little control over because they are part of the infrastructure around us controlled by various organizations, companies, and...