Full rose in bloom at Chataqua meadow

Wild roses are nutritional, medicinal and aesthetic

Dec. 10, 2019

The Chautauqua Meadow put on a memorable display of wildflowers in late June and early July of this year, so I walked there several times just to enjoy the flowers, as did many others. Lupines were the most prominent and could be seen from Baseline Road, but if you walked...

Mountain goat in the Rockies.

Introduced mountain goats have colonized much of the land above the trees

Dec. 6, 2019

Is that good or bad? Depends on your perspective, but there is a cost to native plant and animal communities.

Photograph of a barn swallow

Bird evolution in Asia shaped in part by giant plateau, study finds

Nov. 20, 2019

A new large-scale study from CU Boulder and colleagues provides first evidence that a gargantuan, inhospitable plateau in Asia maintains the species barriers of some birds

Sheep grazing at Crane Park Pond

Grazing on public lands alters plant communities

Nov. 14, 2019

Ranchers graze their sheep on public lands to make money—but at what expense to the land itself?

nutcracker

Helicoptering ponderosa pine seeds attract hungry mouths

Oct. 29, 2019

From birds to chipmunks, wildlife scrambling to harvest seeds.

aspen

Fall colors reveal clones of quaking aspen

Oct. 22, 2019

This year, aspen’s colors did not occur at the same time as in recent decades.

sunrise

A volcanic eruption in Russia causes purple sunsets in North America

Oct. 9, 2019

Now we know that natural and industrial emissions from one continent can be seen and felt on distant continents. Distant emissions become local visions and inhalations.

flower

Unique wildflower resembles Dr. Seuss’ fictional truffula trees

Sept. 17, 2019

With pendant urns, this perennial lofts its seeds with feathery plumes.

butterfly

Queen Alexandra’s sulphur an ultraviolet marvel

Sept. 7, 2019

Butterfly species is fascinating when it comes to color variation.

jeff

Green gentians live for decades, but only flower once

Aug. 16, 2019

It appears that, for a plant that will flower only once, having offspring flower over a period of at least 40 years is a way of hedging one’s bets in an unpredictable environment.

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