Our Earth Day event this past Saturday was a success, and we’re grateful to everyone who contributed and attended.

We’ve all seen them. Mounds of fine dirt, trails dug through the grass, and cylindrical tubes of soil exposed from melted snow drifts. Signs of the Northern Pocket Gopher are hard to miss.

Work continues on our Mary’s Lake Forest Health Project with the completion of the Van Wert parcel portion.

Aquatic insects have already begun to hatch in our watershed despite the recent snow. These bugs are “canaries in the coal mine” when it comes to water quality, so their appearance is a great indication of the health of our waterways.

When the snow melts away it is always interesting to see what has been going on below. Most obvious are the eskers and dirt mounds from pocket gophers and runways of voles. In some areas where the snow has been particularly persistent it may look like spiders have been awfully busy.

Many anglers assume that simply tossing a trout back into the water is enough to ensure their survival after being caught, but that’s not the case. These are very sensitive fish, and just because they “swam away fine” doesn’t mean they survived. So here are 3 tips to help improve your catch-and-release technique

Deer mice may be one of the most overlooked animals of the Estes Valley. In fact, they are the most widespread and common small mammal in all of North America and can be found from low elevations all the way to the highest peaks.

Just a reminder that if you bought a season-long Colorado fishing license in 2022, it expires today (March 31st) regardless of your purchase date. You can renew online or at any number. . .

Torpor, hibernation, brumation, true hibernation and even super hibernation. These terms can be confusing and often misinterpreted. In fact, they all exist on a continuum of torpor and reflect a reduced metabolism, body temperature, respiration, and heart rate.

The Estes Valley is home to four different species of trout: rainbow, brown, cutthroat, and brook. Each species has its own preferred habitat, diet, and seasonal activity level, but most importantly. . .

Finch Lake, Bluebird Lake, Lark Pond, Pipit Lake, Chickadee Pond, Eagle Lake, Falcon Lake, Junco Lake, Ouzel Lake. There are many lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park named after birds. Only one bird lends its name to a creek and waterfall, however.

Spring is right around the corner, which means fishing season is about to kick off here in the Estes Valley. Soon our rivers and lakes will be bustling with anglers, some of whom. . .

45 years ago this week (March 17, 1977), 20 bighorn sheep were translocated from the Tarryall Range west of Pikes Peak to the Cow Creek area of the Estes Valley.

As I finished up a run last week, I noticed a small bird flying by carrying a passenger. That bird was a Northern Shrike with its meal, a mouse.

Wildlife Wednesday. What is happening in the Estes Valley? The beginning of March ushers in a new season.

The stage is set. March, 1978 12 moose were captured in the Uinta Mountains of Utah for translocation to Colorado. After a vet check and fitting with telemetry collars 4 bulls, 7 cows, and one cow calf moose were released into a one hectare enclosure to acclimate to their new surroundings of the Big Bottom of the Illinois River in North Park, Colorado. A few days later they set out on their own and the rest, as they say, is history.

Wildlife Wednesday, Valentines edition. The Estes Valley is the home to many ”love birds”, animals that mate for life. The list is long and includes Bald and Golden Eagles, Red-tailed hawks, Canada geese, crows, ravens, magpies, and Northern flickers to name a few. But not all “love birds” are feathered.

Mule deer are starting to loose their antlers. It seems like every day I see more and more antlerless bucks…

The groundhog, also known as woodchuck, is the marmot species found in the Eastern half of the United States. While similar in appearance to the marmot species found around the Estes Valley, the Yellow-bellied marmot, there are some key differences.

Michelle and George Hurni own forty-five acres above Mary's Lake. In 2022, The Hurni’s received a grant through the Mary’s Lake Forest Health Project, a project initiated and designed by the Estes Valley Water Coalition with the support of the Colorado State Forest Service and Northern Water.