Nature Notes ~ Autumn 2019

Balance on the Winds of Change

Wolves are making a comeback! A few weeks ago there was a wolf sighting in Colorado and it was the first in four years. The male from a pack in Wyoming had wandered over the state line and the sighting was confirmed by Colorado Parks & Wildlife staff. This is great news!

Wolf populations have been restored in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, New Mexico, and Arizona. There are no plans to reintroduce wolves in Colorado, but they're protected under the Endangered Species Act so the wanderer was safe in our state. How cool would it be if they expanded their current range and re-established their home in the high country!

Wolves, like most predators in the wild, bring balance to entire ecosystems. Years after wolves were reintroduced in Yellowstone, wildlife biologists discovered more viable deer, elk and moose herds; animals that wolves depend on for food. The plant population also rebounded because the herds grazing on native vegetation were kept at healthy numbers.

In my painting, Home for Wolf, I've placed footprints of animals critical to the wolves' survival, including mega fauna like elk, moose, and bison, plus smaller critters such as snowshoe hares and jack rabbits.

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​Recently when I was giving a presentation at work, tears welled up in my eyes when I shared a photo of my favorite timber wolf, Princess, who passed away peacefully at Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center about a year ago. Wolves have long held a special place in my heart.

Princess

​In the book, Of Wolves and Men, author Barry Lopez gave words to how I feel about wolves. "I learned from River that I was a human being and that he was a wolf and that we were different. I valued him as a creature, but he did not have to be what I imagined he was. It is with this freedom from dogma, I think, that the meaning of the words 'the celebration of life' becomes clear."

So here's to the celebration of life!​ Happy fall equinox!

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New Painting Coming Soon!

I'm excited about my newest painting! This one is focused on the important relationships between native plants and...butterflies!

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​To prepare for the painting, I had the chance to visit Chatfield Farms which is part of the Denver Botanic Gardens during the peak of summer. It was steamy hot, but there were hundreds of wildflowers in bloom and butterflies everywhere!

Beautiful wildflowers in full bloom!

I have a new little buddy!

I like to "meet" the subjects in my paintings close up and personal if at all possible. Each species and every individual is so very unique.

​​​Stay tuned! I hope to finish my butterfly painting within the next few months!

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Conservation Corner

As the days get shorter and cooler, pretty fall leaves will soon be brightening our days! And this year, instead of bagging and putting them out curbside with the trash, how about using them to blanket your garden and plants!

​Here are a few ideas for making the most of your fall leaves:
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• Use a leaf shredder or drive over them a few times with the mower to make smaller pieces.
  
• Or fill up big trash bags with leaves, tie them up, make holes to release the air, and roll around on the bags with the kids! Your neighbors will wonder what the heck you're doing! : )
• Cover the area around plants or the last veggies of the season such as carrots, kale and beets.
• Add them to your compost pile.
• Turn them in the soil of your garden with a shovel.
• Rake them under your trees as a natural mulch and a hiding place for birds, frogs, and toads.

​Click here for details and learn about even more benefits to your garden!

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Hike at Bear Creek Nature Center!

​Fall seems to be a little late this year in Colorado. Summer temps are still lingering so the pretty fall colors aren't here yet on the front range. Even so, I had a lovely hike in El Paso County, west of Colorado Springs.

Bear Creek and a pretty waterfall...

​Stephanie, the volunteer naturalist at Bear Creek Nature Center, was so kind and friendly! This delightful bundle of joy thoroughly enjoyed telling me about the nature center and all it had to offer. This place hosts some very rare residents, a group of greenback cutthroat trout, Colorado's state fish! Stephanie referred to the fish in their aquarium as "the little darlings". She also shared information about the trails, plus where I could go to see fresh bear scat! How cool! Her enthusiasm was contagious! 

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​So off I went to explore the Creekbottom Loop Trail and the Songbird Trail! Bear Creek is a small tributary of Fountain Creek and the Arkansas River, and it ran along both of the trails I hiked.

​The creek itself is also home to the only true population of Colorado greenback cutthroat trout. (More to come on this beautiful trout, the subject of my next painting!) The creek was crystal clear and the sound of small waterfalls dancing over the rocks was heavenly. 

A splash of fall color!

Asters and a little friend. Do you see her?

​Even though the fall colors weren't in their full glory yet, I enjoyed my time making new friends...with Stephanie, Bear Creek, darling fish, birds along the trail, and happy wildflowers.

​All in all, it sure was a fun day! Carefree and out in nature!

Wishing you a gorgeous fall season! Cheers to nature!