This two day and one night field trip will travel through the mountains of Colorado and explore our fire adapted conifer forests. Participants will learn about local forest ecology while visiting with managers in the field to see how they are balancing the restoration of ecological processes with wildfire risk reduction needs. Participants will also walk through areas burned by wildfire, discuss post fire reforestation efforts, and strategies for securing Denver’s water supply from wildfire impacts. Peer learning on techniques for communicating ecological restoration science will compliment sweeping vistas of the Colorado high country and famous mountain peaks.
Recommended for trip: long pants, long sleeved shirt, winter coat, gloves, sturdy boots, rain gear, hat and water
Detailed Description
The Rocky Mountains create incredible variation in topography, soils, and moisture gradients, and this variability strongly influences the diversity of forest vegetation in Colorado. Fire is a necessary component to sustain ecological processes in Colorado’s forests and is an important force in shaping the landscapes we see today. Many of Colorado’s frequent fire conifer forests have gone through dramatic changes in the past few hundred years, with the removal of Indigenous People, logging and land use management, and changes in fire use all leading to an increase in forest density dominated by smaller, less fire resistant trees. Current forest restoration in many of Colorado’s fire adapted forests often involves the removal of trees and reintroduction of fire to restore forest structures and ecological processes. However, heavily populated areas along the Colorado Front Range, changes in climate, and recent impactful wildfires are combining to make forest restoration in Colorado a fascinatingly complex balance of science and practice.
The tour will visit a variety of field sites to see forest restoration techniques designed to alter ecosystem trajectories of future wildfires, while also exploring post fire reforestation and restoration efforts in previously burned landscapes. A highlight will be learning about the connections between restoration of forests, wildfire, and post fire challenges sustaining clean surface drinking water supplies to the nearly 5 million people that call the Colorado Front Range home. Site visits will be supported with monitoring and research data to enrich discussion in the field and learn how forest restoration efforts are impacting landscape change over time.
The field tour will be led by the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute and Colorado State Forest Service along with other potential guest speakers. We will visit forest restoration sites and wildfires in the foothills outside Denver, experience more remote areas, and overnight lodging near the base of famous Pike Peak to end day one. The second day will include additional site visits while making our way back to Denver.
Participants are encouraged to bring your camera and be ready to experience picturesque landscapes, wildlife, and shared learning of restoration science.