Eleven INSTAAR admin staff crowd around one very large table for lunch

INSTAAR's admin staff gather for a day of team building and fun

July 28, 2023

INSTAAR's admin staff gathered in late July. Their day began with a round of "two truths and a dare", storytelling, and lawn games like badminton. If you haven't heard Patti's story about finding a rattlesnake during a big outdoor concert this summer, you should ask her! After a tasty lunch,...

Meredith Zettlemoyer kneels in a patch of alpine plants, a clipboard propped against her knee.

Scientists at the Mountain Research Station investigate changing behavior of an alpine plant

July 26, 2023

A group from the University of Georgia is looking at alpine cushion plants—compact green mounds with small leaves and ephemeral flowers that hug Niwot Ridge and are found in many alpine areas across the world. They are studying how the flowering time and reproduction of these plants is changing as the climate warms and snowmelt advances.

Jocelyn Catterson and Holly Barnard stand in front of Catterson's large painting on display in the Colorado capitol building rotunda. They are smiling and have their arms around each others' shoulders.

The intersection of art and science workshop at Rio Grande Farm Park on Friday (Alamosa News | Valley Courier)

July 19, 2023

Del Norte artist Jocelyn Catterson and INSTAAR/Geography prof Holly Barnard will lead a workshop "Water Art + Science" on Friday at Rio Grande Farm Park, on #groundwater in the San Luis Valley.

Nine researchers stand close together facing the camera, smiling and holding butterfly nets, clipboards, and water bottles. They stand in a grassy clearing surrounded by trees, under a blue sky.

A world-class field research station in CU Boulder’s backyard (CU RIO)

July 18, 2023

CU Boulder’s Mountain Research Station has a three-pronged mission—host some of the most influential and long-running ecological research in the world, give students a peerless education in mountain environments, and link the public to learning about important ecosystems.

Albert Kettner

Albert Kettner steps into INSTAAR acting director role

July 18, 2023

Albert Kettner, associate research professor and associate director of INSTAAR, has stepped into the role of acting director of INSTAAR as of July 10.

A wildfire burns along a forested ridgeline, sending billows of grey-white smoke into the air.

‘Zombie fires’ are occurring more frequently in boreal forests, but their impacts remain uncertain (The Conversation)

July 17, 2023

Are zombie fires something to worry about? As a team of scientists who have dedicated our careers to understanding changing boreal fire regimes, we decided to find out for ourselves.

A smiling Sara Padula holds a Chickadee in her hand

Q&A with Sara Padula, first recipient of the Sarah Crump Graduate Fellowship

July 14, 2023

We are proud to announce Sara Padula as the first recipient of the Sarah Crump Graduate Fellowship. The fellowship provides summer support for a graduate student researching Earth or environmental science in Arctic, Antarctic, or alpine regions. We caught up with Sara to ask about her research, her summer, and life as a scientist.

A 16-by-16-inch piece consisting of frozen India ink, paper and thread. Created by Colorado artist Hannah Taylor in collaboration with CU Boulder scientist Noah Molotch, the frozen ink wash papers represent a community defined by snow.

Colorado artist, CU Boulder scientist band together to spotlight Dillon Reservoir and the state’s water issues (Summit Daily)

June 26, 2023

Their collaborative art piece, part of a CU Boulder-sponsored exhibit, is one of several hanging in the Colorado State Capitol building.

Suzanne Anderson stands outside with mountains in the background.

American Geophysical Union’s Hydrology Section Fellows discuss the future of science

June 22, 2023

INSTAAR Fellow Suzanne Anderson was part of a deep dive into the future of hydrologic science and the responsibilities of scientists, recorded at the inaugural Frontiers in Hydrology Meeting.

A male Wilson's Warbler, a bright yellow and olive colored small bird with distinct black eye and black cap.  Photo: Patrice Bouchard on Unsplash

The birds are all right

June 20, 2023

Birds continue to thrive in Colorado’s Snake River watershed, despite increasing heavy metals and rare earth elements in streams, finds a study by Kelly Watson and Diane McKnight.

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