Colorado Parks and Wildlife now has the authority to study and conserve the state’s native invertebrates and rare plants in a comprehensive manner, which has strengthened Colorado’s ability to protect biodiversity. In 2024, Colorado passed House Bill 24-1117 which placed the management of invertebrates and rare plants under CPW’s wildlife umbrella. The bill defined rare plants to mean a plant species that is indigenous to the State of Colorado and that is at risk of extinction or elimination across the entirety of their distribution due to restricted range, few populations or occurrences, steep declines or severe threats. In the second part of our two-part series on this topic, we transition to talking about these rare plants. There are more than 2,800 native plants in Colorado, and 125 of those are endemic to our state, which means they only are found here. Of those, 90 are classified as rare. As Colorado updates its State Wildlife Action Plan, 195 rare plants are included in that plan. In this episode, we are going to chat with CPW Natural Areas Program Manager Raquel Wertsbaugh about her program’s longstanding work with rare and native plants, while we also talk with Savanna Smith, CPW’s new Rare Plants Program Manager, to learn more about CPW’s work in this field.  You’ll hear the great lengths they go to for monitoring these plants, learn what makes some species such as the Rocky Mountain monkeyflower and Pagosa skyrocket so special, and get some information on what you can do to promote the health of rare plants in our state.

In this episode, we are going to talk about CPW's management of our invertebrates. But that is such a broad topic, we’ve decided to hone in on bee species as we chat with Invertebrate and Rare Plant Program Manager Hayley Schroeder and Pollinator Program Conservation Manager Adrian Carper.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife owns and operates the largest inventory of dams in the state of Colorado. The water impounded is used for purposes such as downstream irrigation, fisheries management and aquatic operations, and a multitude of recreational activities including fishing, boating and swimming.

In April 2024, Colorado’s 2024-25 Long Appropriations Bill opened the door for a new Colorado Parks and Wildlife statewide K-9 program. The new statewide K-9 program will have a lead K-9 Supervisor and five K-9 handlers assigned to the new statewide unit. This comes on the heels of the success of CPW's previous pilot program.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently concluded a 10-year monitoring of lynx in the Southwest Region of CPW. In this episode, learn more about how CPW monitors the elusive population of wildcats.

Learn about the creation and relese of Colorado Parks and Wildlife's a new coffee table book titled “At Home in Nature: A History of Colorado’s State Parks.” It’s truly a must-have for those interested in our state’s natural and cultural heritage.

In this episode, learn more about Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s effort with the Nontoxic Bullet Replacement Hunting Program put into place by House Bill 23-1036.

In this episode, learn more about COTREX, the official state smart device and desktop app for planning your next adventure in Colorado.

In this episode, learn what makes the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area such a special piece of Colorado’s state park system and learn about the unique responsibility of managing 43 commercial raft companies and hundreds of thousands of boaters each year through iconic whitewater sections such as Browns Canyon.

In this episode, recorded from the Partners in the Outdoors Conference at Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, we hear from a few partner organizations in attendance and what the theme “We are Better Together,” means to them.

In this episode, go behind the scenes with CPW staff from the capture team in Oregon and the release team back in Colorado as gray wolves were reintroduced to the state in December 2023.

CPW Hunter Outreach Coordinator Bryan Posthumus joins the show to discuss the 2023 hunting seasons, CPW's novice hunt program opportunities and how his work fosters the next generation of hunters who help fund CPW's conservation mission.

Join us for a conversation about what led CPW Director Jeff Davis to Colorado, what has driven his passion for conservation work and all the key issues facing CPW, from wolf reintroduction and the implementation of the Keep Colorado Wild pass to how we balance recreation and the needs of wildlife.

In today’s episode, we’re talking with Area Wildlife Managers from around the state about being Bear Aware. We also learn how local communities play a huge role in limiting human-bear conflict and how CPW grant opportunities can help extend the work being done in those communities. Gain a newfound appreciation for these charismatic creatures and learn how you can help keep Colorado’s wildlife wild.

Starting on Jan. 1, 2023, Colorado residents can get a $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass during their annual vehicle registration through the Division of Motor Vehicles. This new state park pass gives all Coloradans an easy way to invest in Colorado’s outdoors, wildlife and local communities in a meaningful way.

NoCo PLACES 2050 is a collaboration of Front Range agencies committed to sustainable solutions, equitable actions and beneficial land management practices for the long-term conservation of public lands in Colorado and the quality of the visitor experience.

An oasis in the desert, Highline Lake State Park is the recreation epicenter for the Grand Valley with two lakes, lush grass, trails and trees. We discuss the park with its manager, Alan Martinez, in this episode.

Rattlesnakes often strike fear in people, but they shouldn't. Knowing a little about how these reptiles behave and doing a few simple things can go a long way in keeping you and the snakes safe.

This podcast episode discusses the work that takes place to erase the dark legacy of gold mining and restoring gold medal fisheries, specifically detailing the efforts to clean-up the Upper Arkansas River.