For Ouray County’s newest victim advocate, Tabitha Champlin, taking on a job to help people during some of the hardest times of their lives was a no-brainer. Champlin’s passion to help others was firs...

As you’re making your summer plans, don’t forget Creede. Located on Colorado’s Silver Thread, Highway 149, it’s a place where you can still see into the past. The Utes knew this land well. They had hu...

The little Bufflehead “sits high in the water.” Bobbing up and down like a yellow rubber duckie in the bathtub — Richard Crossley The month of March was almost like a repeat of February, with very col...

Goodbye La Niña, it’s been a heckuva ride! To be fair, she brought Ouray two normal snow years (178.4 inches in 2020-21, 149.9 inches so far in 2022-23) and one dry stinker (128.9 inches in 2021-22)....

Birds of all shapes and sizes Have special adaptations for living, For living in cold, frigid temperatures. – Tina Shaw, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service What a bitter cold winter we have had, especiall...

50 YEARS AGO February 22, 1973 - Fire of undetermined origin totally demolished buildings and property valued at approximately $60,000 at the Camp Bird Mine, six miles south of Ouray Sunday night. Two...

The bird world offers many surprises — Anonymous A birding group led by Bill Harris was treated with a surprise at Elk Meadows on Jan. 28 when visiting Rebecca Kindred's home. They spotted many differ...

“For me all the frail, enduring beauty of the world finds its voice in the song of the Whitethroat.” — Edwin Way Teale A friend who lives up in Elk Meadows, Rebecca Kindred, let me know she spotted a ...

Migration is always full of surprises, one just must use his eyes, ears and observe. – Anonymous On a cold, brisk day in November, local birder Don Marsh spotted many water birds out at Ridgway Reserv...

After almost three decades, longtime Chipeta Solar Springs Resort and Spa owners Jack and Patsy Young have sold the Ridgway hotel to buyers, who have plans for upgrades and enhancements throughout the...

The bird-watcher’s life is an endless succession of surprises. — The Book of a Naturalist A birding friend recently told me she saw an Eastern Kingbird perched at the top of an aspen tree on Dave Wood...

“One coal-black night of a Colorado winter It snowed on Red Mountain Pass We warned ev’rybody that the Slide was runnin’ And 5-5-0h was a mess” These words from the song 'Riverside Slide' were written...

We are given many beautiful things in Nature – Anonymous I had no idea back in 1996 that I would still be going to Box Canyon to see the Black Swifts in 2022, taking pictures, taking notes, talking to...

At age 11, Ridgway resident Dory Wick has carved out her own role in Ouray County’s Pride celebration, with the goal of making sure members of the local LGBTQ+ community know they aren’t alone. This ...

Bernie Pearce has a stopwatch around his neck, a clipboard in hand, and he’s worrying about restaurant reservations. It’s Monday afternoon, and the track team leaves for the state championship in Lake...

In every walk with nature one receives more than he seeks – John Muir The month of May brings a mixture of wonderful migrants to our area and I always look forward to getting outdoors with my camera a...

Trees are not only beautiful works of nature, but essentials for life – Anonymous It took me several years after I moved from Indiana to Colorado to locate where I could find the Lewis’s Woodpecker. I...

This week marks the start of National Invasive Species Week. The goal of the week is to promote public education of noxious weeds and their vast and detrimental effects on our landscapes, recreationa...