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Blog

Fire and Free Will

According to a preeminent voice on free will, Robert Sapolsky, we humans used to attribute the weather, especially bad weather, to witches. We assumed that the natural forces we experienced were completely within human control and therefore needed to be blamed on somebody when they didn’t align with our desires. Thankfully, we no longer think

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What Birds Tell Us About the Forest

Assessing the quality of bird habitat is nuanced. The density of trees, the presence or lack of fire, and tree species diversity all contribute to conditions that can be favorable or detrimental to different bird species. What if we turned that concept around? Instead of looking at the forest for its suitability for birds, we

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Reservoir Hill: Local Impact, Regional Change

The story of Reservoir Hill is as inspirational as it is impactful. Just behind Pagosa Springs lies this community resource befit with trails and an immaculate frisbee golf course. However, it wasn’t always the case. Like many ponderosa pine forests, Reservoir Hill was densely packed with trees, having not experienced fire or other disturbances since

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Thoughts from Rio San Antonio

The outcomes of collaboration are not always easy to see. Often, as is the case with the stream restoration on the Rio San Antonio, the visible work is merely the tip of the iceberg. Through years of conversation, discussions, and prioritization, the right partnership came together to produce an ambitious stream restoration project on the

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Bugs in a Fridge: A Monitoring Story

This has been a fruitful summer field season for monitoring. Early in the Spring, we finalized the 2-3-2 Multiparty Monitoring Plan and then put the plan to use! Field crews from Mountains Studies Institute and the Forest Stewards Guild were active in all four of the National Forests in the Rio Chama CFLRP landscape, the Rio Grande,

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Bighorn State Line Prescribed Burn: A Reflection

In the middle of the woods at approximately the 37th parallel in North America, I walk along an invisible line. How do I know I’m on it? My phone tells me. I’m located about an hour from Chama, NM (pop. 912), 25 minutes from Antonito, CO (pop. 647). Needless to say, there’s not a lot

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What does it mean to monitor?

The 2-3-2 Partnership just finished the first edition of the Multiparty Monitoring Plan thanks to the dedicated hard work and collaboration of partners and staff. In fact, since it rolled out, the first on the ground monitoring took place in Tres Piedras. All of it got me thinking. Why do we humans pay attention to

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Authentic Engagement: Be Like a Tree

How do you know if someone is being authentic? Just as importantly, how do you ensure that you are? I’ve often heard that building trust is a function of consistency over time. But how much time? Who decides? I had a conversation at the 2-3-2 Partnership meeting in early February in Taos with John Waconda,

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