Be Bold, Be Native: Speak for the Plants!
The election is over, now let’s vote for Colorado’s native plants and habitats! The CoNPS is collaborating this year with the Colorado Gives Foundation in our annual fundraising effort and we are reaching out to our members and friends for their support. The...
Wetlands Restoration at Rocky Mountain National Park
It’s hard to overestimate the importance of wetlands in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, where for millennia both humans and wildlife have been relying on them as a source of food, shelter, and clean water. In Rocky Mountain National Park, (RMNP) a concerted effort is...
The Alpine Sublime
When the lowlands are sweltering, savvy Coloradans make tracks to the Alpine Sublime. Up in the higher elevations they find relief from the heat and also revel in a stunning display of wildflowers that are only found on the lofty peaks. Frigid temperatures, heavy...
Solomon’s Seal: A Good Native Plant for Shady Gardens
People often ask what native plants can be planted in the shade, since most native plants sold in nurseries are adapted to full sun and tolerate hot dry conditions. But most people have some spots in their yard or garden that have some shade, such as under trees or on...
Nature’s Best Hope: Young Reader’s Edition
Hope is right! Here is a book that gives kids reasons for hope and steps they can take to make positive contributions right where they live, a wonderful way to counteract the ‘doom-and-gloom’ side of conservation and climate change issues. The original edition of...
Collecting, Saving, and Sowing Native Seeds
Here are tips you can count on! Denise Wilson has been a Seed Collection Project Manager for the National Park Service in eight western National Parks, including here in Colorado at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site...
Serviceberry: A Shrub for All Seasons
Serviceberry flowers have distinctive long narrow petals and clustered in racemes, leaves are oblong to rounded, with teeth mostly at tip. Late May is a special time of year for many of us. It’s the beginning of the gardening season, and a good time to have outdoor...
Fireweed: the Fire Follower
On a summer hike in a burn area, people point to pink-purple understory patches and ask, “What’s that?” After a fire, this native perennial re-carpets our land in striking stands. Fireweed, Chamerion angustifolium, was one of the top-producing plants re-colonizing...