Aspen Journalism
Wildlife biologist Bill Vetter and Western Rivers Regional Program Manager with AudubonRockies Abby Burk look and listen for birds in the early morning hours in an irrigated pasture in Grand County. They are heading up a bird monitoring program that aims to learn how birds use irrigated agriculture.
Photo by Heather Sackett / Aspen Journalism
KREMMLING In the gray light of dawn, hundreds of swallows darted over a pool of standing water in an irrigated field along the Colorado River. The birds were attracted to the early-morning mosquitoes swarming the saturated landscape. Bill Vetter, a wildlife biologist with Wyoming-based Precision Wildlife Resources, methodically counted the birds. For six minutes, he marked down every bird he saw or heard at eight locations across the ranch, 250 meters apart.
Ask Eartha: Climate change is already impacting our lifestyle
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Ask Eartha: Gas leaks can be expensive and dangerous
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Avoiding disaster: How to mitigate the risk of wildfires in Summit County
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Photo by Amanda Seidler / Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District
Summit County officials held a virtual town hall meeting Friday, June 25, to help community members better prepare for the possibility of a wildfire evacuation this summer.
Commissioner Josh Blanchard welcomed a panel of public safety experts to the meeting, including Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons, Director of Emergency Management Brian Bovaird and Summit Fire & EMS spokesperson Steve Lipsher, to help educate residents on what to expect in the event of an evacuation.
The most important takeaway from the meeting was simple: Pay attention and respond appropriately to public messaging.
“I just can’t stress enough the preparedness level, because if we accomplish our goals of ordering an evacuation, effectively message the evacuation, then it really is up to community members to be ready to take that action that we’re asking from them at a moment’s notice,” Bovaird said.