Colorado Outdoors - the Podcast for Colorado Parks and Wildlife

S2E14: 2.14 – Pollinate Your Mind: Colorado's Native Bees

In 2024, Colorado passed House Bill 24-1117 which placed the management of invertebrates and rare plants under CPW’s wildlife umbrella. In the next two episodes, we are going to dive more into CPW’s management of invertebrates and rare plants by talking with the experts now on CPW’s team to make sure the state has a cohesive plan to manage our ecosystems. While Colorado may have been behind some other states when it comes to legislative authority over invertebrates and rare plants, CPW is runnin...

S2E13: 2.13 – The Good Dam Podcast

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. CPW manages more than 120 dams across the state and has spent more than $126 million in the last decade for dam safety related work. All of this work helps keep downstream communities safe while pr...

S2E12: 2.12 – CPW's Expanding K-9 Program

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 in which CPW utilized three dogs. K-9 officers aid CPW wildlife managers in detecting the presence of wildlife, whether that’s checking hunters or even identifying endangere...

S2E11: 2.11 - 10 years of lynx monitoring in southwest Colorado

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. Wildlife Research Scientist Jake Ivan joins the show to talk about key findings from the 10 years of monitoring including issues related to habitat and coexistence with other wildlife species. Jake also dives into the origins of the lynx reintroduction in Colorado and what future monitoring of the specie...

S2E10: 2.10 - At Home in Nature: A book on the History of Colorado's State Parks

Earlier this year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife released 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. Learn how this book went from a pre-COVID idea to a finished product in 2024 that is now available for sale at state park visitor centers and on cpwshop.com. Priced at $34.95, the book has been so popular in its first few months that it is already heading for a sec...

S2E9: 2.9 - Nontoxic Bullet Replacement Hunting Program

Colorado’s first rifle season will open Oct. 12 this year, and hunters across the state are getting prepared and sighting in at local ranges to get perfectly in tune to take their shot this fall. With that in mind, it’s an excellent time to learn more about Colorado’s Nontoxic Bullet Replacement Hunting Program. Following the 2023 passing of HB 23-1036, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has worked with several partners to demonstrate the effectiveness of non-lead ammunition for hunters in an effort to...

S2E8: 2.8 - Explore more with COTREX

COTREX puts information about all of Colorado’s trails in your hands, thanks to a collaborative effort by land managers at every level. More than 230 land managers have contributed to COTREX data to detail 45,076 miles of trail across Colorado. And because the information is all sourced directly from land managers, you can trust you are recreating responsibly whenever you start your journey using COTREX. Best of all, COTREX is completely free and you’ll never have to make in-app purchases to dow...

S2E7: 2.7 – Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

Summer is here, and the high-water season for recreational paddlers has reached Colorado’s iconic rivers. While Colorado manages 43 state parks, the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area is among the most unique in that it spans across a 152-mile corridor that follows the Arkansas River from the high mountains near Leadville to Lake Pueblo. AHRA isn’t only a whitewater destination, though. It also boasts eight developed campgrounds and 19 dispersed camping areas while also offering gold-medal fish...

S2E6: 2.6 – LIVE from the Partners in the Outdoors Conference

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. First, we talked with Partners Conference organizer Shalana Gray about the two-year effort to reimagine and rebuild the Partners Conference. We learned how sessions were developed and looked ahead to continued growth of the event moving forward. Then, we chat with Topher Down...

S2E5: 2.5 – Colorado Wolf Reintroduction

In this episode, go behind the scenes with CPW staff from the capture team in Oregon and the release team back in Colorado as 10 gray wolves were translocated to the state in December 2023. While the Colorado gray wolf reintroduction story could take up multiple podcasts, we narrowed our focus in this episode to take listeners behind the scenes and into the minds of our staff and give you their perspective on the capture process in Oregon and from the release sites in Colorado. The episode start...

S2E4: 2.4 – Species Conservation - A Chat with Tina Jackson

S2E3: 2.3 – Hunter Outreach with Bryan Posthumus - Nov. 15, 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.

S2E2: 2.2 - CPW Director Jeff Davis - Oct. 5, 2023

On May 1, 2023, Jeff Davis was appointed to the position of Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife by Governor Jared Polis. He came to CPW from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, where he had served since 2000 in various roles including most recently as Director of Conservation. Jeff came to CPW with extensive experience working with leadership, legislators, Tribal Nations, the hunting and fishing community and conservation groups. Join us for a conversation about what led Director...

S2E1: 2.1 - Co-existing with Bears - Aug. 30, 2023

Every year, bears attracted to human food sources damage property, vehicles and even homes. Bears don’t know they’re doing anything wrong. They’re just following their super-sensitive noses to the most calories they can find. Bears that find food around homes, campgrounds and communities often lose their natural wariness of people. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is charged with protecting and preserving the state’s wildlife. Every time we must euthanize a bear, it’s not just the bear that loses. We...

S1E31: 1.31 - Keep Colorado Wild Pass - July 11, 2022

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. As Coloradans, we treasure our outdoor lifestyle and state’s beauty. 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. Your contribution shows you care about Colorado and want to keep our landscapes healthy for current and future generations....

S1E29: 1.30 - NoCo Places 2050 - May 18, 2022

NoCo PLACES 2050 is a broader effort by eight agencies collaborating on ways to address the challenges of high visitation and a growing population in northern Colorado’s foothills and mountains. This collaboration is 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. Learn about NoCo PLACES 2050 ....

S1E1: 1.29 - Highline Lake State Park - May 16, 2022

No matter the season, Highline Lake State Park is a diverse and welcome retreat. Park Manager Alan Martinez joins us on this podcast to discuss the state park thta is an oasis in the desert. Connected to miles of trails and close to communities, the park makes an ideal base camp for exploring the Grand Junction area. Whether passing through on mountain bikes, or as an end destination, the park welcomes campers, anglers, families and groups.

S1E28: 1.28 - Rattlesnakes - April 27, 2022

Rattlesnakes have a lot of misconceptions or folklore surrounding them because they are often perceived as mysterious and are generally misunderstood. Colorado Parks and Wildlife species conservation coordinator Tina Jackson has spent the last 20 years learning about snakes, and she shared her knowledge of rattlesnakes in this Colorado Outdoors podcast.

S1E27: 1.27 - Superfund Sites, Gold Mining to Gold Medal Water

Some terms naturally go together like "Colorado Parks and Wildlife" and "world-class fishing." Few would ever add to that list the term “Superfund sites.” That's because Colorado Parks and Wildlife's 42 parks are recreation meccas. Its 350 wildlife areas boast some of the finest wildlife and aquatic habitat in the state. And even in the United States. But they weren’t always so pristine. In fact, CPW's aquatic biologists and research scientists have played a key role in transforming rivers and w...

S1E26: 1.26 - Conserving Winter Range for Wildlife - March 3, 2022

Winter range is what provides those limited resources that wild animals such as deer, elk, pronghorn and sage grouse rely on to survive the harsh winter months. Ultimately it is the most limited habitat, so these animals are moving to winter range as part of their migration process because they are not able to survive in those higher elevations where the snow loads are deep and there is nothing for them to eat. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is placing a big focus on conserving Colorado’s Big Game ...

S1E25: 1.25 - History and Insight on Eleven Mile Reservoir - March 2, 2022

Eleven Mile State Park is an expansive high-altitude grassland region of central Colorado. It is a prime location for ice fishing and anglers and writers consistently tout Eleven Mile’s large reservoir for its outstanding fishing. In this podcast episode we learn about its history, unique species and fishery management outlook for one of the great angling opportunities in the state of Colorado. We'll talk with Bryan Johnson, the hatchery manager for CPW's Mt. Shavano Hatchery along with Tyler Sw...

S1E24: 1.24 - Discussing Human-Bear Conflicts - Feb. 24, 2022

Over the last three years, CPW has received over 14,000 reports of sightings and conflicts with bears. In 2022, CPW will be offering financial resources to communities in an effort to reduce conflicts with bears across Colorado. We discuss that, the sources of conflict and the behavior of bears in this episode with Area Wildlife Manager Adrian Archuleta.

S1E23: 1.23 - Kokanee Salmon - Dec. 21, 2021

Aquatic biologists Jim White and Dan Brauch join us for a podcast episode discussing kokanee salmon in Colorado. They provide a history of the tasty sportfish in Colorado, its role in the fishing pecking order, how Colorado Parks and Wildlife spawns the fish and the outlook for the fish moving into the future. Daniel Brauch

S1E22: 1.22 - Rescuing the Hayden Creek Cutthroat Trout - Dec. 13, 2021

Cutthroat trout with unique genetics, rescued by Colorado Parks and Wildlife aquatic biologists from the Hayden Pass Fire in 2016 - is the story of this Colorado Outdoors podcast episode. CPW is taking extraordinary steps to preserve the Hayden Creek Cuthtroat Trout because they contain genetic markers that match a museum specimen collected from the Arkansas River basin in the late 1800's.

S1E21: 1.21 - Discovering Sweetwater Lake, Colorado's 43rd State Park - Oct. 22, 2021

In a first of its kind partnership in Colorado to create a state park on U.S. Forest Service land, it was recently announced that Sweetwater Lake will become Colorado's 43rd state park. Sweetwater Lake is located in Garfield County. It is a hidden gem, both as a destination and gateway to the Flat Tops Wilderness and has great potential for even more recreational opportunities in Northwest Colorado. CPW, The White River National Forest and Eagle Valley Land Trust will now come together to modern...

S1E20: 1.20 - Wildlife Mitigation System along the I-25 South GAP Project - Oct. 20, 2021

The wildlife mitigation system is a major safety improvement element of the I-25 South Gap project, which spans 18 miles and connects Colorado’s two largest cities, Denver and Colorado Springs. On average, over 87,000 motorists drive this route daily. The I-25 South Gap project’s wildlife mitigation system includes four new and one refurbished wildlife underpasses, 28 miles of deer fencing and deer guards and jump-outs. Work on the underpasses is substantially complete, as is the installation of...

S1E19: 1.19 - Spanish Peaks Habitat Work and Forest Restoration - Aug. 30, 2021

Besides managing wildlife, overseeing hunting and fishing and providing recreational opportunities in 42 state parks and 350 state wildlife areas, Colorado Parks and Wildlife also provides habitat for animals. If a forest is too dense, animals can’t move freely through it. Sunlight won’t reach the forest floor and grasses, forbs and shrubs won’t grow to provide food for wildlife. And a dense forest is at risk to a wildfire that burns intensely and moves rapidly through treetops that overlap. The...

S1E18: 1.18 - Explaining Algae & E. Coli in our Lakes and Reservoirs - July 23, 2021

In this episode of Colorado Outdoors we explain how we test for and respond to algae blooms and the presence of E. coli - both of which naturally occur - in our water system. Mindi May is CPW's Water Quality Coordinator and Scott Roush is the Deputy Regional Manager for the Northeast Region - they both share their knowledge on water quality and keeping people (and your dogs) safe while recreating on the water.

S1E17: 1.17 - Bald Eagles of Colorado - July 12, 2021

Colorado Parks and Wildlife along with numerous project partners have embarked on a four-year study to help better understand current population trends, habitat use and impacts of human disturbance on bald eagles along the state’s most densely populated corridor. The study is expected to last four years and will be the most comprehensive bald eagle monitoring project ever done by CPW. We discuss the study and how bald eagles are doing in Colorado in this episode.

S1E16: 1.16 - The Career Of A Storyteller - June 9, 2021

Joe Lewandowski spent 16 years as a public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife out of its Durango office. He recently retired, but before he left our statewide PIO Bridget Kochel sat down with him to hear all of his adventures as a storyteller for the agency.