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Colorado Outdoors - the Podcast for Colorado Parks and WildlifeAuthor: Colorado Parks & Wildlife
CPW is a nationally recognized leader in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management. The agency manages 43 state parks, all of Colorado's 960-plus wildlife species, more than 350 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs from hunting and fishing to the states trails program, boat registrations, snowmobiles, off-highway vehicles and more. All of its management is in perpetuity for the enjoyment of Coloradans and its visitors and this podcast is dedicated to telling the stories and happenings in Colorado's great outdoors! Language: en Genres: Nature, Science, Sports, Wilderness Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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S2E15: 2.15 – Extreme Botany: Colorado's Rare Plants
Episode 15
Thursday, 31 July, 2025
Colorado Parks and Wildlife now has the authority to study and conserve the state’s native invertebrates and rare plants in a comprehensive manner, which has strengthened Colorado’s ability to protect biodiversity.In 2024, Colorado passed House Bill 24-1117 which placed the management of invertebrates and rare plants under CPW’s wildlife umbrella. The bill defined rare plants to mean a plant species that is indigenous to the State of Colorado and that is at risk of extinction or elimination across the entirety of their distribution due to restricted range, few populations or occurrences, steep declines or severe threats.In the second part of our two-part series on this topic, we transition to talking about these rare plants.There are more than 2,800 native plants in Colorado, and 125 of those are endemic to our state, which means they only are found here. Of those, 90 are classified as rare.As Colorado updates its State Wildlife Action Plan, 195 rare plants are included in that plan.In this episode, we are going to chat with CPW Natural Areas Program Manager Raquel Wertsbaugh about her program’s longstanding work with rare and native plants, while we also talk with Savanna Smith, CPW’s new Rare Plants Program Manager, to learn more about CPW’s work in this field. You’ll hear the great lengths they go to for monitoring these plants, learn what makes some species such as the Rocky Mountain monkeyflower and Pagosa skyrocket so special, and get some information on what you can do to promote the health of rare plants in our state.
