Feature Stories

With a flip of a switch, Catcuce “Coche” Tiger, a 9-year-old citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians from North Carolina, set the 78-foot U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree aglow on the West Lawn of

A 30-year partnership between the USDA Forest Service and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is poised to create what they believe is the first-ever tribal wildland fire module, which is a crew that

On a July Colorado mountain morning, 10 youth representing six Native American Tribes came together to form the 2022 Native American Environmental Awareness National Summer Youth Practicum cohort and

Established in the Sierra Nevada during the Gold Rush of 1849, communities like Downieville and Sierra City in California offer visitors a glimpse back in time and serve as major launchpads for

At a traffic light in the small mountain community of Bailey, Colorado, you can grab a burger and a beer at a local joint. It’s a crossroads of locals and their kids, intermingled with mountain bikers

America’s forests are in a state of fire emergency. Nearly 25% of the contiguous U.S. is at risk of severe wildfire, with Western landscapes bearing the brunt. The areas at greatest risk are those

As the air begins to cool and the leaves fall in the mountains of North Carolina, there is a growing sense of anticipation whispering through the forests. For it is from one of these forests that a

The Forest Service is home to some of the most renowned recreational accommodations across the country. Offerings range from old homesteads, historic log ranger stations and early 20th century

Wildfires know no boundaries. They can easily cross between federal, tribal, state, and private lands, making it crucial for all communities to know their respective wildfire risks and the actions to

During this time of the year, while ghosts and goblins are the talk of the town, bats, the only mammal that truly flies, are both feared and revered, like the tiny tri-colored bat. The 47 bat species

Access to high-quality water will be a defining feature of the 21st century. Record heat waves and drought are not only leading to more frequent and intense wildfires but are also putting one of life

The robotic birds of the sky, known colloquially as drones, were a menace to the wildland firefighting community. The mere appearance of a recreational drone in the skies near a wildfire called for

Fall is the favorite season of many a poet, song writer, visual artist or just you and me. The quaking gold aspen sprouting from the giant Pando on Utah’s Fishlake National Forest inspires the

You think the kids have it tough going back to school this fall? Just be glad they’re not gopher tortoises. Just to set the score straight, the first two years of life are the hardest for the gopher

Editor’s Note: Ashleigh Bell is in the Masters of the Environment Graduate Program at the University of Colorado. She worked with the Forest Service as part of a Capstone Project that places students