RMBL Spring Newsletter 2021

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B I O L O G I C A L

L A B O R A T O R Y

RMBL Board of Trustees Dan Blumstein, PhD

RMBL Staff Ian Billick, PhD

Board President

Executive Director

Bruce McLean

Kelly Sudderth

Board Chair

Chief Operating Officer

Kailen Mooney, PhD

Jennifer Reithel, PhD

Secretary

Science Director

Brian Wildes

Steve Jennison

Treasurer

Director of Facilities

Aimee Classen, PhD Jennifer Darnell, PhD Kurt Giesselman John Haley, MD Elizabeth Hughes, PhD Amy Iler, PhD Ken Williams, PhD

Brett Biebuyck Director of Administration

Shelley Popke Development Director

Ian Breckheimer, PhD Research Scientist in Spatial Ecology and Data Synthesis

billy barr Accountant

Curtis Beutler SFA Research Technician

Ben Calvin Finance and Database Coordinator

Ann Colbert Youth Programs Manager

Katie Harper Administrative Coordinator

Amanda Henderson SFA Research Technician

Rick Horn Gothic Store and Visitor Center Manager

Erik Hulm Senior Project Manager

Lisa Lucas Project Coordinator for Development and Communication

Alex Newman SFA Research Technician

Kay Peterson Dining Hall Manager

Jen Pierson Bookkeeper

Rick Reavis Interpretation Specialist

Greta Schoonover Interpretation Specialist

Rosemary Smith Undergraduate Research Coordinator

Shannon Sprott GIS/GPS Coordinator

Annie Starr Docent Manager

Cover photo The night sky at Gothic Indian Paint Brush in Fravert Basin

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Charlie Tomlinson Docent Manager

Dear RMBL Members, Friends, and Community

Thanks to science

RMBL will be full this summer!

Last spring, we established the improbable goal of being fully operational this summer. Amazing new RNA technology and an incredibly fast vaccination rollout made it possible. With a mixture of vaccinated and unvaccinated scientists and students, many of whom have had difficult years, this summer will be more challenging than last, when anybody who made it to Gothic just expressed relief.

But despite the challenges, field science marches on.

With dedicated scientists, alumni, trustees, staff, and supporters, RMBL is not just surviving but thriving. We have spent the last year not just preparing for summer but looking to the future.

Working with property owners Claudio and Yvonne Alvarez, we are requesting permission from the Town of Mt. Crested Butte for our North Village expansion.

Located on the northern edge of Mt. Crested Butte, close to the horse stables and Snodgrass trailhead, RMBL’s new facilities will sit at the interface between tourism and Gothic.

These facilities will allow us to bear much of the brunt of tourism in Mt. Crested Butte rather than Gothic, while accommodating growing research and education demand, and address critical housing needs. With a growing interest in snow and climate change, RMBL will be able to provide year-round laboratory space as well as facilities for scientists to stage field research

in winter. This project is critical for RMBL. Scientists indicate tourism pressure is their biggest concern. As we necessarily house more seasonal staff in Gothic, we squeeze scientists and students out. Scientists that have historically lived in Crested Butte struggle to find housing as tourists flock to Crested Butte and real estate prices skyrocket.

The North Village project is also a wonderful opportunity for Crested Butte. Combining learning with parking, bathrooms, and hopefully mass transit, we can lead the way in demonstrating how to support tourism that is educational, enjoyable, and environmentally sustainable. We will offer yearround K-12 programs, offering unique opportunities for children to experience our snowscapes.

For a community that prides itself on authentic, outdoor experiences, our programs will involve not just being outdoors but understanding the outdoors.

Beyond RMBL and Crested Butte, the real value of the Mt. Crested Butte expansion will be to the world. An emerging confluence of technology promises to transform field research. Low-cost sensors are rapidly changing what scientists can measure; declining energy needs combined with drones, planes, and satellites (to say nothing of smart phones) make it possible to gather spatially precise data over large areas. Big data offers techniques to convert these data streams to knowledge.

By adding year-round research facilities and leveraging one of the largest collections of long-term field studies, we can lead the way to fundamentally new types of environmental discoveries.

The importance of RMBL science will only grow. Food, water, clean air, and good health are not things human society can ever take for granted. As the pace of challenge accelerates, field research will generate the knowledge that will empower our children and

grandchildren. We hope you will be able to join us, either in Gothic this summer or on our longer journey to make the world a better place. RMBL will thrive, not just because generations of students and scientists have grown to love Gothic but because the world has never needed us more.

Ian Billick, PhD

Dr. Diane Campbell Pollination Science Tour Photo By Erin Fabbre

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The Virtuous Cycle Continues Erik Hulm

Since the end of the silver rush in the late

Erik Hulm

Senior Project Manager Erik joined RMBL as a Senior Project Manager in 2021. He is a geologist and manager with over 20 years’ experience leading complex exploration campaigns and data acquisition projects around the world. He earned his bachelor’s degree in earth science at the University of South Dakota and a master’s in geology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

After several years living overseas, Erik and his wife Melinda moved to Crested Butte with their two boys, Hugh and Eli, in 2018 to enjoy all the benefits of living in a small mountain town.

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1800s, winter in Gothic has been a solitary affair with a population that varies between zero to a few more than zero. Gothic will see a mini-boom (at least for a couple of years) with the implementation of the Surface Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory (SAIL), an atmospheric observatory, which will include several year-round Gothic technicians. While this does not necessarily constitute a return to boom times, it does signify the growing attraction within the scientific community to this remote and important corner of the world.

Historically, RMBL research has focused on ecology and evolutionary biology, turning the Gunnison Basin into one of the best-known ecosystems. This research set in motion a virtuous cycle where knowledge begets knowledge. Scientists generate data that attracts more scientists, who in turn generate more data.

At RMBL, this cycle is in full swing with biologists working alongside hydrologists, geoscientists, and soon, atmospheric scientists.

The extension into water and atmospheric research at RMBL began in 2014 with Dr. Ken Williams and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s

stations in the East River drainage to understand how water flows through mountainous regions in response to changing climate, land use, and extreme weather events. What it does not address is how water is delivered to the drainage system in the form of rain drops and snowflakes. This is where SAIL comes in.

Gothic will host the bulk of the observatory and be the new home for several technicians from September of 2021 through June of 2023.

SAIL is a two-year atmospheric research campaign funded by the Department of Energy that will address key questions on the physical processes that control where and how precipitation forms across mountain watersheds. SAIL consists of a

SAIL is attracting even more atmospherics research. SPLASH, which stands for The Study of Precipitation, Lower Atmosphere and Surface Hydrometeorology, is a one-year project funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The project will deploy a broad array of instruments throughout the East River Valley starting in the fall 2021. SPLASH will cover a larger area to facilitate weather and

Watershed Scientific Focus Area (SFA) project. Building on a rich history of stream ecology, the SFA established a network of instruments and measurement

mobile atmospheric observatory with dozens of instruments that measure precipitation, clouds, aerosols, winds, radiative energy, temperature, and humidity.

water prediction capabilities in complex mountainous terrain.

These projects will support an expanding collaboration across scientific disciplines leading

The Virtuous Cycle Continues

Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility.

to an integrated view of how precipitation moves from the atmosphere to the bedrock, into rivers and streams, and then into biological systems, all within the same watershed. This will not only provide new insights and approaches to understanding water resources that impact tens of millions of people but serve as a foundation for attracting more science. Each project adds to RMBL’s 90+ years of scientific productivity and serves as a building block for future research.

Shelley Popke Director of Development

Shelley joins RMBL as the Director of Development this spring. She has over 15 years of experience working in the non-profit sector with an emphasis in fundraising, communication, and non-profit management. Shelley first moved to Crested Butte in 1999 and most recently served as the Executive Director of the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum.

Passionate about Gunnison County and its rich history, she is a member of the Gunnison County Historic Preservation Commission. She holds a BA in English Literature and an MA in

History, both from the University of Colorado and is an MBA candidate at the University of Denver. In her free time, Shelley enjoys reading, gardening, cooking, yoga, and spending time with family--husband David, daughter Isabel, who is now in college at CU, and adventure dog Clio--and friends in the great outdoors we get to call home.

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Natural history collections

RMBL’s natural history collection is an

extension of the work of explorers, such as Paul Hermann, who in the 1670’s was paid by the Dutch East India Company to collect material from Ceylon, and Joseph Banks, who traveled with Joseph Cook on his first great South Pacific expedition to observe the transit of Venus and search for undiscovered southern lands.

With accurate and reproducible naming, as made possible by collections, we take an important step in ecological understanding,

The collections began when Dr. John Johnson hired Dr. Harriet Barclay (Tulsa University) in 1929.

Not only did she teach botany

changes. Other notable collectors include Randy Seagrist (970 specimens), Dr. Joseph Barrell (858 specimens), and

Rick’s work at RMBL continues a tradition of a labor of love; over the years many have contributed time to maintaining

allowing the accumulation and sharing of knowledge about organisms and the places they inhabit. RMBL’s botanical, mammal, and insect collections are a critical part RMBL’s strategic plan to create a data rich environment for scientists, enabling the accumulation of knowledge about the Gunnison Basin that informs all ecosystems.

that year, but she pressed and documented 250 specimens.

She continued to botanize around Gothic for almost 50 years, ultimately leaving 1500 specimens. The curator of RMBL’s collections, Dr. Rick Williams (Idaho State University), hopes to add another 500 of Harriet’s specimens from unprocessed material she left behind, utilizing her fieldbooks and notes in RMBL’s archives.

Dr. Stephen Spongberg (370).

Several active scientists contribute to the herbarium, including Dr. Ben Blonder, Dr. Brian Enquist, and Dr. Ken Whitney. The collections include not just plants but mammals (650 specimens) and insects (ca. 10,000).

the collections in addition to Rick, including Harriet, Dr. Joseph Barrell, Dr. Paul Buck, Dr. Barb Frase, Dr. George Weiblin, Kathy Darrow, and Paula Lehr (and undoubtedly others lost to history).

RMBL’s natural history collections are special in part because of how well they document the Gothic area over 90+ years. It is unusual to know so much about a single location. When combined with the unusual fact that they are completely digitized and georeferenced, the collections are a valuable scientific resource.

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RMBL’s collections have thrived under Rick. When he began curating the collections in 2012, there were 4355 plant specimens.

He expects to break 10,000 soon. Rick and his students have been among the biggest contributors, adding around 2300 specimens, including 341

by Stephanie Zorio, who in 2012-2014 resurveyed Dr. Jean Langenheim’s 1948-1951 plots to document plant community

Rick started his curating career as an undergraduate at the Univ. of OK, working on their mammal collection. He took Harriet’s Rocky Mountain Flora class at RMBL, as well as Dr. David Armstrong’s Ecological Mammalogy course, which involved collecting and preparing specimens. In 2008 he became Curator and Director of Collections at the Idaho Museum of Natural History, which he continues to contribute to despite retiring in 2018.

In addition to doubling the size of the plant collections, Rick has been stabilizing and improving the specimens, ensuring they are all stored in archival quality conditions, as well as keeping up with changing nomenclature.

He has been digitizing field books and catalogs, which will ultimately be made available online. He has plans to build the collection of mosses and lichens, databasing and digitizing the insects, and filling in missing plants. According to Rick, “The physical specimens and their associated label and field note information are a treasure trove of data to be mined, often in ways far beyond the original

Natural history collections

intent of the collector. Working with the RMBL collections has really connected me with the history of RMBL and its scientists. Harriet Barclay gave me my start in botany and at RMBL. Helping preserve her legacy of botanical exploration has been a very fulfilling task over the last decade.”

1929

<

< 2015

The same Columbine species gathered 86 years apart.

RMBL natural history collections

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Science Stories: Aimée Classen

Aiming high. You’ve probably already heard of Dr. Aimée Classen.

We profiled the experimental ecosystem ecologist in the February 2019 RMBL E-Newsletter. In addition to being a 12-year RMBL researcher, she’s been a leading presence at the University of Tennessee, University of Copenhagen, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, and she’s now the director of the University of Michigan Biological Station. Clearly, she’s made a global impact in science.

What you may not know is that had it not been for RMBL’s rare family-friendly culture, Aimée might never have shown up at our lab in the first place or become the director of a prestigious university’s biological field station.

So how did science get so lucky?

Aimée was a graduate student when she had her first son. After a post-doctoral fellowship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, she was hired as a staff scientist. While there, she had her second son. Because she missed teaching, she accepted a job at the University of Tennessee, and while setting up her lab there,

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she began working at a field station nearby. The lab director helped her set up an ambitious field experiment. However, when the leadership changed a year later, she was informed that she could no longer have her sons in the field with her because children were a liability. Given the long drive to the field, this rule made it impossible for her to successfully finish her project, in which she had invested a lot of time.

While contemplating her next move, Aimée shared her frustration with a friend and fellow RMBL scientist, Dr. Lara Kueppers.

Laura told Aimée that she should consider RMBL, a family-friendly research facility in the Rockies.

So she did. That move changed everything. “I couldn’t have worked in a field station without RMBL, and my career and its trajectory would be radically different,” she said.

Since then, she has stayed connected to RMBL with an active research program as well as a seat on the RMBL board. Over 12 years, she has explored how the diversity found in mountain ecosystem plant and soil communities connects to the services those ecosystems provide to humanity. She’s been involved with the WaRM experiment (Warming and Species Removal in Mountains), a project that combines experimental warming and dominant plant species removal in a global network of field stations that includes sites in Sweden, Switzerland, Greenland, Canada, France, China, New Zealand, Australia, Patagonia, and, of course, RMBL. The experiments are revealing interesting patterns about the stability of mountain ecosystems across the globe. One result from RMBL suggests that as Colorado meadows warm, the quality of

their plants for grazers such as cows may decline. Findings like these help researchers and the public make decisions about how best to manage important mountain ecosystems.

Aimée focuses on how global change is shaping the world’s terrestrial ecosystems, especially the interactions between plants, nutrients, water, and soil microbes.

She’s quick to emphasize RMBL’s influence. “Being at RMBL is like being at the best ecological and environmental institution in the world. You get to interact with many scientists who are pursuing different questions in the same ecosystem,” she said. It’s likely that RMBL’s family-welcoming environment also inspired her to mentor other female scientists.

Science Stories: Aimée Classen Understanding natural ecosystems takes accurate models to prepare society for the challenges it faces. Field stations are allowing us to do just this. In fact, Aimée asserts that at no time in history have biological field stations been more important.

With their knowledge of place, field stations are well-positioned to answer important societal questions. RMBL taught her this.

It showed her that the power of a biological field station is its extensive datasets over time, its deep understanding of a place

Dismantling thewarmingmeadow

now, and its ability to leverage that information to predict the future. This is why she was excited to take a leadership position at the University of Michigan Biological Station.

According to Aimée, the ideal biological lab should have three things: research, education, and engagement with the public.

RMBL excels at all three. As the former director of the George D. Aiken Forestry Sciences Laboratory in Vermont as well the current director of the University of Michigan’s field station, she should know.

“RMBL gets it right,” she said. We’re honored by the endorsement, because you know who else gets it right?

Aimée Classen.

Aimée Classen, PhD, is director of the University of Michigan Biological Station. She has had an active research program at RMBL since 2009. She is an experimental ecosystem ecologist focusing on how global change shapes ecosystems, with an emphasis on exploring the interactions between plants, nutrients, water, and microbes in the soil.

Lisa Lucas

Project Coordinator Lisa joined RMBL as the Project Coordinator for Development and Communication in 2021.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication and Business Administration from The Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA, where she grew up and earned a scholarship as a field hockey athlete. She later earned a master’s degree in Applied Communication from the University of Denver, where she also served as the Associate Director of the Alumni Association. She has spent her career serving a variety of nonprofit organizations and enjoys hiking, skiing, reading, and spending time with her husband, Mark and their children, Van and Caroline.

photo by William Farrell

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2021 Financial Report

Thanks to strong support

from our donors, along with a Payroll Protection Program loan, additional support from the National Science Foundation for our Research Experience for Undergraduates program, and careful cost management, in 2020 RMBL operated at reduced occupancy while staying in solid financial shape. We added $52,509 to cash reserves to end the year with $493,000 available for building and equipment replacement, to support cash management, and to deal with the unexpected.

In early 2021 RMBL received the cash proceeds from the sale of the Colorado state tax credits generated by the Gothic townsite conservation easement, which totaled $1,227,008. The money will support larger projects, including North Village and several research contracts, that involve a lag between spending and reimbursement.

The intent is to maintain the value of the principal, investing the money prudently with oversight of RMBL’s Finance Committee.

RMBL’s endowment continues to grow. At the end of 2020, the portfolio value was $2,518,466, consisting of contributions totaling $1,374,855 and accumulated unspent earnings of $1,143,611. This represents an increase in total value of 12.5% from the previous year.

Several individuals and couples have communicated to RMBL that they are planning gifts to the endowment through estate planning. Such gifts have the potential to play a significant role in RMBL’s long-term financial sustainability.

RMBL continues to have a strong balance sheet. We have assets which can be liquidated or leveraged. Last spring, taking advantage of an Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, with uncertainty around the pandemic, we obtained a $150,000 loan on very favorable terms which can be repaid at any time with no penalty; this is the only debt that RMBL has.

This spring RMBL purchased a residential lot in CB South and a 10acre mining claim adjoining our North Pole Basin property. The mining claim ensures public access to North Pole Basin, which reduces tourism pressure on the Mexican Cut Preserve, a sensitive research location.

The mining claim also makes it easier to manage vehicular access and links our Schofield Townsite holdings with North Pole Basin. The lot in CB South hedges one of RMBL’s greatest financial risks, rapidly rising Crested Butte real estate prices. We can build housing on the lot in CB South, for scientists and/or staff, at any time.

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We anticipate a small operating surplus for 2021 to further support long-term financial needs. Assuming vaccinations continue, we anticipate hosting a record amount of research and education.

Because of revenue declines last summer, we will receive a second round of Payroll Protection Program funding. Finally, we anticipate revenues from the SAIL atmospherics project. RMBL has used our strong financial position to double fellowship support for researchers, prioritizing support for both long-term research projects and early career scientists. We are committed to maintaining this level of research support in future years.

Looking ahead, with the combination of a strong balance sheet, increasing research demand, the growing importance of environmental issues, and engaged donors, RMBL is in a good position to launch a capital campaign. Our focus will be a Mt. Crested Butte campus to support growing year-round science, expanding K-12 programs, managing tourism impacts, and ensuring housing, along with improvements in Gothic and investments in data management. We will share more details as these plans unfold in the next year.

Thank you.

2021 Financial Report RMBL General Operating Fund Report Category

Revenue Expenses Net

Research Informal Science Education Coursework Physical Plant Food Services Store Administration Information Technolocy Development

283,059 12,226 37,610 229,666 113,438 13,939 217,197 - 715,239

(253,926) (46,790) (53,116) (428,732) (67,498) (40,348) (767,946) (43,349) (124,277)

29,133 (34,564) (15,506) (199,066) 45,940 (26,409) (550,749) (43,349) 590,962

(1,825,982)

(203,608)

PPP Loan Proceeds & Interest (Forgiven)

256,118

Net Income on Operations, after PPP Loan Forgivness

52,509

Net Loss on Operations

1,622,374

RMBL Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2020 Liabilities

Assets

Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash Held for Others Accounts Receivable Pledges Receivable Inventory Prepaid Expenses Investments Investment in Subsidiary Property and Equipment, net

799,086 188,175 147,544 299,623 26,129 2,191 2,518,466 18,797 8,829,897

Total Assets

12,829,908

Accounts Payable Accrued Liabilities Loan Payable Funds Held for Others

135,752 53,888 406,118 188,175

Total Liabilities

783,933

Net Assets

Unrestricted Permanently Restricted

10,695,241 1,350,734

Belleview Mountain at sunset

Total Net Assets

12,045,975

Total Liabilities & Net Assets

12,829,908

photo by Nitin Ravikanthachari

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In memorium

.

Dr Jean Langenheim

Glacier Lilies photo by David Inouye

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Dr. Michael Soulé

Dr. Stephen Spongberg

RMBL alumnae

RMBL alumnae

RMBL alumnae

Dr. Jean Langenheim passed…on March 28, 2021. A student of Dr. Harriet Barclay at Tulsa University, Jean first came to RMBL in 1946.

She studied plant communities in the Gunnison Basin as part of her Masters and PhD degrees at the University of Minnesota and taught RMBL’s Field Ecology course in 1955, 1959, and 1962.

She served on RMBL’s Board from 1962-1966, including a term as Vice President. She became most known for her work on plant resins in the tropics and was a faculty member at the Univ. of CA, Santa Cruz. She served as President of the Ecological Society of America, the International Society for Chemical Ecology, and the Association for Tropical Biology. In 2010 she established the Jean H. Langenheim Endowed Graduate Fellowship in the Ecology and Evolution of Plants at RMBL, and took great pleasure in hearing from, and learning about, RMBL graduate students.

Dr. Michael Soule passed away on June 17, 2020. Introduced to RMBL through his thesis advisor, Dr. Paul Ehrlich, Michael spent many summers with his family at RMBL, conducting research and serving as Associate Director (1981-1983). He served as a RMBL trustee 1997-2003. He was best known for cofounding the Society for Conservation Biology and serving as the first president. He was recognized by the Audubon magazine as one of the 100 Champions of Conservation of the 20th Century.

He was driven by a love of nature and a strong ethical commitment to biodiversity.

RMBL alumnus Dr. Stephen Spongberg passed away March 18, 2021 after a long illness. Steve spent a number of summers at RMBL in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s doing botanical work, with many of his specimens ending up in the RMBL collections (see adjoining article). His wife, Happy Spongberg, joined him for a summer in Gothic in 1973 shortly after their marriage and their connection to RMBL extended to a second generation; their daughter Nia spent the summer of 1999 in Gothic. Steve went on to an illustrious botanical career, serving as Curator of the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University, and was the first Executive Director of the Poly Hill Arboretum.

2020 RMBL Supporters Jamuary1, 2020 to March 31, 2021

Anthracite mountains from the Dyke at sunset

photo by Shayn Estes

General Operating Fund

Hummingbird $25,000 +

Columbine $10,000 - $24,999

Marmot $5,000 - $9,999

This list includes those who donated between January 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 . RMBL strives to ensure the accuracy of our donor recognition lists. We apologize for any errors and ask that you please let us know of any discrepancies as soon as possible.

Anonymous Kurt & Janet Giesselman Margie & John Haley Blake Hawk Dr. David & Bonnie Inouye Rachel Adams & Bruce McLean Mr. David & Bonnie Weekley Brian & Marcella Wildes

Ian Billick & Jennie Reithel Doris & James Brogan Sandra Estess Drew Fink & Daniela Uribe Carolyn Gibbs & Rick Nelson Beverly Griffith Jim & Ynette Hogue Elizabeth & Bob Hughes Chris & Francene Kopf Withrow Meeker Venise & Larry Stuart John & Carson Taylor

Dick & Mary Allen Monica Ariowitch & Suzanne Pierson Mr. Kenneth & Katie Armitage Stuart Bailey & Linda Fontaine Jim & Peg Billick Charla Brown & Rob Burnett Dr. John & Emily Bruno Diane Campbell Bruce & Marla Crockett Jennifer Darnell Mr. Peter & Mrs. Cathy Dea Virginia Dodson Paul & Anne Ehrlich Crockett & Bonnie Farnell Dr. John & Dr. Mel Harte Tom Hawk Mr. Donald & Cathey Humphreys

Please email dev@rmbl.org with any changes. Thank you!

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2020 RMBL Supporters

East River meanders at sunrise

photo courtesy of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Marmot $5,000 - $9,999

Trout $2,500 - $4,999

Scarlet Gilia $1,000 - $2,499

Brian Inouye & Nora Underwood Mrs. Carol Johnson & Russ Miller Mr. Douglas & Kimberly Johnson Dr. Kristina Jones & Peter Hecht Kathryn & Scott King Lindsey Kroll & Irene Hickey Douglas La Follette Dr. Jack & Jane McAllister Doug & Linda McDonald Tem & Maggie McElroy Ken Owen Mr. David Owen Perrin & Peggy Quarles Barbara & Randy Rosenblatt Tony & Randi Stroh James & Barbara Thomson Mr. Kip & Sharon Tindell Eric & Kim Upchurch Bob Valentine & Steve Bolton Mr. Jim Watson Gary Weed Peter & Alicen White Dick & Rodi Whiting Tom Williams Sue Wissinger

Nicholas & Murrie Chirekos Harry and Gretchen Leland Kate Maher & Matt Rothe Michael & Wende Neitzel Ms. Tricia Powell Mr. John & Mrs. Hayden Spencer Mr. John & Susan Tuttle Martha & Fred Vang Charles Williams & Rosemary Smith Marshall Yount

David Atkins & Deborah Wuttke Norman & Robin Bagwell Mr. Michael & Andrea Banks billy barr Dr. Paulette Bierzychudek Dan Blumstein & Janice Daniel David Burgstahler Mrs. Lorene Calder Mr. Leo CaraDonna Sue Carrizales & Vaughn Cottman Harvey Castro Ralph Clark Lisa & Timothy Daniel Mary & Bob Dodge Charlene Dougherty Elizabeth Fabbre Judy & Jim Gibbs Dan & Laurie Goetz Dr. Scott Graham & Ellie Robins Cecilia Gray Mr. Robert & Merrill Horswill Ben & Mary Gwen Hulsey Robin & Mark Ikeda Mrs. Barbara Ivins & John Hughes Mark & Sarah Kaufman Mavis & Wendy Kelsey John Kennell Gloria & Ren Kern Ms. Anne Kinder James Maclean Mr. John & Mrs. Laurie McBride Chuck McGinnis Elisabeth Caldwell Meeker

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Desiree Miller David & Patty Miller Ms. Nancy Moran & Howard Ochman Dr. John & Sarah Palmer Mrs. Jeanette Peter Terry & Sarah Powley Eric & Shannon Richards Rowland Robinson Brian Rozinsky & Caryn Sheftel Jennifer Rudgers & Kenneth Whitney Kirk Samuelson & Bonnie Tria Mr. Rich & Mrs. Andrea Saperstein Susanne & Walther Schoeller Mrs. Carol Shininger Mrs. Paula Smith & Paul Tjossem Mrs. Marilyn Smith Judy Spinella Kelly & David Sudderth Mr. Matt Thompson Anne Thurmond Danielle Tuscher Dirk Van Vuren & Cheryl Scott Chris & Terri Von Dohlen Joe & Ellen Walker Mary Walter Dr. Noah Whiteman Mrs. Scottie Willey Mr. Joe & Becky Williams Mr. Wynn & Leah Williams Ken Williams & Janelle Weaver Shirlie Williams James & Nurit Wolf

2020 RMBL Supporters

Aspens

photo by Solomon

White-Crowned Sparrow $500 - $999 Bruce & Deborah Alpern Barbara Andrews & Dennis Tharp Cyndi Baily Mr. David & Chris Baxter Mr. Kevin & Mrs. Susan Beltz Max Berkelhammer Suzanne & Fred Berry Dick & Donna Bratton Elizabeth Brown & Matthew Busick Lee & Kathy Cannon Lauren Carley Cindy Carlisle Mr. Jack & Mrs. Peggy Colby Deborah Coonts Shirley Crow Mr. Bruce Driver Dave & Carole Ebner Amy Ellwein Ms. Suzanne & Robert Fletcher Andrew & Audrey Franklin Mrs. Walter & Sherron Green Marcia & Charles Haley Robert Haley Mr. Peter Hartline & Rebecca Kucera Ms. Pauline & Enno Heuscher Ms. Alison Horn Eliza Jewett-Hall Mr. Barbara & Bob Kauffman Dr. Thomas Krakauer Lara Kueppers & John Elliott Dr. Rita Lang

Butterfly $100 - $499 Paula Lehr & Arthur Mears Ms. Allison Leidner Mr. Michael Loik & Karen Holl Svata Louda & Rod Otley Sandra Lyons Dr. Mary Maly Henry & Sally Manwell Barbara McGaughey Caroline McLean & Frank Stern Avery Miller & Christopher Steffens Ken & Barbara Moffitt Melanie Myers John & Robin Norton Ms. Lynette Page Bill Peatross Mr. Steve Polan & Elizabeth Roistacher Matt Reimer Dr. Ken & Lucy Reynolds Ms. Carrie Robbins Mr. David Rose & Ceil Murray Mr. Larry Seeman & Teri Schadeck Tracy & Steve Smith Harmony Spongberg Kathy Thomas & Kailen Mooney Lana Marie Turner Ms. Dian VandeMark & Tom Hartman Mr. Al & Kate Vogel Mary & Evon Vogt Dr. Laura Watt Willa Williford Sarah Woodin Mr. Henry Woolsey

Dr. Patrick Abbot Ms. Deborah Altus Ms. Phyllis Andersland Leigh & Christopher Anderson Barrow Ms. Susan Anderson Mr. Michael Antolin Nathan Appleton Ms. Hope Babcock Ms. Genevieve Bachman Mrs. Margaret Bailey Trace Baker & Ahmee Hewitt Dr. Gail Baker Tony & Sandra Bakker Mr. Paul Barney Dr. Jim Barron Thomas Bass & Bonnie Krueger Mrs. Lou Beckman Carl Bell Mr. Ralph Benson Skip & Ruth Berkshire Brett Biebuyck Mrs. Liska & David Blodgett Adriana & David Bombard Mrs. Joanna Booser Mary Ellen & Walter Boynton Dennis Bramble Dr. Clait & Nancy Braun Dr. Berry Brosi & Karen Levy Alexandra, Franz & Clara Brotzen-Smith Theresa & Larry Bucher Kathy Buffington Nancy Burton

Bud Bush David & Tanya Cameron Mrs. Alaine Camfield Paul CaraDonna & Dr. Amy Iler Dr. Cindy Carey David Carey Dudley B. & Curtis R. Carlson Malle Carrasco-Harris Dr. Patrick Carter Dr. Frances Chew & Richard Bryan Mr. Dan Cohen Don & Amy Conklin Gary & Kirsten Cook Ms. Diana Cosand Win & Anda Craven Crested Butte Nordic Council Mrs. Lynn Cudlip Robert & Janet Cushman Gretchen Daily & Gideon Jaffe Linda Davidson Mr. Jeff & Dana Delaney Howard Delfiner David & Jacqueline Desposato Torin & Veronica Dewey Casey Diana Gary & Sue Dillard Mary Beth Dimijian

Dr. Philip Dixon Stephanie Duffield Mr. Melvin Duncan & Mrs. Valerie Brooker Mr. William Dwyer Robert Eickwort S P R I N G 2 0 21 | 1 4

2020 RMBL Supporters

Baby mountain goat In Rustlers Gulch

photo by Shayn Estes

Butterfly $100 - $499 Jane Eigenrauch Margaret Emmons Mr. George Enders & Sally Ling Gregory & Christine Enders Elizabeth Estes Ms. Janet Farmer Greg & Tracy Florant Chris Floyd & Rachel Schwartz Alex Frankel Lawrence Gall & Nancy Barrer Charles & Adrienne Gallagher Dr. Monica Geber Cathy & Bob Geraghty Ashley Gjovik Andrew Gloss Susan Goodhard Michael Gottlieb Matthew Graham & Kathryn Waters Linda & Gary Gray Mr. Benjamin Gray Josh & Anna Grinath David & Kathy Hackenyos Steven Haley Richard Hamilton & Debra Schadeck Mr. Randy Hamilton Mr. Tucker Hancock William Hanna Amy Hanson & Richard Bergl Colonel William Haponski Carey Harrington Patricia Harrington

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Lona & Neil Harris Stephen & Joanne Hatchett Mr. Donald Haver Dr. Jane Hayes Mr. Alan & Gloria Heath Susan Hering Dr. Carole Hickman Loren Hintz Ginger Hite Rachel Homer & David Makowski David Homer Hilary Hopkins Horizon Fine Gardens, LLC Judith Houlding Melanie Hudson Dee Hull & Hanno Zur Loye Mr. John Hull Alice & Steve Jennison Karen & Tom Jensen Theresa & Robert Keatinge Mr. Gary & Mrs. Elizabeth Keiser Nancy & Karl Kellogg David & Elise Kish Mr. John & Susan Koch Ms. Joan Kritzberg Mr. Douglas Kroft Dr. Margaret Kuchenreuther Diana Kushner Mary Laird & Greg Glatzmaier Ms. Susan Langley Lyn Lazar & Truman Burns

Mr. John & Lori Leete Mr. David & Sandy Leinsdorf Michael London Rick & Kathy Lorentz Dr. Thomas Lovejoy Ms. Lynn Maguire Samuel & Judith Mamet Mr. Peter Mariner Ms. Julie Marshall & Richard Jones Wynn & Ryan Martens Mr. Lynette McLamb & Todd Steiner Jeff & Janice Meadows Melissa Merrick Dr. Arlee Montalvo Lisa & Kevin Morano Mrs. Talie Morrison Linda Mulka Michelle Musil Ms. Elizabeth Neely Mrs. Katherine Norgard Seth Novatt & Priscilla Natkins Mrs. Ginny Passoth Mr. Michael & Linda Paulaitis Marge Penton & Neal Ayres Mr. William Petry Jay Pierce Ms. Jennifer Pierson John & Barbara Pleasants Tom & Kathleen Porter Robert Prendeville Bob Purvis Mrs. Diane Quinlin

Myles Rademan Chris Ray Quentin Read & Mary Glover Donna & Michael Regan Mr. Gary Reiness Mr. George & Bobbie Reinhardt Mr. Donald & Susan Reithel Mr. William & Becky Reynolds Russ & Mary Rhea Mr. Charles Kerr & Gudrun Rice Katherine & Krehe Ritter Sarah Robbins Katherine Roos Diana Roth & Gary Dorris Ms. Carmen Salsbury Gene & Lisa Schneider Mr. David Schrier Brad Schulke Mr. Randy Seagrist Mr. Michael & Kathleen Setzer Laura & Kyle Shannon Elizabeth Shore James & Delrena Sides Sara & Joshua Simmers Gurnek Singh Christine Smith Emily Snow & Ian Miller Thomas & Barbara Snyder David & Caroline Specht Mr. Loren & Laura Steffy Christopher Still Mary Stoddard

2020 RMBL Supporters

Gothic east face at sunrise from Redrock.

photo by Shayn Estes

Mayfly < $100 Eric & Pat Streicher John & Mary Anne Tarr Mr. Chip & Toni Taylor Mr. Kevin & Amy Taylor Nicole Tee Jerry Tinianow Mrs. Chris Tonielli-Crayton & Joshua Crayton Jill & Ty Vaughn Guy & Alison Vigers Mrs. Martha Violett Debra Von Bargen Mr. John & Mrs. Katherine Wahlert Donna & Tom Walker Michael Watson Dr. George Weiblen & Rebecca Montgomery Kevin Wheeler Paul Wierczoreck & Mary Crane Mr. Brook & Emily Wilke Edward & Kathleen Wilkinson Claire Williams Dana & Frederick Williams A.J. Wissinger Ms. Johanna Worley Ruth Wright Mr. Jane Yerkes Ms. Brooke Zanetell & Philip Handmaker Ann & David Zweig

Mr. Tom Anderson Walter Armer Gay & Greg Austin Terina Bainter Jeffrey Barber Allison Benton-Jones Allan & Wendy Berlind Erika Bilger Ms. Sarah Boynton Mrs. Wendy & Tony Brown Tom Byrnes Mr. John Cockrell Mr. Philippe Cohen & Cindy Stead Ms. Jennifer Colby Judith Cole Sheri Cole Ms. Denise Cooper William Cushman Laura Daniels Emily Davies Haley Davis Ms. Susan Dunklee Kenneth & Janet Eichelberger Dr. Johannes Foufopoulos & Jennifer Howard Sigrid Freese Penny Friedberg Deborah Fuchs & Erica Bennet Ms. Deborah Glicklich Susan Goodwin V. Gratigny Scott Gurst

John & Nicole Gutrich Julie Hamil Betsy Heartfield Sue Heavenrich Lucy Hecker Gail Heckmyer Jacob Heiling Scott Hetherington Aaron & Lawrence Hultgren Kate Inman Linda Jannot Mrs. Barbara Jewell & Don Green Cynthia Jobs Ms. Karen Johnson Elise Jones Dawn Kairns Mr. Keith Karoly Mary Keefe Erica Kruger & Nathan Larson Michelle La Sala Ms. Jill Lauman Joe Lavorini Mrs. Colleen Lenihan & Scott Stender Taylor Maavara Peter McDonald & Lisa Cyrocki Dr. Angus & Emma McIntosh Gesa & Glenn Michel Detty Moore & Linda Hebert Jim & Alyce Moore Michele Moran Glenda H. Murphy Annika Nelson

Gerald & Jill Nerheim Ms. Diana Niskern Mr. Dave Ochs Mrs. Annette Olson Elizabeth Overholser Sam Pierce Mr. David Porter Kira Quan Andris Radvany Rick & Margaret Reavis Jane & Steven Riley Mr. Paul Robertson Ms. Lisa Schoenherr George Sibley & Maryo Gard Ewell Barbara Siems Mr. Robin Sleith Danielle Solomon Cathy Steinberger Renae Steinberger Elizabeth Sufit Dr. Kim Sweitzer Susannah & Paul Wagner Anne Wara Karin Warren Tim & Nancy Weil Austin & Rebecca Weiss Mr. Judy & Charlie Welch Mr. Donal Wells Jamie Winternitz Tom & Chris Zanoni

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2020 RMBL Supporters

Lupine from the Lupine Trail at sunset

Thank you to our recurring donors who choose to give monthly or quarterly to RMBL! Haley Davis Robert Eickwort Henry & Sally Manwell Mr. Peter Mariner Ms. Julie Marshall & Richard Jones Michelle Musil Bradd Schulke Elizabeth Shore Kelly & David Sudderth Dr. Laura Watt Ken Williams & Janelle Weaver

Directed gifts

Up to $999

In Honor of

Includes scholarships & endowments, youth programs, & other restricted gifts.

Dr. Alison Brody Dr. Ross Conover Thomas & Donna Farishon Mr. Mark Galatowitsch Mr. Douglas & Kimberly Johnson Ann & Patrick Rothery Jim & Barb Schuette Ms. Randi Stewart Todd & Kim Wellnitz Dr. Howard Whiteman & Nancy Buschhaus Jane Wissinger

Amy Ellwein Ann Colbert Bob & Katherine Robbins Brian & Marcella Wildes Caitlin Wells Salerno Charles David Blodgett Dr. Scottie Willey Ian Billick Jen Pierson Jerome Curtis Tinianow Joe & Ginny Knappenberger John & Margie Haley John C. Johnson Julie Bremer Kenneth Armitage Mary Price Peg & Paul Ruphrecht Rick, Rick & Greta Rosemary J. Smith Savannah Troy Thomas A. Bass Ward B. Watt

$50,000 + Carol Johnson & Russ Miller John & Margie Haley

$10,000+ Anna Reilly & Matthew Cullinan Douglas La Follette

$5,000 + Donald & Cathey Humphreys Carol Boggs & Ward Watt

$1,000+ Mr. Richard & Ellen Dobbin Demetra Jones Dr. Bobbi Peckarsky & Steve Horn Mrs. Diane Quinlin Sally & John Stevenson

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2020 RMBL Supporters

Pine Grosbeak

Gifts in memory of Bill Calder Chris Johnson Clea Greenawalt Dana Bradley Deborah Coonts Donald Pierson Dr. Harriet Barclay Dr. Hugo Ferchau Edward Maly Gaylord Humberger George C. Eickwort Gregory G. Dimijian Harriet Barclay Henry Estess Joan H Kritzberg John C. Johnson John C. Pagel John Krakauer Joseph & Eleanor Mangano Keith Krakauer Ken Rawson & Bob Willey Larry & Niovi Lee Richmond Girton Snyder & Charles Lee Remington Marie Halun Bloch Paul Schmidt Peter Veruki Richard Hamilton Rick Richards Robert Enders Steven Thor Alpern Thomas H. Kunz Tim Wawrzyniec

In Memory of Stephen A. Spongberg Cynthia Jobs Jane Riley Judith Houlding Katherine Roos Margaret Emmons Nancy Burton Sarah Woodin Terina Bainter Walter Boynton

In memory of James Ward

Ryan Brown Scholarship Fund

Carl Bell Colonel William Haponski Gail Heckmyer Gerald & Jill Nerheim Julie Hamil Kenneth & Janet Eichelberger Sandra Lyons

Donna & Michael Regan Jim & Barb Schuette Linda & Gary Gray Matt Thompson Mr. Ken and Ginny Brown Ms. Jill Lauman Ms. Randi Stewart Peter McDonald & Lisa Cyrocki

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Did you know

that you can arrange to have your donations to RMBL given monthly, quarterly, or annually? To those donors who have already chosen to make recurring gifts, we can’t thank you enough. If you’d like to know how to become a recurring donor, visit RMBL.org/donations/ Thank you to our recurring donors!

Haley Davis

Ms. Julie Marshall and Richard Jones

Kelly and David Sudderth

Robert Eickwort

Michelle Musil

Dr. Laura Watt

Henry and Sally Manwell

Bradd Schulke

Ken Williams and Janelle Weaver

Mr. Peter Mariner

Elizabeth Shore

Shooting Star

photo by Barbara Kauffman

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