Dear RMBL community, 

There is something magical about the beginning of summer at RMBL. As the snow slowly recedes from the mountainsides, the first glacier lilies emerge through the thawing ground, signaling the arrival of a new field season in Gothic. Soon after, the hillsides and meadows begin bursting with countless other alpine wildflowers, transforming the valley into one of the most ecologically vibrant landscapes in the Rocky Mountains. This year, however, the changes feel especially noticeable. Snow melted earlier than many scientists at RMBL have ever observed, adding to a pattern of shifting timing, abundance, and relationships among snowmelt, wildflowers, pollinators, and water that researchers at RMBL have carefully documented for decades. These visible changes across the landscape reinforce the importance of long-term ecological research and why places like RMBL matter.

The wildflowers that blanket Gothic each summer are not only breathtaking, but also deeply connected to broader questions around climate, biodiversity, resilience, and ecosystem change. Scientists, students, artists, educators, families, and visitors return from around the world, all drawn together by a shared curiosity about the natural world and a desire to better understand our place within it.

As I enter my second summer at RMBL, I continue to be inspired by the incredible diversity of knowledge, research, and creativity that exists within this community. RMBL has always been much more than a field station. It is a place where disciplines intersect, long-term observations lead to discoveries, and collaborations form in unexpected and meaningful ways. From pollinator ecology and hydrology to climate science, data science, engineering, education, art, and community engagement, the breadth of work happening at RMBL continues to highlight why place-based science matters at both local and global scales.

This summer also represents an exciting opportunity to strengthen our connections with the broader community. We have a variety of ways for people to explore, participate, and engage with RMBL, including:

• Events such as RMBL Fest (June 26-July 1), public lectures, RMBL Reads book club, workshops, and family-friendly programming
• Wildflower and townsite tours through the Visitor Center (opening June 3!)  
• Our interactive wildflower bloom forecasting tool 
• The new RMBL Data Hub 
• Fat Marmot Week (stay tuned!) 
• Marmot Tears IPA, our new collaboration with Irwin Brewing Co.

We hope to create more opportunities for people to engage with the science, stories, and people that make RMBL so special. Community engagement is deeply important to RMBL because science becomes even more impactful when it is shared, discussed, experienced, and celebrated together.

Behind every tour, lecture, workshop, and community event is the long-term, place-based research that defines RMBL. That work continues to generate insights into how mountain ecosystems function and respond to environmental change.

A recent paper by Erica R. Siirila-Woodburn and co-authors in Nature Geoscience highlights how warming and declining snowpack are increasing reliance on older groundwater sources in Colorado River headwaters — a finding with important implications for water resources and mountain ecosystem resilience in a changing climate. This research reflects RMBL’s commitment to long-term observation of how water, snow, and ecosystems interact over time, and it connects directly to broader conversations about climate, hydrology, and biodiversity that matter to scientists, policymakers, and the public.

We are also incredibly proud of the recent accomplishments and recognition of RMBL scientists and collaborators, including Brian Enquist’s 2026 Robert H. MacArthur Award from the Ecological Society of America. Brian recently reflected, “RMBL has been one of the most important scientific homes for me and has shaped my lab’s science through time spent in the field and conversations with the extraordinary community of scientists, students, staff, and friends connected to RMBL.”

His recognition, along with the many accomplishments of RMBL scientists and staff this year, reflects the extraordinary impact this community continues to have across science and society.

As we continue building toward RMBL’s centennial in 2028, I remain excited about the opportunities ahead and deeply grateful for the people who make this place so meaningful. Whether you are joining us in Gothic this summer, attending an event in Crested Butte, supporting RMBL from afar, or helping share our story with others, thank you for being part of this community.

All my best,

Jeni Blacklock, PhD
RMBL Executive Director

Top: Mule’s Ears Sunflowers (Wyethia amplexicaulis) at RMBL. Photo by Jeni Blacklock