Dear RMBL community, 

As we head into summer, RMBL enters the season with both momentum and a critical question:

After one of the driest winters on record, how will the Gunnison Valley’s lack of precipitation shape its ecology, including impacts on pollinators, plants, water systems, and wildfire risk? This historic weather anomaly presents a rare opportunity for real-time science, with insights that will inform our understanding well into the future.

Against this backdrop, researchers are returning to Gothic, students are arriving, and the field season is getting underway. 

RMBL comes to life in these moments: early mornings in Gothic as scientists head into the field; students gathering around long-term research plots, collecting data that connects them to decades of work; and conversations over coffee focused on climate, water, and how our planet functions as an interconnected system — and what this unusual season may reveal.

We are especially excited about this summer’s lineup of events. Sips & Science gatherings, small-group hikes, and exclusive tours for our Explorers, along with science talks, RMBL Fest, and other events open to the public, offer many ways to engage directly with the science and the people behind it. These are interactive, informal opportunities to see RMBL in action.

At the same time, in nearby Crested Butte, RMBL 365 continues to build energy, with talks, gatherings, and new ways to engage with science beyond the field. With year-round programming, community events, and opportunities to connect with researchers, it is an important extension of RMBL, and the first expansion beyond Gothic in our 98-year history.

At its core is the science. RMBL’s long-term, place-based research continues to provide critical insight into climate, water, and ecosystem change, with growing relevance.

This work moves forward because of a community that believes in and invests in RMBL. We invite you to join us this summer at an event, on a hike, or in conversation, and experience it firsthand. We look forward to connecting with you and continuing the conversation about RMBL’s impact and its role in the century ahead.

All my best,

Jeni Blacklock, PhD
RMBL Executive Director

Top: Richard Forbes and Rozalia Kapas measure aspen leaves near Gothic. Photo | Benjamin Blonder, PhD