Dear Friends and Colleagues, 

We have officially closed on the Crested Butte Hostel – RMBL 365!!! This is such an exciting milestone for RMBL and for our entire community. RMBL 365 represents the beginning of a new era—one that celebrates our legacy while opening the door to year-round science, education, and community connection. This space will bring people together, spark new ideas, and allow us to share the magic of RMBL in every season. 

With fall unfolding across the Gunnison Valley, I’m reminded of RMBL’s ongoing journey—nearly a century of science grounded in this place and connected to a broader global story. Now, more than ever, the work we do here matters. In this letter, I want to share both the impact of RMBL science and education, and what it means for you, our community and partners. 

Science That Speaks Across Time 

One of the greatest strengths of RMBL is its long-term datasets — the records that reveal patterns only detectable through decades of consistent study. Take the phenology research led by Dr. David Inouye and his collaborators. That work was recently featured in National Geographic, underlining how shifts in flowering, insect emergence, and migration are no longer subtle trends but urgent stories of ecological change. National Geographic+1 Because species don’t all respond to climate change in the same way, asynchronous shifts can ripple through entire ecosystems — influencing pollination, species interactions, and ecosystem resilience. 

Another striking example comes from our melding of satellite and historic data within RMBL’s Spatial Data Platform. Dr. Ian Breckheimer recently released maps predicting when local trails will be snow-free — a tool grounded in remote sensing and ecological record that resonated widely in our community and beyond. Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Similarly, technology-driven insights into snow sublimation and water budgets by Dr. Jessica Lundquist and team have improved how Colorado’s water managers understand the water cycle’s hidden losses. Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory 

From marmots and wildflowers to snowpack and groundwater, RMBL science spans scales from genes to landscapes — and it’s more than academic. It influences how we think about wildfire risk, water allocation, and ecosystem adaptation. 

Education, Outreach, and Community Partnership 

Science is only as powerful as the stories we share and the connections we build. RMBL is not only a site of discovery — it is a site of dialogue. Our K-12 programs and citizen science initiatives invite learners of all ages to step into the field, monitor pollinators, map alpine wildflowers, and track changes in water systems. Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory In 2025, we helped launch an Outdoor Education Council, bringing together over 20 nonprofits across the valley to align education, strengthen coordination, and expand opportunities across ages and places. Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory 

In invaluable outreach, PBS’s Colorado Experience recently devoted an episode to RMBL, showcasing our history, scientists, and the enduring relevance of this unique mountain laboratory. PBS The program highlights how RMBL’s marmot project is one of the longest-running animal studies in the world, and how our facility supports multi-generational thinking about environmental change. 

Meanwhile, youth camps and summer programs have become waystations for the next generation: budding ecologists learning metrics, data, and stories alongside veteran scientists. This passing of the torch was recently featured by PBS Colorado Voices — a reminder that science is always personal, always relational. PBS 

Why It All Matters (and Why You Matter) 

Our science and education is neither isolated nor abstract. The work we do in Gothic has ripple effects far beyond the valley. 

• The insights we generate help water managers and communities grapple with snowmelt timing, groundwater supply, and climate stressors. 

• The stories we tell help communities see themselves as part of ecological systems — not passive observers, but partners. 

• The relationships we nurture across institutions, nonprofits, schools, and government create a shared capacity for resilience. 

Your involvement — whether as supporter, donor, educator, neighbor, or friend — fuels every one of these dimensions. As we build out RMBL 365 and expand our year-round presence, your investment becomes even more strategic. You help us pivot from summer lab to dynamic hub where science, education, and community convene. 

Looking Ahead Together 

In this next chapter, we are reimagining how RMBL can be more accessible, more integrated, and more impactful. As data libraries, synthesis hubs, and remote sensing tools come online, we will be better positioned to share more knowledge, more broadly, and in real time. We invite you into that work — through dialogue, collaboration, advocacy, or financial support. 

Thank you for walking this path with us. Thank you for believing in the power of place-based science, the importance of curiosity, and the promise of shared learning. Together, we will continue to deepen the legacy of RMBL — making science matter for this generation and the next. 

With gratitude and hope,

Jeni Blacklock, PhD
Executive Director, RMBL 

Photo: RMBL staff, scientists and supporters outside RMBL 365.  Courtesy of Amy Ellwein.