RMBL in the news
In 2024, RMBL received over 200 media mentions spanning numerous media platforms. The most widely distributed story of the year was a piece on billy barr by the Associated Press. It covers billy’s curiosity-filled quest to observe the world around his remote mountain cabin and how these humble observations have become an invaluable record of environmental change. The piece features vivid photo and video imagery complimenting the rich narrative. It was picked up by more than 120 different media outlets across the world including The Washington Post and BBC.
The seasonal rhythms of Gothic and RMBL were beautifully portrayed in a 30-minute episode of Colorado Experience by Rocky Mountain PBS. The crew from PBS made numerous visits to Gothic over the course of 2024 to capture the transition of Gothic’s emergence from winter’s slumber to summer’s frenzy. RMBL staff discuss what it takes to go from 0 to nearly 200 residents over a few short weeks. RMBL scientists shed light on how the body of long-term research has transformed RMBL into a world-class research facility. It concludes with a day in the life of RMBL’s youngest ‘scientists’ learning about the natural world and scientific process at RMBL’s summer science camp.
The plight of butterflies, bumble bees and other insects were featured in numerous articles throughout 2024. CU Boulder Today summarized the first comprehensive report on Colorado’s native pollinating insects. The report found that some native pollinators had declined by more than half. Data from RMBL was included, showing that the number of insects around Gothic had declined by over 60% during the same timeframe. On a positive note, The Colorado Sun featured a story on how this study has influenced policy and led to new protections for the silverspot butterfly and other bugs in Colorado. In a related article, 5280 Magazine covered how the insect declines have led to further action within Colorado to implement conservation and land management solutions.
As the world’s second longest running study on free living mammals, the marmot project is a perennial topic in the news media. NPR Science Friday, Smithsonian Magazine, and The Scientist covered aspects on how marmot physiology and behaviors provide general insights into aging, development, and social status.
And finally, water in the West continues to attract interest from the media. KUNC reported on the findings from a study conducted at RMBL to investigate how much snowpack was disappearing into thin air through the process of sublimation. Researchers from the University of Washington found that snow lost to sublimation was less than predicted and that most of the losses occur in spring. As stated in the study, this could help water managers across the West better manage the timing and distribution of this precious resource.
RMBL is one of the country’s most productive field stations, generating over 60 scientific publications annually across many fields of study. These publications build on the foundation of scientific knowledge, inform policy, and influence the course of future research. While this is a key measure of a research institution’s impact, we cannot lose sight of the importance of translating this knowledge to the broader public. We are excited to see the ways in which RMBL research has reached a broader audience throughout 2024 and beyond.