Forest Specialist Series - Community Engagement Sessions

Forest Specialist Series

Join us through the Forest Specialist Series to learn more about the Rio Grande National Forest and surrounding area.

The Forest Specialist Series is a monthly online event, hosted by our partners at the San Juan Mountains Association (SJMA) and is designed to be both informational and interactive. The Forest Specialist Series programs are typically held on a Wednesday evening in the middle of the month, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. We will provide a Zoom link for each month's session located below and on the RGNF Facebook page.

The speakers, primarily Rio Grande National Forest (RGNF) employees and occasionally our partners, will provide a 30 - 40 minute presentation on their area of expertise. We always host a question and answer session afterwards. Join in if you are looking to learn more about your public lands. The events are facilitated by one of our Visitor Information Specialists staff. This is a great way to interact with your National Forest professionals and learn more about land management, plants, animals, and recreation opportunities on your surrounding public lands.

2024 Forest Specialist Series Schedule

A list of the 2024 speakers for the Forest Specialist Series

Recorded Forest Specialist Series Sessions

Courtesy of the San Juan Mountains Assocation our Forest Specialist Series presentations are available for watching any time on YouTube. Click on the program below to watch the video. 

Date Program Description
June 26, 2024 Responsible Foraging Practices Cari Conari and Dove Wobith, co-owners of SLV Apothecary, talk about responsible foraging practices and some plants to look for.
April 24, 2024 2024 Wildfire Season Doug Currie, Forest Fire Management Officer for the Rio Grande National Forest talks about this year’s wildfire season.
March 27, 2024 Aquatic and Riparian Systems Rosalee Reese, Rio Grande National Forest fisheries biologist presents about Aquatic and Riparian Systems on the Rio Grande National Forest and how they are restored.
February 21, 2024 Culturally Modified Trees Marcy Reiser, Rio Grande National Forest archeologist presents about Culturally Modified Trees and what they can teach us.
January 24, 2024 Avalanches on the Rio Grande Matt Huber, Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) Forecaster, talks about snow and avalanche conditions on the Rio Grande National Forest.
December 13, 2023 An Upper Rio Grande Fishstory Sandra Wagner, a local author and retired chemist and professor presents An Upper Rio Grande Fishstory: Historical Fish Stories from the Upper Rio Grande.
November 29, 2023 Wolves and their Reintroduction Rio Grande National Forest’s Jason Remshardt and Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Jamin Grigg present about the wolf reintroduction program.
September 27, 2023 The Bunker Archaeological Site Price Heiner, Rio Grande National Forest archeologist talks about the Bunker Archaeological Site and what they’ve discovered.
August 23, 2023 Nelson Tunnel Christoph Goss, a Senior Associate at Schnabel Engineering, talks about the Nelson Tunnel Rehabilitation: Past, Present, and Future.
July 26, 2023 Botany of the Rio Grande National Forest Rachel Hosna, a Rangeland Management Specialist for the Rio Grande National Forest talks about good, bad, and ugly botany on the Forest.
May 24, 2023 Wildfire Season Derrick Rader, Acting Forest Fire Management Officer for the Rio Grande National Forest talks about this year’s wildfire season.
April 26, 2023 Pollinating Animals Join us to learn more about the Forest’s pollinators with Doug Clark, the Wildlife Biologist for the Rio Grande National Forest.
March 15, 2023 Rio Grande National Forest Stock Program Meg Shelley, Rangeland Management Specialist on the Saguache Ranger District talks about the Forest’s stock (horses & mules) program.
February 22, 2023 Forest Management Kevin Duda talks about the many aspects of forest management on the Rio Grande National Forest, from logging to planting and monitoring.
Jan 25, 2023 Avalanches on the Rio Learn more about avalanches on the Rio Grande from Matt Huber, CAIC Forcaster. 
December 14, 2022 Winter Recreation on the Rio Grande Join Bryce Hofmann and members from local nordic and snowmobile clubs to learn more about winter recreation on the Rio Grande National Forest.
November 16, 2022 Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Jason Remshardt, Wildlife and Fisheries Program Manager, shares about Rio Grande Cutthroat trout, our only native fish species in the area and the work that is being done to conserve them.
October 19, 2022 History of Summitville Archaeologist Marcy Reiser and special guest Leroy Fuchs share the history of Summitville through its many booms and busts. 
September 14, 2022 A Summer on the Forest There are many summer seasonal crews working across the Rio Grane National Forest. Learn a little bit about what they all do out there! 
August 17, 2022 Smokey Bear Smokey Bear is one of the most recognized icons and the longest running public ad campaign by the Ad Council. Learn a little more about Smokey Bear, his story and history from Gregg Goodland, Public Affairs Officer, and Hannah Fake, Visitor Information Coordinator. 
June 15, 2022 Wildflowers of the Rio Grande What flowers might you see out on the forest? Learn a few tips for identifying them and some fun facts about blooms on the forest. Presented by Hannah Fake, Visitor Information Coordinator.
May 18, 2022 Wildfire Preparedness Are you ready for the next wildfire season? Gregg Goodland, RGNF Public Affairs Officer, and Adam Moore, Supervisory Forester from the Colorado State Forest Service present about how to be prepared and what the outlook for the fire season is. 
April 13, 2022 Women in Public Lands Leadership Join us to learn about the women managing our public lands. Hear from Martha Williamson, USFS, Divide District Ranger; Tristram Post, USFS, the Saguache District Ranger; Andrea Jones, USFS, the Conejos Peak District Ranger; and  Pamela Rice, NPS, the Great Sand Dunes National Park Superintendent as they shared their path to their current position and what they have learned about leadership.
Mar 16, 2022 La Cueva Rockshelter Price Heiner, Forest Archaeologist, presents findings from a dig and research at the La Cueva Rockshelter.
Feb 23, 2022 Animals' Adaptations to Winter Who is out in the snow? Doug Clark, Wildlife Biologist, shares some of the unique adaptations of our winter wildlife.
Jan 19, 2022 Avalanches on the Rio Grande Learn the basics about avalances and what folks are doing locally to help mitigate them. Presented by Matt Huber from CAIC