Driving up i70,

Look out the car window to see,

A glimpse of the great Yellowstone descendants.

Bison both big and small,

Helping conserve the species for all,

Denver Parks connecting visitors to an important part of Colorado history.

Native to the lands,

Facing extinction without helping hands,

Genesee’s protected site helps enhance population recovery.

Bison are being returned to native tribes,

Tribal history and preservation inscribed,

To enhance conservation and genetic diversity for the years to come.

GENESEE, COLORADO

Photo Credit: Sean McNeil

The Colorado River is one of my favorite places. The river is always there. It calms me with its silent beauty and scares me with its roaring strength. The river has created the valleys and crevices of the land. It nourishes the land as it erodes it away.

The river is always there. When I need solace it is there, when I need excitement it is there, when I need affirmation that it will be alright, it is there.

COLORADO RIVER BETWEEN SILT AND RIFLE, COLORADO

Photo Credit: Lynn Shore

As a 5th-generation native of Colorado, I have grown a deep connection to the mountains of Colorado. I climbed my first 14er at age 6 and completed the 14ers in 2012. I also finished my lifelong goal of climbing the 100 highest mountains in Colorado in 2018. The Colorado mountains are and will forever be a part of my heart and soul. There is no other place on earth like the mountains of Colorado, especially the San Juan Mountains. From any given summit, one can identify and connect with hundreds of other peaks, which always sparks fond memories of adventure, time with family and friends, and a strong bond with nature.

There is no great way to describe the feelings that are evoked by experiencing a sunrise from the summit of one of Colorado's incredible mountains; however, the experience inspires personal growth, a desire to protect the land, and ideas for helping others ethically appreciate what we have here in Colorado - a glorious playground in some of nature's most pristine environments.

I hope that my photography inspires others to seek out this deep connection with Colorado's mountains and to find ways to celebrate and protect them as best as we can for future generations.

SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO

Photo Credit: Matt Payne

Jefferson County Open Space has miles of hiking trails. This wood was off the path a bit, and the bright white color was what struck me. I knew I wanted to capture it in black and white.

CLEAR CREEK AREA, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO

Photo Credit: Colleen Hennessy

You might often wonder, what lies beyond-
Life, planets, galaxies
Into the abyss, no one responds.

Cold summer nights like these,
Staring to the sky,
From the drop of the tailgate,
Deep in the Rockies.

Grabbing my camera for a picture,
With light pollution scarce,
Gaze toward the sky,
Where the stars are a fixture.

In that moment, you feel so small,
Problems, pain and sadness
Disappear from your senses,
And reach up toward the sky,
When the Milky Way calls.

VAIL PASS, COLORADO

Photo Credit: Sean McNeil