‘Variety’ Archives
Colorado’s Oldest Living Residents
By Doug Nichols Berthoud Recorder Have you met one of Colorado’s oldest living residents? No, it is not that cranky, old guy down the street; it is the bristlecone pine. They are among the oldest living organisms anywhere in the world. There are some bristlecone pines in Berthoud, but they are just youngsters. The really old ones — some more than 1,500 years old — live in the Rocky Mountains. The Colorado bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata) is sometimes known by the common name foxtail ... Full Story
Colorado’s Natural Fireworks—Volcanoes
By Doug Nichols Berthoud Recorder Recently, fireworks have been heard around town, but they were nothing compared with Colorado’s natural fireworks -- volcanoes. Volcanoes in Colorado? Yes! Well, not recently, but definitely in the geological past. The most recent volcanic eruption in Colorado took place about 4,200 years ago near the present day town of Dotsero, by the confluence of the Colorado and Eagle Rivers, in the north-central part of the state. Interstate 70 cuts across the lava ... Full Story
Our Natural World: I Need a Drink!
By Doug Nichols Berthoud Recorder That is what the trees and shrubs in your yard probably are saying right now. March was supposed to be our snowiest month, but despite the recent spring snowstorms, we are still behind in precipitation. Water has long been a topic of critical interest in Colorado, and the low amounts of snow or rain so far this year make it even more pressing for local homeowners and gardeners. Here in Berthoud, our municipal water supply comes from the Western Slope (where at ... Full Story
Our Natural World: Happy Birthday, Mr. Darwin
By Doug Nichols Berthoud Recorder Feb. 12, 2009, was the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, the English naturalist whose most famous publication, “On the Origin of Species,” revolutionized the sciences of biology and paleontology. It was first published in 1859, so this year is the 150th anniversary of that landmark book. Its full title is “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.” In it, ... Full Story
