Dr. Beatrice Willard (1925–2003) was an internationally recognized tundra ecologist who made significant contributions to environmental policy in Colorado and the nation. Her research in the Colorado mountains established her as a well-known ecologist,…

The Beatrice Willard Alpine Tundra Research Plots were established in 1959 by Beatrice Willard at two high-altitude locations along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). Willard’s studies at the plots and elsewhere in the park were…


 The Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) is the oldest research institute at the University of Colorado. It studies the connectivity of cold desert ecosystems, like the ones found on Rocky Mountain peaks. INSTAAR was one of the…

Established on January 26, 1915, Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) has for more than a century been one of the country’s most visited national parks. Mountain vistas and wilderness solitude draw millions of people every year. The park lies between…

Trail Ridge Road snakes roughly fifty miles across Rocky Mountain National Park, from Estes Park to Grand Lake. Planned and built from about 1929 to 1938, the road provided a safer route across the Continental Divide for the park’s growing number of…