Conifers: What are They, and How to Identify Colorado's Species

Learn to identify the conifers of our watershed as you take a drive with the author, Soleil Gaylord, and her father, Dr. Kent Gaylord, while motoring "up valley" from Placerville to Telluride town all-the-while scanning the landscape. Once in town, jump on Chair 7 and familiarize yourself with the conifers that grace the ski area.  Listeners will go away from this descriptive broadcast with a greater understanding of Colorado's iconic conifer species, from the Utah Juniper to the Subalpine Fir.  Photo: Valley Floor Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) with the "telltale"  or is it "telltail" drag in the photo is that of a Peromyscus, likely a Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). Hopping is their primary mode of locomotion so they generate those nice strings of matching prints with tail drags in between. Photo Credit: S. Gaylord 2021.