Colorado Plateau

There are many challenges in Western ranching these days—among them is whether a new generation will want to pursue the life. The New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp aims to attract young people with an interest in working in livestock and agriculture.

It’s fall and mule deer are on the move from summer to winter range on the Colorado Plateau. These large charismatic mammals are faithful to fixed routes…

Leaving the interstate I entered the high plains of New Mexico where each clump of trees sheltered a house, many of them abandoned. The branches bent to…

The sound of monsoon rains beating the ground is irresistible to one animal in particular. A toad-like amphibian called a spadefoot responds instantly to…

Kitchens all over the Southwest this time of year are filled with the irresistible scent of tamales steaming on the stove.This Earth Note originally aired…

There’s a movement in Flagstaff to change the name of a downtown street with a controversial moniker. City officials are considering several community…

Floating down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon can be a leisurely, relaxing experience. But for a handful of river runners, speed is the real…

Biocrust is a vital, but fragile material that covers a good portion of the soil surface on the Colorado Plateau. This “living skin” is a complex…

When a warm storm front moves over a snow-capped mountain range, floods often follow. These events aren’t common on the Colorado Plateau, where winter…

Anyone attempting to map the Grand Canyon faces a big job. It is immense in size, intricate in topography, and not easy to get around in.Bradford Washburn…