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Species: Sky Pilot (Polemonium viscosum)
Habitat: Alpine tundra in scree or talus
Location: Mineral Basin, southwest Colorado
Public Land: Uncompahgre National Forest
Description: Sky Pilot blooms in shades of blue to violet, each one a tiny echo of the heavens. In the mountains of the Southwest, different species of Polemonium bloom in unique hues—some individual species are found only in a single mountain range. Each flower is a reflection of the sky and spirit of its home in the high country.
This colorful and abundant high alpine plant serves as a food source for White-tailed Ptarmigan. I photographed this scene in the San Juan Mountains, Uncompahgre National Forest of southwest Colorado while on assignment for Audubon Magazine for a story about White-tailed Ptarmigan conservation efforts. Each summer, a group of young biologists who call themselves the “Ptarmy Army,” go to great lengths to count the bird population. Their job involves hiking up to 20 miles a day in steep terrain, often above 12,000’ where life-threatening altitude sickness is a real concern, post-holing through thigh-deep snowfields, scrambling up steep ridges to track down a bird they got a glimpse of from a distance. I have deep respect for the work they do, the risks they take, and their dedication and care for nature. I received a bachelor’s degree in Ecology but made the choice not to become a research scientist. I instead got into the field of conservation photography and writing in order to tell stories like these.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.
Species: Sky Pilot (Polemonium viscosum)
Habitat: Alpine tundra in scree or talus
Location: Mineral Basin, southwest Colorado
Public Land: Uncompahgre National Forest
Description: Sky Pilot blooms in shades of blue to violet, each one a tiny echo of the heavens. In the mountains of the Southwest, different species of Polemonium bloom in unique hues—some individual species are found only in a single mountain range. Each flower is a reflection of the sky and spirit of its home in the high country.
This colorful and abundant high alpine plant serves as a food source for White-tailed Ptarmigan. I photographed this scene in the San Juan Mountains, Uncompahgre National Forest of southwest Colorado while on assignment for Audubon Magazine for a story about White-tailed Ptarmigan conservation efforts. Each summer, a group of young biologists who call themselves the “Ptarmy Army,” go to great lengths to count the bird population. Their job involves hiking up to 20 miles a day in steep terrain, often above 12,000’ where life-threatening altitude sickness is a real concern, post-holing through thigh-deep snowfields, scrambling up steep ridges to track down a bird they got a glimpse of from a distance. I have deep respect for the work they do, the risks they take, and their dedication and care for nature. I received a bachelor’s degree in Ecology but made the choice not to become a research scientist. I instead got into the field of conservation photography and writing in order to tell stories like these.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.