Waldo Canyon 2024
2024 Waldo Team Updates and Findings (by Libby Cutler '26)
The Waldo Canyon Team consists of five Colorado College students, led by Cyndy Hines. The work done by the Waldo team focuses on the study of the area affected by the Waldo Canyon fires in July of 2012. Waldo Canyon is located two miles west of the Manitou Springs bypass, in close proximity to Colorado College. The goals of this project involve research and data collection of the ecological comeback of different species since the fire. A large focus of the project is studying the resilience of the ponderosa pine species.
Using programs such as GIS, and different mapping techniques and technologies, the Waldo team is keeping track of vegetation growth to compare the pre-fire and post-fire state of Waldo Canyon. The ponderosa pine species is significant to this project. Not only is it an iconic Colorado tree species, but it is currently predicted that continuous intense fires, due to the warming and drying climate in Colorado, could lead this species to extinction. The monitoring done by the Waldo team will provide first-hand insight on understand the resilience of the species, specifically post-fire. This year, new team members have continued to work to grow the project. This includes studying the presence of animal species and soil health to determine further how the fire has impacted the whole of the Waldo ecosystem. The Waldo Canyon project is just getting started, and State of the Rockies hopes to continue to monitor the regrowth of the different species in Waldo Canyon.
Research Projects
Meet the Team
Matt Cooney
Matt has been working at CC and with State of the Rockies for nearly 7 years. Providing expertise in the GIS and remote sensing fields, he assists Rockies' students, staff, and faculty with research, analysis, data, cartography, and technology. Matt enjoys working with State of the Rockies as he holds shared beliefs with their mission and goals and is passionate about aligning technology, teaching, and student development around issues in the Rocky Mountain Region.
Ben M Curry
Ben '25 is an Environmental Studies major. His passion for the outdoors started in Southern New Mexico, on his mountain bike. At Colorado College Ben is a member of the Club Cycling team, manager of the Ritt Kellog Climbing Gym, leader for the North Boys program, motion graphics designer for CC athletics and loves making pottery. His interest in wildfires started during his time at the United World College, USA when after a rapid evacuation, the Hermit's peak fire wiped out large swaths of the Pecos wilderness and nearly burnt down the school for the third time
Shamdeed Kabir
I am Shamdeed Kabir '25 from Dhaka, Bangladesh, pursuing a major in Computer Science and a minor in Statistics. I am broadly interested in data science and modeling, and I envision myself working in the fields of computational biology/bioinformatics in the future. Apart from my academic interests, I am an avid antique coin collector and car enthusiast, who loves to travel to different countries and enjoys backpacking, fishing, and kayaking.
Rafiul Alam Khan
Rafiul, ‘26, is a Mathematical Economics major and Physics minor. He is excited to be part of the State of the Rockies Waldo Canyon team. Specifically, he looks forward to working with lots of data points and analyzing specific data parts from the project. A fun fact about Rafiul is that he grew up traveling all around Bangladesh.
Tyler Mielke
Tyler, ‘26, is an Organismal Biology & Ecology major from Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Tyler is passionate about conservation and, as a member of the Waldo Canyon team, is deeply interested in learning more about the preservation of forest ecosystems in the Rocky Mountain West. At Colorado College, she is a member of the Cutthroat Rugby team and a mechanic at the Bike and Ski Co-op. In her free time, Tyler enjoys skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and anything that involves spending time outdoors.
Rachel Phillips
Hailing from Greeneville Tennessee, Rachel became passionate about nature while exploring the forests of Southern Appalachia, especially the likes of invertebrates and amphibians. From this passion, Rachel is pursuing a degree in Organismal Biology and Ecology, as well as a Southwest Studies minor. In their spare time, you can find Rachel taking care of their plants, cooking their favorite foods, or learning about fun entomology facts. With State of the Rockies, Rachel is excited to contribute to an understanding of the ecological recovery of the Waldo Canyon Fire for generations to come.