Native Trout Habitat.

Community members hike to Two Elk Creek to be trained as volunteer citizen scientists who will measure, collect and record data to identify streams within the Eagle River watershed that could support native cutthroat trout.
USFS training session for a small group of Eagle County community members who will help identify viability of native trout habitat in Colorado.
During a citizen scientist training session, local community members are shown how to measure stream pool depth on Two Elk Creek.
A lesson on the best way to measure the reach of a stream along Two Elk Creek in Northern Colorado.
During a citizen scientist training session, local community members are shown how to measure stream pools on Two Elk Creek.
Rainbow trout, like this juvenile, are not native to Colorado and, although a favorite of many anglers, can be categorized as an invasive species especially to native trout like the cutthroat.

In partnership with the United States Forest Service and the Eagle River Watershed Council, Witness Tree Media created visual stories about training sessions for volunteer citizen scientists on native trout habitat assessment. Local community members learned techniques using specialized equipment to collect environmental DNA as well as observe, measure and record stream habitat characteristics that indicated possible support for the reintroduction of native trout species like the greenback cutthroat trout into tributaries within the Eagle River watershed. Upon completion, citizen scientists ventured into the Colorado backcountry to exercise their new skills collecting eDNA samples and recording habitat observations.

Contact Witness Tree Media for usage licensing fees for any of the photographs or videos.

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