In The NOCO

A small herd of bison roams the Soapstone Prairie north of Fort Collins. The herd offers a glimpse of what Colorado’s high plains looked like 200 years ago.  These bison are unique for a few reasons. First, they’re descendants of the herd at Yellowstone National Park . Second, while most bison today carry some cattle DNA, this herd has nearly pure bison genes. That has spiritual significance for m...

A new study suggests that researchers should take a closer look at cannabis as a treatment for cancer and its symptoms. The team behind the study says the results suggest the federal government should remove restrictions on that research.   An organization called Cancer Playbook , which is based in Evergreen, paid for the study. Cancer Playbook’s head of research says it works to provide people ba...

If you had a dog or cat in the house when you were growing up, your body may be better equipped to respond to stress.   That’s according to a new study from the University of Colorado Boulder in collaboration with researchers at the University of Ulm in Germany . Stress initiates an inflammation response in our bodies. In small doses, it’s a normal part of our immune systems. However, chronic infl...

For many of us, fireflies are synonymous with childhood wonder. We chase them on summer evenings, catch them and gently put them in a jar – with plenty of holes poked in the lid, of course.  But if you grew up in Colorado, you may have never experienced that particular wonder. You may not realize that Colorado even has native fireflies. Because of development and pesticide use destroying their hab...

Every year, in an historic mining town in the mountains, runners lace up their running shoes and approach the starting line with their most loyal burro by their side.   The annual pack burro race in Victor , southwest of Colorado Springs, sees athletes and burros run side-by-side over mountain trails and roads.  Pack burro racing is the official summer heritage sport of Colorado . Burros, also kno...

If you look at your calendar – or your weather app – you’ll notice that we are still firmly in the dog days of summer. You should be spending weekends at the pool or sitting in the shade with a cold beverage.  But if you look at your local aspen trees, you might be fooled into thinking it’s time for jack-o’-lanterns and pumpkin spice lattes. And it’s not even Labor Day.  Colorado’s aspens are star...

An unusual art show held each year in Cañon City displays – and sells – pieces by some of the most dangerous convicted criminals in the country.    Fremont Center for the Arts sits about 20 minutes from the highest security prison in the nation: the USP Florence ADMAX, better known as Supermax .  Each year, an art show at the gallery displays work created by Supermax inmates – like Terry Nichols,...

Denver relationship therapist, Lindsay Hayes , has an uncommon specialty.   She’s part of a growing group of professionals who work with people who practice polyamory. These are folks who openly have more than one romantic partner. Lindsay also researches and publishes about polyamorous communities.     In her therapy practice, Lindsay promotes open communication and flexibility as the foundation...

Colorado lawmakers head back to the state capitol on Thursday for a special session to fix a $750 million hole in the state budget.    If this feels like deja vu – it is, in a way. Earlier this year, state legislators addressed a $1.2 billion shortfall during the regular session -- and balanced the state budget.    But President Trump recently signed into law the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill...

A small menace is invading the river that supplies water to 40 million people in southwestern states.  Zebra mussels are tiny freshwater shellfish. They’re about the size of your thumbnail, with a striped shell. Since the late 1980s, they’ve spread to 30 states across the country, including Colorado.   Now, Colorado Parks and Wildlife says they’ve been found in the Colorado River near towns like G...

After several years of record-setting numbers , Colorado's mountain towns are experiencing an unexpected summer slowdown in tourism.   A drop in international visitors is a significant factor. This year, European visitors to mountain towns in Colorado and six other Western states are down 39 percent compared to 2024. Canadian visitors dropped 58 percent from last year.   The trend has state and lo...

Demon rabbits. Frankenstein bunnies.  Zombie cottontails.  Phrases like those went viral this week after photos were published of rabbits near Fort Collins that appeared to have horns or tentacles on or around their heads.    Wildlife officials say the unusual-looking rabbits aren't a cause for concern . The rabbits suffer from a relatively common virus that's harmless to humans, called rabbit or...

The goo and gunk you find in your dishwasher, or in the drip tray underneath your refrigerator, could hold secrets to fighting climate change or reducing pollution.  That’s according to James Henrickson , a research scientist from Colorado State University. He says your hot water heater, washing machine, and shower are similar to hot springs or volcanic vents on the ocean floor. James studies crea...

An innovative cancer therapy inspired by the gripping power of geckos might be on the horizon.    Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder studied the microscopic structures on gecko toes that allow the tiny reptiles to climb walls and cling to slippery surfaces like windows.   That work inspired the development of a new material that could help chemotherapy drugs cling onto tumors, enabli...

The world’s largest wildlife overpass will soon be open for use in Colorado.   Wildlife overpasses allow animals to safely cross over highways. And Western states are building more of them to cut down on the number of crashes between vehicles and animals.    This new overpass is being constructed over a section of I-25 between Denver and Colorado Springs, just north of Monument. Some 80,000 driver...

Colorado teachers say their students are missing something that helps determine their academic success. They call it grit.   If a student who struggles with math studies hard and performs well on their math test, that’s grit. If they complete a homework assignment that was tough to finish, that's also grit.    Erica Breunlin covers education for The Colorado Sun . Since the pandemic, she says teac...

After the death of President Jimmy Carter last December, many of the tributes mentioned his environmental legacy and push for energy-efficient development. And one unusual part of his plan was focused here in Colorado.   Carter’s administration had backed the design of some experimental homes along the Front Range. They were warmed by the sun and fueled by renewable sources – an exciting idea in t...

Colorado is known as a very dog-friendly state. A recent study by Colorado State University noted that if you’re a pet owner in this state, there’s an 80 percent chance that pet is a dog.     Colorado is also known for being one of first states to legalize cannabis.   But the high number of dog lovers plus the state’s long history of legal weed appear to have created a growing trend that worries v...

For many people, being stopped by police can produce a wave of anxiety. But that sense of stress and uncertainty is even worse for people with conditions like autism spectrum disorder, hearing loss, Tourette’s syndrome, or dementia.   Earlier this year, Boulder’s police department rolled out a new initiative called the Blue Envelope Program to help people with disabilities communicate when they en...

Scientists say they’ve identified a sort of massive dance floor that some dinosaurs used as part of their mating rituals millions of years ago.  The area is at Dinosaur Ridge , an active paleontology site in Morrison that’s also open to the public. Researchers there found dozens of places where a dinosaur species called Magnoavipes would scrape patterns into the rock – a telltale sign of the creat...

Immigration arrests in Colorado have quadrupled since President Trump returned to office in January. Under Trump, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say they’re focused on deporting violent criminals who are in the U.S. illegally – what the President calls “ the worst of the worst .”  But in Colorado, that promise doesn't line up with who is actually being detained by immigration enforc...

Colorado has an abundance of mountains named after famous men – think Long’s Peak, Mount Wilson, or Pikes Peak.  Since childhood, Sarah Hahn Campbell has been fascinated by the people behind place names. But she discovered little to no information on peaks, lakes or trails named after women.   So, in 2017, the Denver-based author and high school teacher set out to research the mysterious women beh...

A drive through the mountains of Colorado comes with breathtaking views, occasional glimpses of wildlife – and plenty of steep, winding roads. Sometimes that becomes deadly, especially for truck drivers.  Even in good weather, mountain highways like I-70 can be uniquely challenging for professional truck drivers. And there’s no specialized training required for them to drive in the mountains.    T...

A new kind of commentator made its debut during the snowboarding competition at this year’s Winter X Games in Aspen. It's called The Owl AI – and it’s powered by artificial intelligence.     The Owl AI demonstrated its ability by predicting the snowboarding half-pipe podium lineup, announcing in a cool male voice: “Third place Ayumu Hirano. Second Yuto Totsuka. And for the top spot Scotty James.”...

New research suggests planting aspen groves could slow the spread of wildfires in Colorado’s forests.  It’s an idea that could help some mountain communities seeing increasing threats from wildfires.   A recent study looked at data from more than 300 wildfires in Western states. It found that large aspen groves often slowed the spread of forest fires. That’s partly because aspen contain more moist...