We had the opportunity to host Dr. Pete Raymond, Professor of Ecosystem Ecology at Yale F&ES, and his family (wife Megan and daughter Skyler) during the first week of August this summer. Dr. Raymond’s research focuses on the biogeochemistry of natural systems. He has been working closely with UHPSI’s Catherine Kuhn on understanding dissolved carbon processes within the Clear Creek watershed.
Flying in from sea level, Pete proved his field science expertise, as we immediately took him on an elevational survey of Clear Creek: from 3,900 feet just east of Ucross, all the way up to Florence Pass at just over 11,000 feet. We braved torrential downpours and blustery thunderstorms as we collected samples at 30 sites along Clear Creek.
In the following days, we introduced Pete to various stakeholders around Ucross, as we outlined opportunities for potential collaborative between his lab at Yale, UHPSI, Professor Bob Hall (University of Wyoming), and with folks at Apache Foundation and Ucross Foundation. All parties involved would love to see the installation of long term monitoring equipment on Clear and Piney Creeks, and we hope to see this idea continue to develop over the fall as Apache develops their conservation planning for next year.
With Pete’s daughter Skyler hooked on riding horses at the guest ranch, we can be sure that we’ll see more of him and his family over the next year out in Wyoming.