Wildlife and clear skies ahead
By Carin R. Kirkegaard; photos courtesy of Julie Lamb
Resident photographer Julie Lamb has been taking photos while out on walks the past few weeks, capturing Castle Pines wildlife in all forms.
Wildlife and clear skies are an everyday occurrence in Castle Pines neighborhoods. We are home to a herd of elk that roams the surrounding open space. Residents catch glimpses of bears waking up from hibernation as they lumber across driveways. Walking the trails in the community, sharp eyes can quite often spot the footprints of bobcats and mountain lions. On a warm night with your bedroom windows open, you might even wake to the yipping of coyotes during a full moon.
In the past weeks, social media has been filled with photos and stories of wildlife reclaiming areas that for years have been teaming with people. Some of the world’s largest cities appear to be free of smog and pollution.
Elk at sunset
Around the world, dolphins and swans are swimming in Italy’s canals, mountain goats are roaming the streets in northern Wales and baby sea turtles are hatching on Mumbai beaches for the first time in 20 years. Spring ushers in the busiest season for visitors to U.S. national parks, where each warm weekend brings lines of cars driving park roads and trails filled with outdoor adventurers. With many parks closed to visitors right now, wildlife are taking advantage of empty roads and trails instead of being confined to narrow paths.
In northern India, people for the first time in decades are able to see the peaks of the Himalayan mountain range. Across the U.S., skylines are visible, free of smog. Right here in Colorado, the brown cloud that shrouds the Denver metro area has been noticeably absent.
It seems the only thing slowing down the number of deliveries on the vacant roadways in Castle Pines these days is our resident wild turkeys.
