Warner College of Natural Resources

05/20/2026

In honor of World Bee Day, learn some bee facts brought to you by the Mola Lab!

Did you know?
🐝 North America is home to around 4,000 species of native bees, and over 1,000 species can be found in Colorado.
🐝 Most bee species are solitary.
🐝 Solitary bees nest in the ground, in hollow stems, or in leaf litter.
🐝 Honey bees are not native to Colorado, or even North America!

How you can help bees:
🌸 Avoid using pesticides around your home and in your garden.
🌸 Leave areas in your yard with fallen leaves and patches of bare soil – bees nest and overwinter here! Wait as long as possible in the Summer before mowing your lawn, and/or leave unmown patches if you can.
🌸 Plant native plants. Did you know there is a free native plant swap at FoCo Ecofest each summer?
🌸 Get involved in citizen science! You can volunteer with Colorado Native Bee Watch through CSU Extension or the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas via the Xerces Society.

About the Mola Lab:
The Mola Lab (aka the FRSBEE Lab) works on bee conservation, life history, and nutrition; as well as honeybee-native bee competition, forest ecology, and urban ecology.

They are passionate about outreach and science communication, and their core lab group includes lab leader John Mola, four Ph.D. students, one research associate/lab manager, and their fearless undergraduate research assistants.

Learn more about how you can get involved with the Mola Lab here: https://molalab.org/

📸 Photos by Nathan Comai, Laura Lukens, and John Mola

05/20/2026

Sorry can’t work, we’re watching this on repeat for the foreseeable future 🎓✨💫⭐️

05/18/2026

Congrats to our Warner Ram Grads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From spending late nights working on GIS homework to getting covered in bug bites working in the field, your hard work and dedication have certainly paid off 💚💛

We can’t wait to see the positive impact you make on species, ecosystems, landscapes, humans, and our planet!

To download photos from commencement:
➡️ Head to the WCNR Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/warnercollegeofnaturalresources/albums/
➡️ Head to the CSU Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/coloradostateuniversity/albums/

More photos will be added to these albums over the next few days!

05/14/2026

Whether you've discovered a cute crocheted octopus hidden in the Michael Smith Natural Resources Building, or you follow Octopi of CSU on Instagram, you may have wondered where these little guys come from 🐙

Human Dimensions of Natural Resources graduate Melanie Matthews has revealed her identity as the "director of octopi operations."

And as she prepares to embark on her next chapter – working in environmental education for a nonprofit in Aspen – she hopes to find successors to pick up the crochet hook!

The Octopi of CSU is a student group that works to “spread kindness through creativity,” said Melanie, who created almost 3,000 of the cuddly little sea creatures during her time at CSU.

Read more about Melanie's accomplishments at Colorado State University and Octopi of CSU spreading kindness, one crocheted octopus at a time:

Melanie Matthews recently revealed her identity as the leader of Octopi of CSU – a student group that works to “spread kindness through creativity” by crocheting and hiding octopi around campus.

05/13/2026

Meet the WCNR Outstanding Grad nominees representing our Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources:

🌱 Carly Quisenberry | Human Dimensions of Natural Resources
In less than a year, Ph.D. student Carly Quisenberry lost her grandmother, brother and mother. Instead of leaving academia, she returned to campus with renewed energy and transformed her grief into research dedicated to the experiences of Indigenous women in the natural resources field.

🌱 Rachel LaFaso | Tourism Management
Rachel's experiences traveling inspired her to pursue graduate studies related to tourism and the environment. During her time as a grad student, she worked full time at CSU's Office of Admissions, which shaped her passion for working with students.

Read more about our inspiring HDNR students here: https://warnercnr.source.colostate.edu/wcnr-outstanding-grad-nominees-spring-26/

05/12/2026

Meet the Outstanding Grad nominees representing the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship:

🌲 Grace Jahnke | Restoration Ecology
During her college career, Grace balanced a demanding schedule of school, volunteering, working on two ranches, and supporting her family's small business from afar.

Post-graduation, Grace plans to return to San Diego to pursue graduate school or a professional role connected to ecological restoration and grazing systems.

🌲 Noah Niemeyer | Forest and Rangeland Stewardship
From environmental policy to rangeland management, Noah has always valued a holistic approach to studying our ecosystems. In addition to restarting the Range Club and creating a space for students to gain field experience, he worked on real-world issues with the Public Lands Policy Group.

Post-graduation, Jacob will pursue a master's degree in Natural Resource Policy and Governance from CSU.

🌲 Jacob Yastrow | Restoration Ecology
Jacob's interest in restoration ecology initially stemmed from developing a food forest where he worked to restore an oak woodland. After moving to Fort Collins, he decided to pursue a restoration ecology degree as an older student, winning multiple awards along the way.

Post-graduation, Jacob will remain at CSU to pursue a master's degree, focusing on a ponderosa pine bark beetle outbreak in the Colorado Front Range.

🌲 Ashley Zwick | Natural Resources Management
After initially studying graphic design in their home state of Ohio, Ashley decided to transfer to CSU to pursue science. There, they found their calling and community in Natural Resources Management, honing their research skills and serving in leadership roles on the American Foresters Alpha Student Chapter.

Post-graduation, Ashley is headed to Maine to work as a stewardship field assistant for the Nature Conservancy, while pursuing her photography business.

Read more about our amazing FRS students here: https://warnercnr.source.colostate.edu/wcnr-outstanding-grad-nominees-spring-26/

05/11/2026

Meet Alex Wagner, Warner College’s Outstanding Graduate selected by CSU!

Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology graduate Alex Wagner is a certified fish guy and talented fish artist 🎣

And most of the defining moments in his university education wouldn’t have been possible without his 1998 Honda Accord.

The reliable sedan carried him to internships in Denver, Pueblo, Kremmling and the San Luis Valley, where he helped monitor fish populations and assisted in cleanup of a fuel spill. It also made countless trips along Interstate 25 between his hometown south of Denver and his undergraduate research project at CSU where he tested fish ladders.

The Accord represents more than transportation; it was the last gift Alex received from his mother before she died in 2023.

After his mom passed away, Alex understandably “wasn’t doing the best.” But the things that kept him going included the American Fisheries Society Club, his professors, and his jobs with CSU and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

“Without realizing it, these people gave me a community to be a part of and gave me so much to work for,” he said.

Now, as Alex prepares to graduate and dedicate his career to protecting species across the state, the trusty Accord will continue to take him places he wouldn’t expect to go!

Read more here: https://source.colostate.edu/alex-wagner-warner-college-of-natural-resources/

05/07/2026

Today on CSU's Day of Giving, rise with us and support WCNR Scholarships:
💚 CSU Mountain Campus Student Scholarships
💛 Restoring Colorado's Forests
💚 Utterback-Normann Michigan River Camp
💛 WCNR Student Success Scholarship

Your impact can change a student's life, and when hundreds of people come together, we can lift up current and future Rams.

Thank you for helping Rams Rise, today and every day!

Give here: https://give.colostate.edu/schools/ColoradoStateUniversity/rams-rise-2026/pages/warner-college-of-natural-resources

04/29/2026

Student Spotlight | Meet Mairin Murphy!

Mairin is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology here at CSU, and she was recently awarded the Sea Duck Joint Venture Fellowship to support her work.

Her research focuses on the predator-prey dynamics of nesting Pacific eiders (Common and Spectacled) and Arctic Foxes on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska.

This is the first time that Mairin has won a fellowship, and it will allow her to hire a technician to help her with her work. "I feel very lucky to work with some really cool birds, and I am looking forward to introducing new biologists to them," she said.

Mairin's advice to WCNR students: Push yourself out of your comfort zone, try new things and work hard!

"I don't consider myself as one who is terribly academically gifted or had a clear path, but my work ethic and amiable attitude have provided me with unique opportunities and adventures I could have never predicted," she said.

Read more about Mairin's fellowship here: https://seaduckjv.org/sdjv-student-fellowship-feature-mairin-murphy/

04/28/2026

Congrats to the Warner College students who were recognized at this year's CSU Career Student Employee of the Year award reception!

✨ Meghan Teumer, Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, won Student Employee of the Year - Graduate Winner

✨ Melanie Matthews, Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, was recognized as a nominee for the National Student Employment Association - Community Service Category

✨ Rachel Delorie, Colorado State University - Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, was recognized as a nominee for the National Student Employment Association - Social Impact & Belonging Category