A season of discoveries: Left: Chef Lane and Chef Terri receive new chef hats from the Fired Up crew of students. Right: Dr. Toby Hammer, right, shares a toast with some of the evening’s guests. PHOTOS BY OMAYRA ACEVEDO[/caption]

Located right off the Peak to Peak Highway, at 9500 feet, is the Colorado Mountain Research Station (MRS), a University of Colorado (CU) field research facility dedicated to the advancement of mountain environmental science.

The MRS is an affiliate of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), which provides research and educational opportunities for scientists, students, and the general public.

Amid 190 acres and Columbine Springs Reserve, surrounded by Roosevelt National Forest, the MRS is as much a historical structure as it is contemporary. The station boasts a large “wet” lab and classroom, multiple cabins, a bathhouse, a seminar facility, a dining hall, and a small observatory.

During summers, the MRS hosts a series of weekly public seminars on Wednesdays. Some weeks, the station hosts a 6 p.m. dinner, followed by 7 p.m. talks. Though no reservations are mandatory for seminars, pre-registration is required for dinners.

Topics covered during seminars in 2023 include Airborne Measurements of Methane and Ethane Emission Rates to understanding change in the Alpine, mercury in the mountains, and new plant discoveries, to name a few.

Wednesday, August 26, 2023, marked the end of the station’s summer season. More than 40 CU students, professionals, and supporters shared a private “Thanksgiving Dinner” in the station’s dining hall.

Guests enjoyed a delicious meal and dessert prepared by Chef Lane Tabatt and Chef Terri Cronin, who have been in a culinary partnership for 11 years.

By 7 p.m., guests took a two-minute walk and gathered in the Megaron room, where Dr. Toby Hammer shared a presentation on bumble bees and microbiomes and how gut microbes impact bee colonies.

The Mountain Research Station has been conducting research and hosting seminars, workshops, and classes for decades, contributing to science and climate research.

The Mountain Research Station is located at 818 County Road 116, Nederland. To learn more visit https://www.colorado.edu/mrs/ or you can give them a call at 303-492-8842.