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This is a picture of liverwort that I took this summer somewhere in the San Juans. Liverwort is not particularly common in Colorado, so to stumble across it was very exciting and special! Seeing this plant thriving despite the unique conditions made me think a lot about the web of people and places I am entangled with everyday. There are so many factors that allowed the liverwort to thrive in this location, such as water quality, sunlight, nutrient availability, and the presence of other species. All of these characters came together in the perfect way, welcoming this new life! In return, the liverwort gives back to its community and helps this ecosystem to continue to grow and thrive. In my life, there are so many people and places that have impacted the person I am today. Every connection in my web of community allows me to thrive as I am, just like the liverwort. We are all rare in our own special ways, and in order to thrive, strong entangled relationships are vital.

- Charlotte Kropf

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July 2025 Bloody Canyon near Mono Lake, California

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A moment of entanglement I felt on my last day of a traditional walk from Yosemite Valley to Mono lake that was 6 days walking through Yosemite wilderness to honor our people's old trading route. The feeling of being over 11,000 ft in the Bloody Canyons an area when traditional stories were created about our gatherings and creations as Numa (Northern Paiute). The body of water shown is Mono lake, the homelands of the Kootzaduka'a (Mono Paiute) an area that holds a significant influence on their culture and an ecological impact in the Mono Basin. The shadows are amazing individuals and new relatives that I was connected with on walk who come from all different backgrounds representing the Native people of Yosemite. We all had contributed to representing our traditions, families, language and shared our knowledge. Every day we were told creation stories of the granites, heard traveling songs, and shared knowledge on traditional medicine. We shared traditional foods like eating sour berries and Saltgrass along the trail. Everything we did had intentions on reconnecting with the land this made me feel inspired to carry through this journey to be intertwined with the land and my culture.

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This is a picture of my dog Rosa. I think about our relationship as one of interdependence. She relies on me for food, care, and safety, but at the same time I rely on her for companionship, motivation, and joy. Taking her out on hikes pushes me to be active and stay connected to nature. It reminds me that interdependence isn’t just between people, but also between us and the animals and environments we share our lives with.

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This summer, as most, I found myself being pulled towards the mountains. I feel so grateful to have grown up in an area with so much access to the outdoors. Having the ability to connect completely with the environment has shaped me as a person, in my values and beliefs. I feel a true dependance on the mountains, as well as the wildlife within. They make me feel grounded and truly connected to myself, and being a part of something bigger. My favorite memories with my family and friends, are always grounded in a hike, camping trip, or something encompassing the outdoors. 

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This summer, I spent a lot of time thinking about the interconnectedness of water. I spent much of my days checking water levels for the buffalo I was observing. The same water from that aquifer was sustaining lands all the way to Texas. I thought about how much it mattered to so many living creatures. This water also fed the wild and scenic river I was living next to. It was a source of recreation and seemed to serve a different purpose. It brought people and ecosystems together in a broader way. Water is life, in many different ways, and it connects us all. It can connect us to places, to ourselves, to our environments. and to each other.

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Through out my life I have always found myself in or near water. Over the years I have found myself more and more interested in marine ecosystems and marine life. I am a big fisherman and will never turn down a fishing trip whether its out in the open water of the ocean or a small creek, reservoir in the mountains. This summer I had the opportunity to see it all, that that I mean I went on a bunch of deep sea fishing trips and saw these amazing dolphins, whales, sharks, and caught some giant blue fin tuna. When i was younger I was able to endure the coral reefs of the Caribbean by getting scuba certified. Overall, I enjoy all wild life but there is something about the marine life that catches my attention the most.

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I chose this picture of an ant hill bc the only appear after heavy rainfall and it reminds me of my earliest memories of entanglement. I’m very lucky to have been raised by the land. Every hot nm summer my siblings and I would play in da’ah’keh all day at my grandmas house only to eat steamy nichízii made from last years corn. We would take long hikes or be squeezed into a single cab truck while your older brothers flies through the dirt roads to gather chizh. Or first rainfall of monsoon season we would all gather on to our porch and play in the rain and after words walk around to see what relatives have also come out to enjoy the rain. Over the years I’ve been able to untangle my entanglement it’s no longer a blurry mess but a clear path of what my role is in this life and I know know I’m not fully me without the kéyah, so how can the kéyah be herself with out us.

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I enjoyed being back home this past summer because I got to be around my family that this tipi brings together. Although, I am enjoying my present moments here at school, I am entangled with my memories of not knowing a deadline and truly living in my moments. Learning to love what you have in the present moment, is what I am often reminded of while being so far away from home. The community I got blessed with here at school is what uplifts me and gets me from one day to the next. Entangled with my self reflections are more or less what has shown me that my perspective is ever changing.

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I have spent some time backpacking the last few years and found that it really impacted my perspective of interconnected-ness as it relates to humans and the global world. I find myself entangled in relations with many around the planet, all of different backgrounds, tongues and ages. It’s my most favorite thing to see how we can connect so easily despite differences many deem impassable. This summer in Guatemala, I had a wonderful revelation after a stranger had changed my plans with one conversation. I later found myself exactly where I needed to be. In small ways we all help each other get where we need to go, consciously or unconsciously, without needing anything further. Nothing in return, just a brief passing by.  I remember feeling really honored to participate in this web of interaction and really like the idea that I have too probably assisted in the course change of another being as they made it to where they needed to be as well.

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A few summers ago, I had the opportunity to work with youth in my community and we all get to learn about the desert biome of the Grand Valley. Growing up in Grand Junction, all life relies upon the Colorado River. Though we are not the only ones that do. Becase of this, we ony get a certain amount of water per year, regardless of drought. Through an amazing program called The Outdoor Wilderness Lab, I've had the opportunity to teach underprivileged kids in The Valley not only about the importance of conserving and protecting our limited amount of water, but also about the beauty and life in our desert biome. Because of this, the interdependant relationship I think about often is the relationship of humans and the Earth. How disconnected we are from the very things that provide us with life and how disinterested our society is in protecting it. Being surrounded by young people with a passion to learn about our environment and their impact on it, I know that the disinterest in protecting our soils is only because their is so much disconnect between ourselves and what is beneath our feet. But the excitement of these kids motivated me to heal our society, to help create a world they are connected to.

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Brianna Singer

A interdependent relationship that I think about a lot is the different animals that interacts around my house that makes me homesick sometimes. The different animals are deers, rabbits, turkeys, foxes, different birds and raccoons. Each morning it was really cool to just look outside and enjoy seeing them interact. Even with the small insect like praying mantis, rollie pollies, butterflies and ladybugs. The picture is one I took when I was filling up water. The praying mantis was just on top of a bollard at the water fill-up station. Taking walks outside where I get lost in the scenery is something I always do at home because my grandma owns a big plot of land that is 80% natural terrain. It is really special to me.

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This is one of my favorite photos; It is of Chuck "grandad" Melvin and his dog Quiddity. And I share this because he is a man who is very entangled, and I feel lucky to be entangled with him. Mr. Melvin is entangled in many things, and I'm not sure he even realizes how many. Not only does he live and work on a centennial homestead. ranching and listening to his land, he listens to his community and has been a part of first response networks throughout the 4-corners but he started a Search and Rescue team that's still in operation over 40 years later. This is largely how I came to know him, well and I'm engaged to his granddaughter. But even outside of fire and rescue. Mr. Melvin is a pillar of the Dolores community, he was a teacher for 40 years and even his truck is recognized by near the whole town.

So yeah, when I think of entanglement I think of an old man, and an old dog, and how happy I am to know them.

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I haven't been able to go home to the coast for longer than ever before and am getting mighty homesick. My mom sends me photos of life that I know bring her immense joy and I am so grateful to be the recipient. This is my mom and older sibling searching the docks for crazy pops of sea life like this. I love being a piece of a care so mutually understood that without a word I am wrapped up in it even from states away. I miss being a part of moments like these, but rest in glee knowing that I'm still involved through the simplicity of sharing. The pacific ocean is home, and exploring creatures that inhabit it alongside me is such a marvelous feeling. I don't know what many of those invertebrates are, which makes them all the more thrilling to relate to. The ocean is a constant reminder that we don't need to scrutinize, agree, or even understand each other to recognize each other with respect.

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This summer I had to do a lot of back and forth from durango to greeley to care for my grandfather and in that time I did a lot of hiking and spending time outside when i could make the time. Somewhere in there these little humming birds appeared and I saw them grow from little red guys to what you can see in the photo (this was a few days before they flew away). I was having a hard time connecting to nature over the summer and seeing these little birds grow made me more connected with how nature cares for itself. The mom came back many times to check her young and i admired the care she took in enureing they grew great and strong and she had many times come back to ward off other birds close to my porch. This made me feel closer to nature seeing something new like this.

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Chloe Hammond

About 2 weeks ago, my dog, Amber, and I finished the Colorado Trail and since I've been home, I've been doing a good amount of reflecting. While I had some friends and family join for different sections of trail, it was just Amber and I for about 260 miles. I've been missing the trail and the simplicity so much recently and I've been overwhelmed with gratitude from those around me since returning. In this specific photo, Amber and I were up early to beat some poor weather that was coming our way come afternoon. But this particular sunrise was pretty spectacular. I wondered if Amber felt any recognition or appreciation for all the beauty we kept seeing out there. I think she had to have some observation of it. I am entangled in curiosity for what the next adventure will be. I am also entangled with the concept of change, knowing that I have a lot coming my way. While I am nervous, the excitement mostly trumps those feelings of anxiety. While in my final semester, I am happy to be engaging in coursework that is completely new to me.

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Amos keeping a close watch on his goats. 

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Mallory Hajek

I couldn't help but think of the goats when it comes to interdependence and an entangled community. This summer I spent a lot of time learning about the relationships that exist within this form of landscape management. There are many hard workers in this operation, the goats, the working dogs, the plants, me, and my bosses. The goats had a great reliance to us humans, we were the ones who transported them to new pastures full of food. We gave them water, built them shelters, cleaned their barn, and worked tirelessly to make their job as comfortable as we could. But we relied heavily on them and the skills and traits they possess. They could clear weeds faster than any of us on terrain that was better suited for hooves and four legs. They gave nutrients back to the soil while making room for native plants to return to the landscape. Most importantly they made us laugh. Our dogs played important roles that served different purposes. Kippy is our herding dog who makes moving the herd much easier, but she relies on us for instruction and commands. Amos stays with the goats in their pen and keeps them safe from any unwanted visitors. All of us play a role, I had to work and communicate with the animals just as much as I did with my human co-workers. It has been a very special experience.

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Lydia Joyce

This is a picture of me and my friends that I met along the way during my 2024 Colorado Trail thru-hike. We had decided that morning to get up at 2:30 am to summit San Luis Peak before sunrise. We carried our sleeping bags up to the top and huddled together to preserve warmth. At this very moment, I felt a deep sense of gratitude for having met these friends along the way and on the trail, and for being able to share this special moment as the sun cast its first light on the surrounding peaks. I felt so much joy to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin after such a chilly morning, had so much love for the natural world around me, and the wonderful people I got to share it with. I am entangled in the interdependent relationships with people who love the outdoors and the natural wonders and processes of this beautiful world we live in.

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This is a picture of a group of participants on the Fall 2024 Grand Canyon trip. 

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Hannah Cloonan

During the school year I lead trips for Outdoor Pursuits. These include weekend trips and week long trips to placed like the Grand Canyon. I have been in the Student Outdoor Leadership program since my first semester freshman year and it has greatly influenced my how recreate and educate in the outdoor. This year, in my senior year, I am the student manager of the program and in this role I teach incoming SOL leaders how to recreate responsibly outside and teach participants to do the same. This year I will be leading a trip to Patagonia, which I am super excited about. Before coming to FLC I had only gone backpacking once so this opuurtunity has greatly influenced how I connect with others in the outdoors and how I consider the environment when recreating in the outdoors. It has really opened my eyes to increasing equity and inclusion in he outdoors. Also how being outside and uncomfortable can create a powerful emotional connection to the environment.

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I spend nearly everyday of my summer rowing commercial raft trips in Jackson, WY. Each year the river peaks in early June meaning majority of the the snow has melted and the rivers are at their fullest. For just around a months time the rivers run the color of chocolate milk due to the amount of sediment in the river from run off. There is also large amounts of debris in the river durning run off such as full cottonwood and blue spruce pine trees. As I row many trips daily and I always have to wonder what river bank let go and how far upstream these trees came from. I find it just so fascinating that one day the river can be nice and clean with no sediment or debris and that the next day it can be super muddy and full of trees. The rapid change in river flow, temperature, and turbidity can catch me by surprise as a human who knows it is coming every spring, however it has always made me wonder what wildlife think is happening. Mainly the trout that call the Snake river home, I wonder if they understand what is happening, I wonder how long it takes for them to adjust or if they do, I wonder about the osprey that sit in the trees above the river, what they think is happening when they can no longer see the fish swimming in the river. Overall, I just find it so fascinating how just the act of snow melting in the mountains changes how animals in an ecosystem interact, and I would love to learn more about how each species adapts during this time.

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This summer I had the opportunity to work on a kelp farm in Alaska. It was fascinating to learn all the ways that the species in the ocean are connected. Whenever we pulled the kelp lines in we would find tons of fish eggs. Then towards the end of the season we pulled in all the anchors and found sea snail eggs which are laid in a spiral pattern, baby starfish, and a baby king crab which is what I chose for my photo because it is so cute. For reference, the leg span of a full sized king crab can reach up to 5 feet, so this little guy has a long ways to go. Anyways, it was just really cool to be able to just see an entire ecosystem forming as we threw all of these creatures that are just at the beginning of their lives back into the ocean, and seeing how all this growth came from some anchors, and some kelp lines. I felt very entangled and connected with the ocean this summer.

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Keri Brandt Off

In the summer months I spend time in the mountains with our cows. I am fascinated by what they are drawn to eat and when. During late July, they love this particular bush, Elderberry, which grows strongest in the dense trees. I call them 'chocolate bushes' because when the cows discover them, I just have to wait to start moving again until they have had their fill. I wait and wonder about all the relations of soil, water, trees, animals, and on and on who communicate and synchronize to create the beauty of the world in which I am entangled.