Christina Manzi (Psch’14) is the lead wildlife rehabilitator at the , a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center based in Ambergris Caye, Belize. A former parachute rigger, she first came to Ambergris Caye on a contract to help develop a new skydiving dropzone in the area. After falling in love with the local ecosystem, she remained in Belize for full-time conservation work.

Where did your passion for wildlife conservation come from? 

I developed a fascination with the crocodiles that live here. I started volunteering with ACES, and this fascination quickly turned into a passion. Soon, I was spending more time with ACES than I was at my actual job! I realized that we cannot protect any one species without protecting the environment they live in. 

Do you work with other animals? 

When I started with ACES in 2017, we focused only on crocs. But then people started calling us about different species. Ambergris Caye is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country, so the chance for human wildlife conflict is increasing daily. Since ACES began its expansion in 2020, I have treated 91 different species of birds, mammals and reptiles.

What might a regular day on the job look like for you? 

I wake up bright and early to begin animal care. This involves tending to our critical patients — feeding each animal based on their specific dietary needs and lots of cleaning. I’ll probably get an emergency call at some point in the day and need to drop everything to respond. 

What’s your favorite animal to work with? 

I’m a total bird nerd. I’m usually talking about birds at least once during my day. But my favorite birds to rehabilitate and work with are seabirds, more specifically brown pelicans or red-footed boobies. They just have the goofiest personalities. 

Do you have a favorite memory from your job? 

Once I was doing a survey of a sewage treatment plant and looked down and saw a massive crocodile head. In between the sewage treatment ponds are these deep, coverless concrete pits which an 11-foot crocodile had fallen into trying to get from one pond to the next. We got the animal out safely — and without any wounds — and we were able to immediately release the crocodile. We’re currently working with the Belize water service to build wildlife-safe grates to ensure this never happens again. 

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Photo courtesy Christina Manzi

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In April, four 30-minute goat yoga classes were held in the CU Rec Center for groups of 25 students. The event sold out in an hour. 

Five baby goats — aged from 10 to 17 days old — wandered the class, sometimes snuggling next to a yoga participant or jumping on their backs. The goats belong to , a nonprofit focused on food donation and agriculture education. 

“Baby goats are naturally friendly and inquisitive,” said Denise Adelsen, the rec center’s assistant director of fitness and wellness. “Goats are not an animal that all people are familiar with or have met before, so this truly gives an opportunity to have an experience that is new to students.” 

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Photos by Glenn Asakawa 

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Small mountain mammals like marmots and ground squirrels are experiencing the effects of rapid climate change.

In a 13-year study published earlier this year, CU ecologist and associate professor Christy McCain found that small mammals in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains are shifting their ranges to higher elevations in response to warming temperatures.

“For mammals and any living organism... a main determinant of where they live and flourish is climate,” said McCain, who is also curator of vertebrates at the CU Museum of Natural History. “They are very much evolved to live in a particular set of climates that allow them to live and reproduce successfully.”

During the past several decades, however, temperatures have been warming faster than many species can adapt. To stay within their niche climate, animals must follow the cooler temperatures up the mountain — shrinking the available area of their range.

McCain and her team studied 47 mammal species from the Front Range and San Juan Rockies, including the golden-mantled ground squirrel, pygmy shrew, pine squirrel and Western jumping mouse.

By comparing field data with museum records, they found these species have moved uphill an average of 430 feet since the 1980s. Montane mammals — those already living at higher elevations, like the yellow-bellied marmot — experienced the most dramatic changes, moving their ranges up an average of 1,135 feet.

“Some of [these species] might not be charismatic to everybody, like the tiniest shrew... but they’re indications of the wider biodiversity that’s changing in Colorado’s mountains,” said McCain. “If we don’t curb this change, our grandchildren might not see some of these species in the future.”

Despite the daunting challenges of a changing climate, McCain stays positive by focusing on what she can contribute through her research.

“I see it both as a person... and as a scientist,” she said. “There’s a lot that we can study. We can delve deeper into each species’ biology — and understand what might help them.”

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Photo from McCain Lab

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Boulder is beloved for its outdoorsy atmosphere and commitment to letting nature thrive, that helps create a city that is home to all types of plants and animals. With CU’s campus located in the heart of the city, many of Boulder’s urban wildlife can be spotted on the walk to class. From the occasional curious bear to the pollinator-friendly lavender, here are 10 plants and animals you can find around campus. 

1. Bears

Although they don’t come often, these furry mischief-makers have been known to wander down from the foothills to visit campus every once in a while. In 2019, campus saw several visits from bears, most notably on fall move-in day. Read this article to learn how to stay safe if you see a bear on campus.

2. Raccoons

Raccoons can be found in rural and urban areas across the country, but Boulder's raccoons have become so familiar that they almost feel like honorary on-campus residents. Raccoons are known for being smart and playful, but its best to keep your distance if you see one, since they can be aggressive if provoked.   

3. Squirrels

Every college campus thinks their squirrels are exceptionally bold and fearless. Could CU’s campus squirrels really be unique? Either way, these fluffy-tailed buddies can be seen anywhere on campus, often in search of whatever food they can get their tiny paws on.

4. Lavender

Although it originated in the Mediterranean region of Europe, this soothing aromatic can be found in the campus pollinator garden. The garden is split between two locations on campus that together cover a total of 10,000 square feet. Other plants you can spot in the pollinator garden include barberry, currant, gooseberry and yarrow.

5. Turtles

Turtles are very common throughout the world, and they often enjoy one of the longest animal life spans that we know of. CU's campus turtles can be seen swimming or basking on a log at Varsity Lake.

6. Hackberry Tree

The hackberry tree is a Colorado native, just like over half of our students here at CU. Hackberry trees can be identified by their serrated leaves and small, dark purple fruit.

7. Prairie Dogs

The prairie dog population in Boulder is plentiful, and when they’re not burrowing underground, they can often be seen around campus. Prairie dogs are considered a “keystone species” in Colorado because of their important role in our natural ecosystems. 

8. Little Leaf Linden Tree

The variety of little leaf linden trees that can be found on campus has heart-shaped leaves and hails from Europe.

9. Redbud Trees

Redbud trees are often used as decorative trees, as they are known for their gorgeous lavender or pink blossoms. Stroll around campus in the early spring to see these beauties in full bloom.

10. Deer

The type of deer most commonly spotted around Boulder is the mule deer, which are known for their big ears said to resemble those of a mule. Seeing these cuties on campus can be difficult if they’re skittish, as their excellent hearing and eyesight keep them constantly aware of potential danger.

Read this article for tips on safely co-existing with campus wildlife.

(Photo by Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado)

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by Lija Fisher (Thtr'97)
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 320 pages; 2019)

Life has gotten complicated for thirteen-year-old Clivo Wren. After taking up his deceased father’s mission to find the extraordinary creature whose blood grants everlasting life, Clivo is spending his summer not at camp or hanging out with his friends, but jetting all over the world tracking cryptids—while keeping his aunt Pearl in the dark about his dangerous adventures. At the same time, a shocking development unveils the truth about Clivo’s enemies, and the cryptids themselves are posing trouble at every turn. With the help of his crew of Myth Blasters, Clivo is going to need all of the tools, gadgets, and training he has to prevent the immortal cryptid from falling into the wrong hands—and to keep Aunt Pearl off the case.

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It was springtime, and CU students were showing off their downwardfacing dogs for a group of four-legged friends.

Welcome to goat yoga.

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In Boulder this spring there was fresh talk of bears: Observers noted their curiosity about life east of Broadway, prompting questions about how to ensure harmony among their species and ours. Perhaps, some say, bear-safe trash cans, required west of Broadway, would be wise east of it, too.

As far as anyone noticed, bears kept out of CU’s campus trees this year. But animal life abounds here, refreshingly so. Come spring, ducks court in the pond atop the water cascade by the Woodruff Cottage. Migrating geese squawk on the sward. American robins banter in the morning.

One April afternoon I spied 10 bunched turtles sunning on a single log in Varsity Lake. The turtles will lounge in the lake all summer and fall.

CU Boulder’s cherished proximity to natural grandeur is more than a matter of adjacency; we nourish wildlife here. Wandering campus aimless but alert, your cup could runneth over.

Contact Eric Gershon at editor@colorado.edu. 

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The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History is home to nearly 5 million objects and specimens. Twenty-eight of them star in a new exhibition of photographic prints called “Life in Colorado’s Freshwater,” now on display at the museum and nearby on campus. View them all.

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 (2016, William Morrow) By Stephen Graham Jones, professor of English

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CU-Boulder attracts all kinds of visitors

When wild animals call at CU-Boulder, especially big ones, Edward von Bleichert (EnvCon’94) is among the first to notice.

As CU’s environmental operations manager, he’s in charge of monitoring about 1,200 acres of university property for noteworthy animal visitors and helping accommodate them or arranging for smooth exits.

In 2015, several large animals wandered onto campus, including, on separate occasions, black bears that climbed into trees — one just outside the engineering center. A picture of one of the bears, tranquilized and falling onto safety mats, caught the attention of CNN and the Huffington Post and briefly became an Internet sensation.

In August, a young female moose sauntered through the ponds of CU’s South Campus for 10 days before leaving on its own.

Over the years von Bleichert and his team have encountered elk, raccoons, mountain lions, snakes, bats, birds of prey, prairie dogs, foxes and beavers, among others. One time a marmot, a mammal that prefers elevations above 10,000 feet, appeared. Another time a giant snapping turtle blocked a bike path.

More typically, von Bleichert and his team spend their days relocating pesky raccoons and burrowing prairie dogs, or controlling pests — mosquitos, rodents, ants and stinging and biting insects such as wasps or horseflies.

Whenever human safety permits, von Bleichert does his best to make wildlife comfortable at CU.

“There is no reason a campus of this nature, with all its great trees, riparian areas and natural areas, shouldn’t be able to support healthy and diverse populations of wildlife,” he says. “It’s one of the things that makes this campus so special.”

Photo by Ed von Bleichert 

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