On Oct. 1, I officiated the wedding of two friends. It was the anniversary of their first date, so I tried to theme my speech around October and the fall season. It barely produced a first draft, as most poems I found weren’t appropriate for a joyous occasion.

Finding the positive in poems decrying shorter days, dying plants, and the oncoming frost is more suited for a college lecture than a marriage ceremony. Even “October” by Robert Frost, one of my favorite poets, was too dark, however beautiful. It begins:

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.

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We love the colors of the ripening leaves, but most of us live here for what the falling leaves represent – the winter. Summers are warm and comfortable with plenty of hiking, biking and floats on the rivers, but winters are what make the Rockies and their residents come to life. Resorts have already begun making snow and gear shops are trading bikes for skis. Who here hasn’t started inspecting their winter gear in eager anticipation?

But we aren’t the only ones preparing. Frost continues:

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The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.

The shoulder season is a quiet time for us and a busy time for the animals with whom we share this space. Most migrate out: birds, bats and butterflies head south. Others hang around; local herds of deer and pronghorn remain in the region regardless of season. They spend summers at higher elevations and winters at lower areas. The elk also move – some overwinter on the flats around Granby and others move towards Hot Sulphur Springs and Kremmling.

These animals are easily spooked, especially when they’re on the move. They make the same moves every year, but when their path gets fragmented by fences, roads or houses, their schedule is disrupted. They can be less likely to make the necessary move from one seasonal home to the other, endangering their lives and the natural communities that keep our landscapes healthy.

Conservation projects like the Granby Highlands-Trails Conservation Easement help protect these pathways. The Granby project will protect one of the remaining open migration corridors for deer and pronghorn to cross the county safely and with a winter closure will provide ample space for the elk herd who overwinter on that property.

Undeveloped properties provide the corridors through which many animals travel, including bears, mountain lions and other non-game species. Protected spaces minimize human interaction and reduce conflict – good for both the animals and us. They deserve to enjoy the winter as best they can, as we all do.

It can be difficult to celebrate as we awake to dark and frozen mornings, but in this transition period we are all preparing for the next season. Winter is coming, and with it the beauty of the cold.

Frost’s poem in full:

Jeremy D. Krones is the executive director of Colorado Headwaters Land Trust. The land trust’s mission is to conserve and steward the open lands and natural character of the headwaters of the Colorado River in partnership with the local community, and works with private landowners throughout Grand County to conserve their land in perpetuity. To learn more, please call (970) 887-1177 or email: jeremy@coloradoheadwaterslandtrust.org.