A true conservation comeback story: the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, known as “Cutties.” These fish were once outcompeted by other trout species until Ted Turner biologists and conservationists intervened to save the life histories of this unique species. 

Fifteen years of restoration projects across the watersheds of the Vermejo River made a thriving Cuttie population possible. With a bright reddish-orange “cut” marking close to their mouth, these native trout are cherished by anglers. Their home, Costilla Creek, is at 8,000 feet in elevation — high enough to make your ears pop! A sanctuary for this key indicator species, the beautiful Oxbows, or bends in the river, and riffles provide a haven for insects, birds, large mammals, and native plant communities. 

Learning about the complex mosaics of species and indigenous land practices, my week at Vermejo, New Mexico, was full of reciprocity and wonder. Vermejo was, literally, a “Heaven on Earth,” as its founder, Ted Turner, once stated. I left Vermejo with a newfound sense of hope and aspiration to re-imagine the impossible, because nature’s regenerative powers unfold the possibilities for re-growth.

Click on the video above to learn more!

Editor’s Note: This series was made possible with the generous support of Turner Reserves and contributions by the Turner family. All editorial content is published independently. 

Planet Forward’s Environmental Media Lab led this expedition to teach the power of visual storytelling in wild spaces to convey the beauty and bounty of our planet.