Joshua Manocherian: Wildlife Photography at Rocky Mountain Arsenal

Joshua Manocherian: Wildlife Photography at Rocky Mountain Arsenal
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Joshua Manocherian on Animals and Birds at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge

When I was still actively involved with wildlife photography, I made sure to support various organizations that protect and preserve wildlife in America. And even now that I have officially retired from my professional career, I still do my own share in supporting such causes. Hello, everyone! My name is Joshua Manocherian and I am here to invite you to visit the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Denver. If you're looking to take great photos of beautiful wildlife in a controlled environment, this wildlife refuge is one of the places that I would recommend.

Brief Background

The wildlife refuge was once a chemical weapons manufacturing facility for the United States Army. When it was designated as a wildlife refuge in 1992, a thorough cleanup was first performed to remove all toxins and pollutants before the animals were introduced to the place.

The area is about 15,988 acres in all and is run and protected by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. There are ten miles of trails at the wildlife refuge and these are categorized as grassland, wetland, and woodland trails.

There are more than 300 different wildlife species that call the refuge their home, and some of these you can view when you visit. Among the animals and birds that you can see are bison, black-footed ferrets, white-tailed deer, bald eagles, prairie dogs, red-tailed hawks, rabbits, burrowing owls, and coyotes.

You can either follow the drive trail if you're taking a vehicle (bikes and hiking aren't allowed on the drive trails, and motorbikes and scooters are not generally recommended) or you can follow the walking/hiking trails for wildlife viewing and photography.

Wildlife Photography

When taking pictures of wild animals in their natural habitat, it is recommended that you keep your distance. This is why I always use a camera lens that gives me a longer and/or wider angle when photographing wildlife. This way, I don't actually have to get too close to the animal and disturb its peace (for my own protection and out of respect for the animals).

Most wildlife, when startled or disturbed, could get angry, stressed or disoriented and its initial reaction might be to attack or run away, so it's always prudent to take your photos from a safe distance.

Before you start taking pictures however, I would recommend that you talk to someone from the administrative office first to learn about their rules and regulations. One such rule to keep in mind is to avoid stopping under birds and bird nests as the birds might find your intrusion stressful which could upset them.

Incidentally, if you want to get involved and help out this wildlife refuge, they are always looking for volunteers. You can find a Volunteer Application Form on their official website. I do hope you'll consider volunteering! Maybe we can even run into one another while you're there as I am a regular volunteer too.

I will be posting more articles on photography in Denver so please watch out for those. In the meantime, I invite you to read other posts I've published here so far. My name is Joshua Manocherian and I look forward to seeing you here again! If you liked this article and are into sports check out this blog by Joshua Manocherian .

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