A small tract of wetland with a five-acre lake in the heart of Aspen, Hallam Lake Nature Preserve means different things to the many life forms that spend time here.
For massive trees, such as cottonwoods, blue spruce, and balsam poplars, it is a place they have watched over for hundreds of years. For insects like ants, beetles, and midges, it is a vast world larger than they or their offspring will ever be able to explore.
For these tiny creatures, it is all they will ever know, and they are utterly dependent on it for their survival. For the occasional passersby like elk, bears, mountain lions, hawks, or eagles, Hallam Lake is a temporary refuge, a respite from the ever-increasing development on all sides that fragments their habitat. It is a feeding area where fish are still plentiful and mule deer grow fat in the summer. For visitors from farther afield, migrants such as Wilson’s phalaropes, yellow warblers, or tree swallows, Hallam Lake may be one stop of many on their thousands-of-miles journeys. But just like the perfect campsite or bed and breakfast, it is a stop where they can rejuvenate, feed, and prepare for the rest of their journey.
