The Mission
Threatened Colorado is a free, authoritative public education resource for every threatened and endangered animal species in Colorado. No ads, no sponsored content, no commercial motive. Just accurate information drawn from primary sources, written for a general audience, and presented in a way that respects both the science and the reader.
Why This Exists
Colorado is home to dozens of species on the edge of extinction — animals whose survival depends on habitat we can still protect, policy we can still influence, and public awareness we can still build. That information exists, but it's scattered across government databases, academic papers, and agency reports that weren't designed for general readership.
This site is an attempt to consolidate it — readable, accurate, and genuinely useful to anyone who wants to understand what's happening to Colorado's wildlife.
Who Built This
This site is built and maintained by a Colorado native — solo, with zero budget, on nights and weekends. I'm not a professional biologist, but I take the sourcing seriously: every species profile cites its primary data source, every photo is credited with license information, and every status claim traces back to USFWS ECOS, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, or NatureServe.
If you find an error, please let me know. Getting it right matters more than getting it up fast.
Data Sources & Accuracy
Species status, population estimates, and range information are drawn from official sources in this priority order:
- USFWS ECOS (Environmental Conservation Online System) — federal listing status, recovery plans, critical habitat
- Colorado Parks & Wildlife — state listing status, Colorado-specific population data
- NatureServe Explorer — global and state conservation ranks (G-rank, S-rank)
Species profiles are dated with a "last reviewed" field. Listing statuses change — if you notice an outdated status, use the contact form.
Photo Policy
Every photograph on this site is licensed for use and credited with photographer name, license type, and source. Precise GPS coordinates of sensitive species are never published anywhere on this site — including in photo metadata, captions, or map displays.
Accessibility
This site is built to WCAG 2.1 AA standards. All images have meaningful alt text. Color contrast meets AA minimums. The site is fully navigable by keyboard and works with screen readers. If you encounter an accessibility barrier, please report it.
Technology
Built with Astro and Tailwind CSS. Deployed on Cloudflare Pages via GitHub. No backend, no database, no tracking scripts, no cookies. Species content is managed as Markdown files — no CMS required.
The site is open source. If you're a developer interested in contributing to the structure or tooling (not content), reach out.