Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

Writer & Editor

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December 2025: I confess that I'm not an angler. I can count the number of fish I've caught in my lifetime on two fingers. But that doesn't mean I'm not way into fish--especially the native species making up such a key part of the ecosystem. I got to explore the very cool native fish that call Colorado home, many of them struggling to hold on against multiple threats, in the latest Headwaters. Aside: Never pass up a chance to visit a fish hatchery. I've never seen one that wasn't superfun. Read it. 

Also in December: Contributing to 5280's Best of the Mountain West story has become an annual tradition. This time around, I wrote mini-profiles of an idealistic ranching company, a social justice memoirist, a sweet climbing park, and a new lakeside lodge. Read it.