Elk Song (Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado)

On a late afternoon in autumn, when the sun bends the shadows and gives a gold tip to the crowns of Doug fir and lodgepole, CMarie Fuhrman walks into the forest with her cello. Playing for the first time in years, her mind drifts to the ancient death of a robin, the recent death of an elk, the way humans play guns and cellos both.

This episode takes place on Cheyenne and Arapahoe homelands.

Do you want to reach out to the team? Email us at [email protected].

We've collaborated with Apple Maps to create a guide to the special places in nature that you've heard about in this podcast. It's a list of beautiful settings in the Rocky Mountains, handpicked by CMarie Fuhrman. To check it out, go to apple.co/terra-firma-guide.

Host and Writer: CMarie Fuhrman

Field Recordist: Jacob Job

Outdoor audio recorded at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Editor: Erin Jones

Producers: Rebekah Romberg, Kibwe Cooper

Art: Maria Juliana Pinzón

Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Additional Editorial Support: Jo Erickson, Luis Antonio Perez, Emily Williams

Thanks also to Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, Arielle Wilson, Martin Skavish and Jon Pinnow

Terra Firma is a production of Colorado Public Radio's Audio Innovations Studio.