Drew Kelly has long been a lover of the outdoors, mostly through the lens of recreation in the mountains—often pursuits that gave him tunnel vision when in Nature, either through all-consuming training or by the fast pace and inherent risk of those mountain pursuits. At a certain point after living in the mountains for a while, he wanted a more well-rounded understanding of the landscape he was living in, and the entry point into enjoying wandering, walking, looking, and listening, at a slower pace became bird watching.
Peering at birds through binoculars, taking photos of them, listening to them, trying to identify them, has enabled Drew to better see the uniqueness of a landscape, and to feel more connected to his home in Gunnison. And in addition, the time he has shared with people over those early mornings has been very valuable to him, which is why he wanted to be a part of the 2023 Crested Butte Wildflower Festival. He looks forward to sharing and learning from this year’s participants.