Signs of fall are everywhere, and while the urge to clear cut and tidy up your garden is strong, consider following nature’s slow approach to winterizing.Simply put, winterizing is the act of protecting plants from harsh seasonal elements, rejuvenating soil health and removing any diseased or unwanted plant materials (looking at you, water hemlock). In […]
Environment
Posted inEducation
Inaugural Backcountry Symposium aims to encourage safety
This Saturday, Oct. 5, the who’s who of Colorado outdoor athletes and safety experts converge on The Art Campus at Willits (TACAW) from 11am to 5 pm. Aspen Public Radio and TACAW present the first annual Backcountry Symposium, starting with a resource fair, following Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club’s (AVSC) Community Sports Swap just […]
Posted inEnvironment
Follow the colors: A guide to leaf-peeping
The exit of summer and entrance of fall is punctuated by the bright reds, oranges and yellows that wash over the trees at the change of seasons. As the colors begin to appear, a race against the clock starts for those who wish to see as many fall colors as possible before the leaves fall. […]
Posted inBusiness
Sopris alabaster mine to resume operations
“This mountain has a lot of secrets to give up still,” Robert Congdon remarked, approaching the entrance to Mystic Eagle Quarry with his canine companion, ZuZu. After ceasing operations in 2003 to resolve legal disputes, the mine is slowly returning to action behind large tan metal doors, tucked uphill of a cabin visible from Avalanche […]
Posted inEducation
At Marble Basecamp, experiential education is free and accessible
“All kids need this. All humans need this.” That’s the guiding philosophy for Brian Hightower, Aspen Valley Land Trust’s (AVLT) outdoor education coordinator. He taught eighth-grade social studies at Aspen Middle School for 12 years, and has been involved in outdoor education consistently for over two decades. “Our vision is to create as many opportunities […]
Posted inNews
The future of RFV public transit is electrified
Good news travels fast. It’s only been three weeks since the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced the allocation of $31.7 million in new transit grants. The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) was granted nearly half of those funds, winning $15.5 million to add 10 new electric buses to its fleet. Valley residents have been […]
Posted inEnvironment
Western Watersheds Project on conserving public lands
Advocating for healthy public lands and wildlife is at the heart of the Western Watersheds Project (WWP). The organization started in 1993, then the Idaho Watersheds Project, as a form of citizen protest to ranching practices in Lake Creek, Idaho. WWP’s work is done through a lens of maintaining and restoring ecosystem balance in places […]
Posted inEnvironment
Carbondale rancher Tai Jacober steps up to CPW Commission
On Friday, Aug. 16, Governor Jared Polis appointed Carbondale cattle rancher Tai Jacober to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Commission. Selected to represent agricultural producers west of the Continental Divide, Jacober intends to bring the concerns of ranchers in the Roaring Fork Valley to Denver and find a balance between Colorado’s booming recreation economy […]
Posted inOpinion
Bear in mind
As a Colorado native, I have traditionally bristled at the comparison of nuisance bears to overgrown city rats. Nestled in the White River National Forest, I see myself more like Goldilocks living in the bears’ home. I estimate five bears are habitating around my one-acre lot that serves as a conduit to their water source: […]
Posted inEnvironment
Planned September roundup disappoints wild horse advocates, lawmakers
A wild horse roundup is scheduled for early September northeast of Grand Junction. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which oversees wild horses in the American West, says 202 mustangs roam the 36,000-acre Little Book Cliffs Range (LBC), based on a census earlier this year, and the range can’t handle that many.But advocates, lawmakers and […]