With wildfires breaking records for acreage and destruction and insurance prices steadily climbing in recent years, firefighters are shifting their approach to fire management. These days, it’s normal to see regular headlines about small lightning-sparked or other accidental wildfires being allowed to burn. Firefighters are present and active when this happens. Still, instead of smothering […]
Environment
Posted inEnvironment
Crystal River update: Wild and Scenic
By Michael Gorman, Lea Linse and Hattie Johnson The upper Crystal River is one of the last “free-flowing” rivers in the state of Colorado — unrestrained and connected to its headwaters, without dams or out-of-basin diversions. As with all water issues in the West, it’s easy to find conflict, but communities along the Crystal River […]
Posted inNews
Conservation easement a ‘moral choice’ for prime habitat
Imagine a swarm of ecologists, birders, soil scientists, climate scientists, teachers and students descending upon a landscape for several days. Toting equipment and personal hydration systems, they peer into magnifying glasses at insects and plants, take soil samples, identify birds, wildlife and water sources, and take photos of everything – all to figure out what […]
Posted inEducation
Wading into the Arctic from Carbondale
For Sarah Johnson of Wild Rose Education, an environmental education program based in Carbondale, switching between the microcosm of the Roaring Fork Valley and the global scope of climate science can be perplexing. “It’s kind of incredible,” Johnson told The Sopris Sun. “I sit here in my office in the Third Street Center and I’ll […]
Posted inEnvironment
Valley avian trends reflect warming climate
For many, if birds and climate change are mentioned in the same sentence, it conjures an image of the canary in the coal mine. These delicate, beautiful creatures are sensitive to ecosystem changes and respond to differences more quickly than we large, heavy bipeds do. These days, mining in the Roaring Fork Valley is minimal […]
Posted inEducation
Downvalley schools see early enthusiasm for hands-on learning models
Introductory-level environmental education has become a staple for Valley elementary schools. Each year, Basalt Elementary, Crystal River Elementary and Aspen Elementary welcome full-time educators from Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES). This program, which started at the Aspen schools in 1975, is a cherished facet of elementary education for many local children and adults who […]
Posted inEnvironment
Forest service considers parking lot at Daniel’s Hill
A public meeting on a proposed parking lot at the base of Daniel’s Hill will be held at the Marble Fire Station from 5 to 7pm on Tuesday, Aug. 13, according to a U.S. Forest Service press release. A public comment period is open through Wednesday, Aug. 21. The Forest Service is considering the construction […]
Posted inEnvironment
New book highlights Crystal Valley wildflowers
The Crystal Valley is unique on Earth. The natural beauty of this drainage spans a variety of habitats — from high-mountain lakes and meadows to shady, cascading creeks. Among iconic peaks exist fleeting bursts of beauty that color the hills each summer season. Gregory Staple, a former energy lawyer and entrepreneur, trained naturalist and enthusiastic […]
Posted inEnvironment
Aspen Glen bald eagle carries on after death of mate
Bald eagles mate for life. That is, unless one mate dies. For at least two decades a pair of bald eagles has nested and raised their young along the banks of the Roaring Fork River at Aspen Glen, between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs. This year, the nest was filled with three hatchlings who grew into […]
Posted inEnvironment
Increasing wildfire frequency and size have insurance in jeopardy
Another July in the books, and with it, many wildfires. Smoky air weighs not just on our lungs but also on our minds. As wildfire frequency and damage have increased in recent decades, homeowners and renters alike have begun reconsidering how to protect themselves against the possibility of fires starting close to home. As of […]