TGR ski film at the Aggie Theater

It's that time of year where you are excited for the cooler weather, but not quite ready to see summer go. So to get you back into that winter-weather mood and get amped up for the next ski season, check out Teton Gravity Research's showing of their newest ski film "The Dream Factory" this Wednesday at the Aggie Theater.

In the film, TGR athletes explore the great Alaskan landscape during a year of record snowfall, showing amazing skill and fearlessness as they ski extreme terrain.

Tickets can be purchased online at the Aggie Theater website for $16 each. The best part? For $16 you not only get to see the film, but each ticket holder also receives a free lift ticket to Monarch Mountain.

I went to the TGR's showing of "One for the Road" last year at the Aggie and was extremely impressed. The footage in itself is amazing — cinematography at its best. And then on top of that is the astounding athletic skill displayed by all of the skiers featured. Lastly, TGR finishes it all off with a great soundtrack. These ski films are the whole package.

You are sure to leave the theater begging for snow, stoked for the upcoming ski season.

CSU High Park Fire symposium today!

It's not too late! If you want to get more information about the High Park fire or how to get involved in restoration, you can attend the High Park Fire: From Science to Action and Recovery symposium held today at Colorado State University. Hosted by CSU's Warner College of Natural Resources, the symposium started at 9 this morning and will continue throughout the day until 9:30 tonight. Held in the Lory Student Center Theater, the event is free and open to the general public. The all-day event includes presentations and speakers on impacts of the fire, perspectives on the fire and action and recovery efforts. The symposium will feature guest speakers Jim Hubbard, who is the U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry, Dan Jiron, who is Regional Forester of the Rocky Mountain Region, and Bill Hahnenberg, who is the Incident Commander for the Rocky Mountain Type 1 Team, among many others. It is a great opportunity to learn more and get involved, so check out the symposium agenda. 

Sustainable Living Fair next weekend

Get excited: next weekend is the annual Sustainable Living Fair. In its thirteenth year, the fair hosts workshops, exhibits, keynote speakers and vendors aiming to educate the community about everything sustainability related.

Fair attendees are able to walk around the fair, visiting different booths, engaging in interactive events and learning how to be more sustainable in their own lives and also on a larger scale. All the while, live music plays in the background and delicious food beckons to you at every turn.

This year’s keynote speakers include Alexandra Cousteau, a National Geographic filmmaker, Seleyn DeYarus, CEO of America’s Best Organics, Rachel Kaplan, author of “Urban Homesteading,” and Wendy Pabich, founder of Water Futures.

The fair is held at Fort Collins’ Legacy Park and the fair provides a visitor shuttle. The fair opens at 10 am on both Saturday, Sept. 15 and Sunday, Sept. 16. Admission is $8, with free admission for youth under 12. Tickets can be purchased at the fair entrance.

I volunteered with the fair last year, selling tickets. It is a great opportunity to learn more about how to make your livelihood more sustainable, as well as the great community organizations that are working hard to pave the way for a sustainable future. 

Volunteer: Wildlands Restoration Volunteers

If you live in Colorado and want to get active in environmental restoration efforts check out Wildlands Restoration Volunteers. The group organizes about 60 ecological restoration projects each year all around the state, according to WRV.

The work the non-profit completes is volunteer-based and they are continually looking for new people to either lead projects or assist in projects. If you just wish to volunteer, no experience is necessary, just a willingness to learn.

I volunteered with the group last fall on a project in Campbell Valley, helping seeding an area of land. I really enjoyed working with WRV; the staff is very friendly and all of the volunteers work hard to produce impressive results.

If you are interested in volunteering you can check out their project schedule and sign up. It is a great opportunity if you are looking to get involved in improving the Fort Collins area landscape. 

Lory State Park after High Park Fire

The flames are gone now. And the ash and smoke have settled. But driving towards Lory State Park, from Fort Collins, CO, you can still see obvious signs of the High Park Fire, which burned 490 acres of the 2,600 acre park. Handmade signs and gas station billboards reading "Thank You Firefighters" greet you on your drive. And you can see far into the distance blackened trees littering the slopes. But only once you are standing in the ashes, can you fully understand the impacts of the fire.

Over the weekend, working on an article, I drove up to Lory to take pictures of the park's burned area. Park Ranger Michael Denis drove me up one of the park's service roads. Once at the top of the hill, the full devastation of the fire became much more real. The soil, rocks and vegetation are scorched black and skeleton forests extend into the distance.

The northwest corner of Lory State Park was burned in the High Park Fire this summer. Image copyright Ricki Watkins 2012.

The image of devastation was not the only one that circled in my mind after seeing the affects of the fire. Life is already starting to bloom in the desolate aftermath; green finding the light under the black.

Also, Lory, with the help of other organizations, has already begun restoration efforts by way of aerial reseeding and mulching. Further efforts are planned for the future. Additionally, the park took early preventative measures to keep the watershed safe by installing catch basins at the base of the drainages as soon as the park was reopened.

"Long term, we want to get the natural ecosystem back to good understanding, but it just takes time and patience," Lory State Park manager Larry Butterfield said.

Soldier Canyon in Lory State Park has already undergone restoration by way of aerial reseeding and mulching. Image copyright Ricki Watkins 2012.

New life is already starting to emerge from the ashes of the High Park Fire, which burned 490 acres of Lory State Park. Image copyright Ricki Watkins 2012. 

First Post

This is my first post for this blog. This blog was started for a JTC class at Colorado State University.