Peak Environment: Recent Episodes
Studio 809
Environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Our city banned graywater at a time when water is our limiting factor, and this year it’s impossible to ignore. What is graywater? It is the gently used water from laundry, bathroom sinks, and showers that can be reused to nourish landscapes instead of being sent straight to the sewer.
Host Ally Richardson and Joe Petsche explore what it means to live in step with nature’s boundaries and why Colorado Springs must adopt smarter, regenerative water strategies now. They also dive into how graywater can cut costs, ease infrastructure strain, and build a resilient future for our region. Join the movement for a water wise city by signing the petition! Visit peacheswater.com
Mentioned In This Episode:
Colorado passed graywater legislation in 2015, allowing jurisdictions to adopt or opt out. CDPHE Reg. 86 - Graywater Control
Since January 1, 2026, Colorado Springs residents are banned from reusing their own laundry and shower water on their plants. Peacheswater.com is rallying support to reverse the ban and restore simple, safe graywater reuse. Add your name to the petition and urge City Council to bring graywater back.
Colorado Springs Ordinance 25-99, prohibiting the use of graywater
El Paso County Resolution No. 25-342 Resolution Prohibiting Graywater Use In Unincorporated El Paso County and Directing Further Analysis of a Possible Future Graywater Use Program
Adoption of Chaffee County Graywater
Listen to Peak Environment Episode #152 Biochar
Graywater Research:
Removal of anionic surfactant from aqueous solutions by adsorption onto biochars: characterisation, kinetics, and mechanism
Greywater Treatment Using Activated Biochar Produced from Agricultural Waste
Escherichia coli Removal in Biochar-Modified Biofilters: Effects of Biofilm
Laundry To Landscape Classes
DPHE has partnered with Red Rocks Community College to bring laundry to landscape classes to all Denver residents and individuals who work in the City and County of Denver.
Lakewood, Colorado 10/19/2026 – 10/20/2026 Course Cost - $495 Fee *The full cost of this course is eligible for a rebate for individuals who live, work or attend higher education courses in Denver. Visit the Green Jobs Training Rebates webpage for more information. Registration Info here
Veda
"Water is the rebel element, it won't conform to the laws of physics or gravity and it can't be killed. Without it there is no life. It reincarnates for all to see and science tells us it came to Earth from outer space. Rebellious, nonconformist, eternal and alien.....just look at the power we are filled with." Veda Austin
Dr Emoto
Interested in learning more about permaculture? Visit pikespeakpermaculture.org to learn more about our programs, including…
Permaculture In Action Summer Tour Series
See several local landscapes which have been practicing permaculture design. This unique opportunity allows you to see various stages of implementation over many sites.
Register Here
2027 Permaculture Design Course
Take a deeper dive and come learn together with us as community.
Register for Course Here
This episode is brought to you by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to teaching the ethics and principles of permaculture design in Southern Colorado. Permaculture is all about working with nature rather than against, to regenerate land, water, and food systems, and build resilient communities for generations to come. Learn more about their work with schools, organizations, and community members at pikespeakpermaculture.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Permaculture
350 Colorado Springs
GrowthBusters
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Project Taurus is a proposed data center near Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. Multiple community groups have filed appeals to the city’s administrative approval of the project. Where to from here? Ciara and Riss from 350 Colorado Springs discuss.
In a time of alternative facts as well as the ability to buy credibility and manipulate human behavior, how do we go about fighting extractive, ecological monstrosities in our communities? These fights are proving to be Place-based and contextual, so Ciara and Riss begin with a part of the wider picture.
Mentioned in the Episode:
● Raeden: https://raeden.com/
● Residents appeal approval of data center in Colorado Springs: https://www.cpr.org/2026/06/24/data-center-colorado-springs-approval-appeal/
● Bruno Latour: https://www.bruno-latour.fr/books_and_edited_volumes.html
● The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: https://shoshanazuboff.com/book/about/
● Denver data center moratorium: https://www.denver7.com/follow-up/denver-city-council-unanimously-approves-one-year-moratorium-on-new-data-center-construction
● PuebloPlex: https://krdo.com/news/2026/03/31/weapons-facility-development-underway-in-southern-colorado/
● Honor the Earth: https://www.honorearth.org/stopdatacolonialism
Energy & Environment Committee Hearing dated 5/7/26
Colorado State House Reps we heard from, in order of appearance:
● Alex Valdez (Bill Sponsor of HB1030)
● Scott Slaugh
● Junie Joseph
● Dan Woog
Action Items
Email Daniel Sexton, the city planner at daniel.sexton@coloradosprings.gov
Email city council at allcouncil@coloradosprings.gov
Contact county commissioners: https://citizenconnect-portal.elpasoco.com/FrontPortal/Page/RenderPage?tabId=7&searchParameter=srTypeId=4
Sign open letter to Mayor Yemi: https://www.change.org/p/open-letter-to-colorado-springs-mayor-yemi-mobolade-about-data-center-proposal
Attend City Council meetings every other Tues. and make public comment Find upcoming city council meeting dates here: https://coloradosprings.gov/node/154591:
Attend Colorado Springs Utilities Board meetings and use your voice. Find upcoming CSU board meeting dates here: https://www.csu.org/about/leadership/utilities-board
Attend Anti Data Center Action hours every other Thurs. at Penrose Library in downtown Colorado Springs - free parking with a PPLD library card. We’ll be in the Pine room at 5:45-6:45. July 2nd, 16th, 30th. Aug. 14th and 28th.
Follow some of the Project Taurus organizers on social media:
● No Data Center COS: https://www.instagram.com/no_data_center_cos/
● Zuri: https://www.instagram.com/zurihorowitz/
● Landon @landonliveslife: https://www.instagram.com/landonliveslife/
● Integrity Matters: https://www.facebook.com/IntegrityMattersCOS/
● Colorado Springs DSA: https://www.instagram.com/cospringsdsa/
● 350 Colorado Springs: https://www.instagram.com/350coloradosprings/
This episode of Peak Environment was contributed by 350 Colorado Springs, https://350colorado.org/colorado-springs/ a grassroots environmental group focused on addressing the climate crisis in the city we call home, moving away from fossil fuels and building resilience for future generations.
Ciara Guerrero is a Team Coordinator for 350 Colorado Springs. After getting her foot in the door of big tech a decade ago and seeing behind the curtain, she was moved toward different path. She’s a student at Pikes Peak Permaculture https://pikespeakpermaculture.org/ and is a gardener and an environmental organizer in the Springs area.
Riss Banuelos is a Youth Organizer for 350 Colorado Springs. She is currently finishing her bachelor’s in anthropology at Colorado College, has been part of Sunrise Movement, and has been lucky enough to attend two United Nations’ climate COPs where her commitment to climate grew stronger and more inspired.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Need to know where to take items like metals and electronics? Look to Colorado Industrial Recycling and ITAD Electronics for your needs. These businesses help make our region more sustainable and resilient by recycling challenging items.
Want your business to be more resilient? Check out the Colorado Green Business Network! They offer free information and assistance to help your business to reduce energy, water and waste, save money, and thrive.
Host Mary Barber welcomes Bryan Valentine of ITAD Electronics Recyclers, Andy O’Riley of Colorado Industrial Recycling, and Konrad Schlarbaum of the Colorado Green Business Network for this May/June Sustainability in Progress discussion.
LINKS:
ITAD Electronics Recyclers: https://www.ierpro.com
Colorado Industrial Recycling, Inc: https://www.coloradoindustrialrecycling.com
Colorado Green Business Network: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/dehs/sustainability/cgbn
Sustainability in Progress is a program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's 2030 Sustainability Plan (PPR2030) https://peakallianceco.org/rsp/ through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at https://peakallianceco.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
350 Colorado Springs https://350colorado.org/colorado-springs/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Wildfire seasons are intensifying, but what if the very fuels driving these fires could become part of the solution? In this episode, firefighter and regenerative farmer Will Vogl, Douglas County Environmental Inspections Supervisor Jared Tanaka, and Pikes Peak Permaculture’s Becky Elder and Ally Richardson explore the growing role of biochar in building climate resilience.
Douglas County’s new biochar facility is projected to be complete in 2026 and is poised to benefit not only its own community but neighboring counties as well. It offers a forward‑looking model for land management and wildfire mitigation along the Front Range, reminding us that wildfires do not stop at county lines.
Mentioned in this episode:
Douglas County Biochar Facility Open House Discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T32CCRhMLyc&t=3146s
Douglas County residents can dispose of “Green Yard Waste” at the County’s Slash/Mulch site at 5675 Delva Way in Sedalia. This is a NEW location for the 2026 season. https://www.douglasco.gov/public-works/green-yard-waste/
Black Forest Slash and Mulch Program for El Paso County residents: https://communityresources.elpasoco.com/environmental-division/black-forest-slash-mulch/
Vogl Homestead Regenerative Farm in El Paso County, Colorado: https://www.facebook.com/VoglHomesteadFarming/
Complete Solutions. Biochar Funding Company for feedstock handing equipment, chippers and grinders: https://csc-int.ca/
Wilson Biochar, LLC. Ring of Fire Kiln which can be assembled in field: https://wilsonbiochar.com/
Pueblo’s SUN SOIL WATER SUMMIT Keynote Speaker John Christenson of Native Lumber: https://pueblofoodproject.org/sunsoilwater/
Pikes Peak Permaculture’s Upcoming Events:
May 3rd, Tending Points of Light in the “Long Dark” with Carolyn Baker. Sign-up here: https://pikespeakpermaculture.org/event/tending-points-of-light-in-the-long-dark-with-carolyn-baker/
MeadowGrass Festival May 22nd through May 24th https://www.eventbrite.com/e/17th-annual-meadowgrass-music-festival-tickets-1977435259091?aff=oddtdtcreator
Earth School for 2026/2027. Currently enrolling for our homeschool enrichment program beginning this August, tuition FREE for ages 9-13. Find out more about this program here: https://pikespeakpermaculture.org/ppp-earth-school/
Help us fund a living classroom to be built this summer, where we will grow a more resilient community. Donations include access to our summer permaculture‑in‑action tours. https://pikespeakpermaculture.org/donations/
This episode is brought to you by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to teaching the ethics and principles of permaculture design in Southern Colorado. Permaculture is all about working with nature rather than against, to regenerate land, water, and food systems, and build resilient communities for generations to come. Learn more about their work with schools, organizations, and community members at pikespeakpermaculture.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
350 Colorado Springs: https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters: https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Everything you ever wanted to know about our home watershed. Hear about water supply and conservation, creek restoration, the regional trail, and the upcoming Great American Cleanup. This is a Sustainability in Progress presentation from Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future.
Host: Mary Barber
Guests:
Alli Schuch, Executive Director, Fountain Creek Watershed District
Mary Wilson, Outreach Coordinator
On the table in this episode:
Water supply
Water conservation
Reducing nonfunctional turf, adding native plants to conserve water and support restoration and wildlife (especially pollinators)
Stewardship of Fountain Creek
Creek restoration
Brewshed Alliance and Liquid Lectures
Fountain Creek Watershed Great American Cleanup
Creek Week in the Fall
Hydration celebrations after cleanups
Fountain Creek Regional Trail
Scoop the Poop
Both crew leader and group registration are open for the Great American Cleanup. Volunteers
can register up to May 2, and even on site on May 2: https://www.fountain-crk.org/great-american-cleanup-f0de636
LINKS:
The Future of Fountain Creek – Panel and Community Discussion – episode 135 of Peak Environment: https://studio809podcasts.com/future-of-fountain-creek-panel/
State of the Watershed Summit: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcq7pJhVKqDhXPwCeyRROogdUI6r6Bv_l&si=qdauhTlDenfyn9sr
Purchase a rain barrel from the watershed district: https://www.fountain-crk.org/rain-barrel-sale
Fountain Creek Watershed District:
Website: https://www.fountain-crk.org/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fountaincreekwatersheddistrict
Events Calendar: https://www.fountain-crk.org/event-calendar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fountaincreekwatershed
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FountainCreekWatershedDistrict/
This episode was recorded as a Sustainability in Progress (SIP) episode of the podcast. Sustainability in Progress is a program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future.
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org/.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's 2030 Sustainability Plan (PPR2030) https://peakallianceco.org/rsp/ through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at https://peakallianceco.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
How does a small garden club grow into a powerful driver of community resilience? Host Ally Richardson and leaders from the Manitou Springs Garden Club explore how plant sales, community grants, and hands‑on education strengthen our local ecosystems. Their work shows how simple, community‑rooted actions can create lasting impact. As Bill Mollison reminds us, “Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.”
Manitou Garden Club Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ManitouSpringsGardenClub
Join their plant sale on Sunday, May 24th, from 9AM to noon at the pool parking lot of Schryver Park, 202 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs
Come help out at April’s club meeting and see if the garden club is your flavor. Then, join! They meet every second Thursday of every month at the Community Congregational Church (except for special club member Summer months in member’s gardens).
City of Manitou Springs Tree Voucher Program: https://cityofmanitousprings-parksandrec.app.transform.civicplus.com/forms/22690
Colorado Spring’s Grow Shade Together, the City's Neighborhood Tree Planting Program: https://coloradosprings.gov/GrowShadeTogether
Recommended Reading: The Wild Wisdom of Weeds - by Katrina Blair
BIG OL EARTH DAY CELEBRATION! https://www.concretecouch.org/
Community orgs collaborating to Celebrate Mother Earth, connect people of all ages with nature and support the ongoing land restoration at Concrete Coyote Community Park!
Wednesday, April 22·12:00 – 6:00pm, 1100 S Royer St, Colorado Springs, CO
This episode is brought to you by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to teaching the ethics and principles of permaculture design in Southern Colorado. Permaculture is all about working with nature rather than against, to regenerate land, water, and food systems, and build resilient communities for generations to come. Learn more about their work with schools, organizations, and community members at pikespeakpermaculture.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
350 Colorado Springs: https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters: https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Colorado Springs Utilities wants to delay closing its last coal-fired powerplant. CSU is currently obligated under its clean energy plan to close its Ray Nixon plant by the end of 2029 in order to meet a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030. It claims the extension is necessary because it is too costly to meet the current deadline. Learn about proposed legislation that would allow the plant to continue operating up to an extra ten years, and why many environmental groups oppose it. This episode’s guests:
Jim Lockhart, conservation chair of Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Ciara Guerrero, Colorado Springs team coordinator for 350 Colorado
Olivia West, environmental organizer for Sierra Club and Green Corps
LEARN MORE:
Colorado Springs Utilities Enlists State Lawmakers To Keep Ray Nixon Power Plant Running Into 2030 – CPR news story: https://www.cpr.org/2026/01/13/colorado-springs-ray-nixon-power-plant-legislation/
Update on the Nixon Plant Decommission – Sierra Club update: https://www.sierraclub.org/colorado/pikes-peak/february-2026#:~:text=Update%20on%20the%20Nixon%20Plant%20Decommission&text=CSU%20is%20currently%20obligated%20under,emissions%20by%2080%25%20by%202030
SB26-022 - Challenge Meeting 2030 Emissions Reduction Goals: https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/110720/download
Clean Energy for Colorado Petition: https://forms.gle/9eiwmh52x463DJuz9
HB26-1030 - Data Center & Utility Modernization: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb26-1030
350 Colorado Springs: https://350colorado.org/colorado-springs/
Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club: https://www.sierraclub.org/colorado/pikes-peak
Subscribe to Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future Email Updates: https://peakalliance.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8b6c85fea7b70fac39688c409&id=bbba41d918
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
What if ten weekends could change the way you see your land, your home, and your future?
Host Ally Richardson interviews three recent graduates of the 2025 Permaculture Design Certification Course where they share the moments that surprised them, the skills that reshaped their thinking, and the unexpected community they found along the way. Before you hire a landscaper, hear what a PDC can unlock. Step into your power and shape the land for good!
Mentioned in this episode:
2026 Permaculture Design Course
Register here: https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/2025-permaculture-design-course/
Pikes Peak Permaculture’s PDC follows the Permaculture Institute of North America curriculum and meets the 72 hour certification standard. The course emphasizes ethics, principles, whole systems thinking, and collaborative site design.
The program runs 10 weekends from February to August across Southern Colorado, with a few regional field trips. Lunches are prepared by students on rotation, with snacks provided. Children may attend with prior discussion.
Work trade options and financial aid are available. Few spots left, so sign-up today!
This episode was produced by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to teaching the ethics and principles of permaculture design in Southern Colorado. Permaculture is all about working with nature rather than against, to regenerate land, water, and food systems, and build resilient communities for generations to come. Learn more about their work with schools, organizations, and community members at https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
ERC helps cut wasted energy consumption through energy-efficient home upgrades, now available to all households in their 27-county service area, regardless of income level. Upgrades are free to income-qualifying households. ERC collectively saves $300,000 in utility bills each year by upgrading about 2,000 homes. Energy Resource Center Director of Programs Mike Mazzola fills us in on what ERC can do for you.
LINKS:
Sustainability & Resiliency Info and Networking Survey: https://forms.gle/aJCcs4Lv9ZAVk6E69
Energy Resource Center: https://erc-co.org
Colorado Energy Savings Navigator: https://puc.colorado.gov/energy-savings
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Shrinking your holiday footprint on the planet can seem daunting – but this episode offers tips to make it a joy. Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future (PASF) is deviating from the norm this month. Instead of the usual live, third Wednesday Zoom event, the November Sustainability in Progress is this pre-recorded studio conversation.
This conversation is about the holidays, discovering local resources to give meaningful and lifelong gifts to reduce waste. Host Mary Barber of PASF is joined by Ally Richardson of Pikes Peak Permaculture and Dave Gardner of GrowthBusters (both are regular co-producers of the Studio 809 Podcasts Peak Environment podcast).
We’re considering making some changes in SIP, and we’re inviting collaboration. Help Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future and the entire sustainability/resiliency community make plans for 2026. Please take this poll: https://forms.gle/aJCcs4Lv9ZAVk6E69
LINKS MENTIONED:
Pikes Peak Bulletin Winter Holiday Calendar with local-maker markets: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/events/2025-winter-holiday-calendar-events-and-markets-in-the-spirit-of-the-season/
Colorado Springs Mom winter markets calendar: https://cospringsmom.com/parenting-wisdom/winter-markets-in-colorado-springs/
Downtown Shopping Gift Card: https://downtowncs.com/event/shop-local-win-local/
Resource Central Garden in a Box: https://resourcecentral.org/gardens/
Center for Biological Diversity’s Simplify The Holidays Helpful Tips: https://simplifytheholidays.org/
So Kind Gift Registry: https://sokindregistry.org/
Who Gives a Scrap for the crafty: https://whogivesascrapcolorado.com/
Volunteer with the City of Colorado Springs: https://hr.coloradosprings.gov/VolunteerOpportunities
Find opportunities at Flying Pig Farm, community farm practicing permaculture and building resilience: https://flyingpigmanitou.org/
Divert waste with Galvanize Recycling: https://www.galvanizerecycling.com/services/
El Paso County Hazardous Waste Facility: https://communityresources.elpasoco.com/household-hazardous-waste/
Compost with Food To Power: https://foodtopowerco.org/
Other holiday-related podcast episodes we mentioned:
Sustainable Holiday - Peak Environment episode #66
Have Yourself A Low Impact Holiday - Peak Environment episode #112
Plastic Bags Update & Moving Toward Zero Waste: Policy Wins, Advice and Resources - Peak Environment episode #115
Rebelling Against Black Friday Consumerism - GrowthBusters podcast episode #61
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org/.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's 2030 Sustainability Plan (PPR2030) https://peakallianceco.org/rsp/ through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at https://peakallianceco.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Energy rates are changing, and so is the demand. Pikes Peak Permaculture’s Ally Richardson, frequent producer and cohost of the Peak Environment podcast, shares practical ways we can reduce energy use and rethink consumption. She’s joined by panelists Becky Elder (a permaculture instructor) and Scott Harvey (a structural and electrical engineer).
They delve into the current state of energy usage in the Pikes Peak region, examine the primary sources of energy and identify the sectors that consume the most. They also explore the factors driving changes in energy rates and demand, providing us with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities we face. Feel empowered to take action towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) event on October 14, 2025. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. You can view a video recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX1btxPC1BY
The October meeting was presented by Pikes Peak Permaculture, which is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to teaching principles and practices of permaculture design in the Southern Colorado region. The organization educates about working with nature instead of against it, building stronger connections with our landscape and all inhabitants, regenerating land, water, and food systems, and making sure our region thrives for generations to come.
Mentioned in this episode:
Colorado Energy Savings Navigator: https://puc.colorado.gov/energy-savings
Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP): https://cdhs.colorado.gov/leap
Colorado’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP): https://energyoffice.colorado.gov/weatherization-assistance-program
Project Cope. Donation based fund for community members utility bill assistance in time of crisis and emergencies: https://projectcopecs.org/
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's 2030 Sustainability Plan (PPR2030) https://peakallianceco.org/rsp/ through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakallianceco.org
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org/.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking. Subscribe to receive email notice of news and events: https://peakalliance.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8b6c85fea7b70fac39688c409&id=bbba41d918
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Unite Your World with the Arts! Some people might think that the concept of sustainability means only environmental sustainability. While sustainability does include nature and the environment, it also encompasses society or community, economy, and individual well-being. Arts and culture represents one aspect of social sustainability that sustains and improves our quality of life, which we explore through the region's leader in arts and culture, the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.
Angela Seals, Executive Director of COPPR, provides an update on the 10-year cultural plan for the Pikes Peak Region: Arts Vision 2030. Ms. Seals tells us about October Arts Month activities and initiatives around the region coming in October.
The Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (a.k.a. COPPR) is the nonprofit local arts agency that serves the City of Colorado Springs and the greater Pikes Peak region (El Paso and Teller Counties). The Cultural Office works to ensure that the creative sector grows in economic vitality and depth of impact, that creative workers can thrive in our community, and that the arts are leveraged to positively address regional economic development, education, cultural tourism, and quality of life.
Angela Seals is a creative leader, project manager, public programs designer, and speaker with 20 years of experience working at arts nonprofits. She has worked with the Cultural Office in a variety of roles since 2013. Angela has built a reputation for dynamic and collaborative impact across her career in Colorado Springs and at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust / Pittsburgh Dance Council, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, D.C. She has been honored with awards for her service to the field, including the 2024 Women of Influence Award from Colorado Springs Business Journal and the 2022 Juneteenth Community Award from Pikes Peak Diversity Council.
LINKS:
October - Arts Month, download digital passport: https://artsoctober.com/
Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region: https://www.culturaloffice.org/
Peak Radar: https://peakradar.com/
Arts Vision 2030: https://www.culturaloffice.org/artsvision2030/
Concrete Couch: https://www.concretecouch.org/
Smokebrush Foundation for the Arts: https://www.smokebrush.org/
Smokebrush Farm: https://www.facebook.com/smokebrushfarm
Visit Colorado Springs: https://www.visitcos.com/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on September 17, 2025. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
Bright Idea: Conserving Energy
October Sustainability in Progress
Hosted by Pikes Peak Permaculture
Join virtually or in person
October 15th, Noon to 1:15
In-person at UCCS Downtown, 102 S. Tejon Street, Colorado Springs
Virtually on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX1btxPC1BY
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org/.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's (PPR2030) https://peakallianceco.org/rsp/ through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakallianceco.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
We begin to unravel one of the most complex and timely topics in the global energy landscape. Whether you’re a student, a policy maker, a professional in the energy sector, or simply an engaged global citizen, this episode promises to broaden your horizons and foster informed dialogue.
As countries strive to decarbonize their energy sectors, the debate over nuclear power becomes increasingly vital. Nuclear energy offers a unique combination of high-capacity generation and low carbon emissions, positioning it as a potential linchpin in the global effort to combat climate change. However, high-profile accidents, long-lived waste, and economic considerations give rise to legitimate concerns. This discussion aims to navigate these complexities with clarity and candor and provide Alliance stakeholders with a strong background from which to further explore the topic.
Christopher Juniper provides a balanced examination of nuclear power, highlighting both its transformative potential and the valid concerns it raises. He addresses the following key areas:
· The Basics and Lifecycle of Nuclear Energy: How does nuclear power work? What is fission, and how is electricity generated from uranium or thorium?
· Advantages of Nuclear Energy: Explore the compelling benefits, from low greenhouse gas emissions to high energy density, reliability, and potential for innovation in reactor design.
· Drawbacks and Risks: Delve into the challenges, including extraction of uranium, radioactive waste, safety concerns, high upfront costs, and public perception.
· Future Outlook: A look at emerging technologies, such as small modular reactors and fusion energy, and their potential to reshape the energy landscape.
· Colorado Connection: Understanding the potential implications for Colorado.
· Interactive Q&A Session: Bring your questions and perspectives for an engaging dialogue.
Christopher Juniper, a Colorado native and Colorado College graduate, has tracked nuclear power for nearly 50 years as a sustainability economist, consultant, activist, and college instructor. He created the Sustainability Performance Lifecycle Management System in 2003 that his team used to evaluate energy sources available to the Pikes Peak region 2009-2011. He has served on the Colorado Springs Utilities’ EIRP technical advisory committee; co-authored certification study guides for the International Society of Sustainability Professionals; authored book chapters on climate risk economics; and served international sustainability-related projects and non-profit boards.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on August 20, 2025. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next Sustainability in Progress:
Arts & Culture: Angela Seals of the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region
September 17, 2025, Noon to 1 PM
Virtual
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/HSD6IEKYR-yNGcsvHS2P3A
LINKS:
Speaker’s Slides: https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nuclear-Lifecycle-2025.pdf
Speaker’s Research Notes: https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nuclear-Power-Rsh-Notes-20Aug25.pdf
Colorado Energy Office: https://energyoffice.colorado.gov/
Sign Up for Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future’s Monthly Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/4h4ujnya
Visit Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future’s Website: https://peakallianceco.org/
Follow the Sustainable and Resilient Pikes Peak Region Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/srppr
Pikes Peak Permaculture: https://pikespeakpermaculture.org
Visit Fountain Creek Watershed District for upcoming cleanups, monthly Liquid Lectures, and other events
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Why is water such a hot-button issue in Colorado right now? Host/producer Ally Richardson dives into the heart of local water challenges with Dave Gardner, Mark Robinson, and Mike Callicrate. From policy to permaculture, they explore innovative solutions that could shape the future of our region’s most precious resource.
In the conversation today:
Farmer Mark Robinson from Green Hill Farm in Peyton, Colorado.
Mark hopes to have Grains & Vegetables coming soon! Find him at the Grain Chain: https://www.coloradograinchain.com/nexus/organizations/green-hill-farm
Rancher Mike Callicrate from Saint Francis, Kansas.
Mike has 2 local Colorado Spring stores, Ranch Foods Direct, that are worth a visit!
Find him at: https://www.mikecallicrate.com/
Dave Gardner from Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Dave manages Studio 809 Podcasts, where he produces some episodes of Peak Environment and co-hosts Loving the Springs. He also hosts the GrowthBusters podcast, which recently visited the water issue: https://www.growthbusters.org/growth-addiction-water-southwest/
This episode is brought to you by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to teaching the ethics and principles of permaculture design in Southern Colorado. Permaculture is all about working with nature rather than against, to regenerate land, water, and food systems, and build resilient communities for generations to come. Learn more about their work with schools, organizations, and community members at https://pikespeakpermaculture.org.
Mentioned in This Episode:
2023 Colorado Water Plan: https://dnrweblink.state.co.us/CWCB/0/edoc/219188/Colorado_WaterPlan_2023_Digital.pdf
Colorado Springs Utilities - Tiered Water Plans found here: https://www.csu.org/rates/tiered-water-rate
Zack Weiss creates brilliant videos to illustrate how water moves through land and atmosphere. https://waterstories.com
The Watershed Death Spiral: https://www.waterstories.com/story/the-watershed-death-spiral
The Revived Water Cycle: https://www.waterstories.com/story/the-revived-water-cycle
Denver 7 News Article by Brandon Richard, Foreign ownership of Colorado's agricultural land raising concerns found here: https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/foreign-ownership-of-colorados-agricultural-land-raising-concerns
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Stuck on how to grow food in our region of Southern Colorado? Don’t know where to start? Feeling overwhelmed? Or shoot, do you just want to pick good local food up? Peak Environment Cohost Ally Richardson joins Kristie Taylor at Vermijo Community Garden to talk about how the garden is transforming more than just the landscape. It’s sparking a movement, cultivating connections, and nourishing more than just vegetables.
Featured in This Episode:
Vermijo Community Garden
Contact: Kristie Taylor | vermijogarden@gmail.com
Find the garden on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575044404344 and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vermijocommunitygardencos/
Partnered with Flying Pig Farm https://flyingpigmanitou.org/
Volunteer Day: Last Saturday of every month—drop in and lend a hand!
Find Community Gardens Near You
https://coloradosprings.gov/gardens
https://www.communitygardensppr.com/home
A Mom’s Guide to Survive
This nonprofit empowers Colorado Springs moms with resources, support, and a sense of community. Check out the Mothers Guide To Survive events on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/amomsguidetosurvive.
Sankofa Community Orchard
Located in Richmond, Virginia, this five-acre green oasis is dedicated to food justice and climate resilience, featuring over 100 fruit trees. Learn more at https://thenaturalfestival.com/sankofa/.
Pro Tip: Mulch!
Mulching is essential for building healthy soil and conserving water in our dry climate. Free mulch is available in a pile next to the train tracks near 1401 Recreation Way, courtesy of Colorado Springs Park & Recreation Department.
Upcoming Permaculture Workshop
Soil for Every Garden
Date: Saturday, August 2nd, 2025
Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: Vermijo Community Garden
Struggling with high-altitude gardening or pests like grasshoppers? Join this interactive two-hour class to learn about building resilient soil and practical pest control techniques. Each participant will take home a jar of homemade garlic spray. Register at http://wildoasispermaculture.com/.
This episode was produced by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a sponsor and content partner with Studio 809 Podcasts. Visit http://pikespeakpermaculture.org/ for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture design – certifications, workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
What can we expect in the future for both public and automobile transportation in the Pikes Peak Region? We hear from the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG) and Mountain Metro (Colorado Springs’ bus system). John Liosatos, Transportation Director of Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, discusses the recently adopted 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan for the Pikes Peak Region as well as the role the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG) plays in bringing together local communities. Jacob Matsen, Planning and Operations Supervisor for Mountain Metropolitan Transit, shares the agency’s short and long-term visions for improved public transit service throughout the Pikes Peak Region – including increased services, greater regional connections, innovative modes of transit, and more.
LINKS:
PPACG John Losiatos Presentation Slides: https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2050-LRTP-Presentation-for-SustainabilityInProgress.pdf
Mountain Metro Jacob Matsen Presentation Slides: https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Peak-Alliance-for-a-Sustainable-Future-2025.06.18.pdf
Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Transportation Planning: https://ppacg.org/transportation/
PPACG Long Range Transportation Plan: https://ppacg.org/transportation/long-range-transportation-plan/
Mountain Metro Transit: https://coloradosprings.gov/mountainmetro
2050 Regional Transit and Specialized Transportation Plans: https://coloradosprings.gov/2050-regional-transit-and-specialized-transit-plans
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on June 18, 2025. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. We're taking some time off this summer, but be notified when the next SIP is planned: https://tinyurl.com/4h4ujnya
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future: https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture: https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
350 Colorado: https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters: https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
The state of housing affordability and attainability in Colorado Springs, and what the Pikes Peak Housing Network is doing to improve it. “Colorado Springs and El Paso County aren't building enough homes that typical buyers can afford, while smaller houses and other types of housing options are needed to make housing more attainable for many people, including young adults… and seniors….” That’s the conclusion of a recent report by the Pikes Peak Housing Network.
Jill Gaebler, Executive Director, tells us about how the PPHN is meeting the challenge of supporting “innovative and collaborative solutions to promote housing affordability, access and production” in the Pikes Peak Region. The Network’s mission involves advocating for sustainability principles like infill and redevelopment and access to transportation options, employment and living wages, cultural activities, green space, and more.
Affordable, accessible housing is key to the establishment of a regional culture and resilient, sustainable built environment essential to a healthy economy, quality of life, attractive workforce environment, and personal health now and in the future.
LINKS:
Pikes Peak Housing Network: https://pphousingnetwork.org
2024 State of Housing Report: https://pphousingnetwork.org/2024-PPHN-State-of-Housing-Report-1.pdf
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on May 21, 2025. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
Regional Transportation Planning Update
John Liosatos, Transportation Director of Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments
Jacob Matsen, Planning and Operations Supervisor for Mountain Metropolitan Transit
June 18, 2025
Noon to 1 p.m.
Virtual. Register here to get link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/pEktJ5xCR7O2PjS3265dSg
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
350 Colorado https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Ever stopped to wonder what’s in the air you breathe? From invisible pollutants to visible smog, air quality affects us all—whether we realize it or not. Host Ally Richardson from Pikes Peak Permaculture sits down with activist and Peak Environment cohost Konrad Schlarbaum, alongside Pikes Peak Area Council of Government’s Air Quality Outreach Specialist Kenzie Courtney, to discuss air quality in the Pikes Peak region. In this episode, we’re diving into the challenges we face, the risks we can’t ignore, and the steps we can take to create cleaner skies for generations to come.
Mentioned in this episode:
Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments https://ppacg.org/
Find the Air Quality Index here https://www.airnow.gov/
CDPHE Air Quality Division - Colorado Air Quality Summary https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx
CDPHE’s Air Quality Division daily reports https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/
The latest ways to get around in the Pikes Peak region https://ppacg.org/transportation/
Free Energy Audits for Businesses https://www.csu.org/business-efficiency/request-an-audit
Food To Power https://foodtopowerco.org/
PPAG will provide info through https://Pikespeakair.com
Bike Routes and Safety Information https://coloradosprings.gov/bikemap
Additionally, mark your calendars for Bike To Work Day on Wednesday, June 25th, where free breakfast will be provided at several bike stations throughout the city. Find more details here: https://coloradosprings.gov/biketowork
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture. Visit pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
What do 68 monitoring sites and over $1.3 million annual investment in data collection tell us about Fountain Creek? Colorado Springs Utilities water quality expert Annie Berlemann provides some answers. She is Fountain Creek Watershed Project Manager for the utility.
Fountain Creek is one of Colorado’s most closely monitored and ecologically diverse waterways—spanning urban neighborhoods, rural landscapes, and natural ecosystems from the top of Pikes Peak to Pueblo. The Fountain Creek Watershed tells a complex story of resilience, risk, and recovery. From the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires to the “Miracle May” floods – discover what it takes to track and improve water health for both people and wildlife, including the native Flathead chub, a species of special concern.
LINKS:
Presenter’s Slides: https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Watershed-101-and-Water-Quality.pdf
Colorado Springs Utilities: https://www.csu.org/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on April 16, 2025. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The next event is:
Home Grown – Built to Live, Love, Last - Jill Gaebler of Pikes Peak Housing Network
May 21, 2025, Noon to 1 p.m., Virtual
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QFVcv-2VRZGvEovtDnV9cQ
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
350 Colorado https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Spring is here, and it’s the perfect time to revitalize your space with sustainability in mind! Join Ally Richardson and Aaron Shaha, local permaculturists who dive into Zone 0, sharing their journey, expert insights, and practical resources for greener living in the Pikes Peak region. This episode covers essential topics like energy efficiency, water conservation, food production, waste reduction, and holistic well-being—helping you create a more mindful and regenerative home.
Mentioned in this episode:
Informative Permaculture Forums can be found at https://Permies.com or reach out with questions to Pikes Peak Permaculture on website at https://pikespeakpermaculture.org
Zachary Weiss’s Water Stories can be found at https://www.waterstories.com
Video Reviving Rivers with Dr. Rajendra Singh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N9PIBATSFw
Research on Fraudulent Organic Labeling:
Giannakas, K. and Yiannaka, A. 2023. Annual Review of Resource Economics. Food Fraud: Causes, Consequences, and Deterrence Strategies. Annu. Rev. Resour. Econ. 15:85–104. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-101422-013027
Denver Laundry to Landscape:
https://www.denvergov.org/files/assets/public/v/1/public-health-and-environment/documents/eq/rules-and-regulations-governing-graywater-treatment-works-2024.pdf
Regulation 86- Reg. 86 – Graywater Control from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Water Quality Control Division. https://cdphe.colorado.gov/water-quality/clean-water/reg-86-graywater-control
Vitamin D Boosts from mushrooms! Visit local business Microvora for all your gourmet mushrooms, microgreens, and more. Questions or Wholesale Inquiries - Contact via email at hello@microvora.com. Storefront Open Daily from 10AM-6PM in Colorado Springs at 3685 S U.S. Hwy 85 87 Suite 2.
Resources for Household Waste:
Galvanize Recycling Services: https://www.galvanizerecycling.com/services/
The El Paso County Household Hazardous Waste Facility (HHWF) is located at 3255 Akers Dr. Colorado Springs, 80922
For more information about what is accepted, please visit: https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/household-hazardous-waste/
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
Old Town Bike Shop – your local bike shop since 1976
https://www.oldtownbikeshop.com/
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
350 Colorado https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
A panel discussion with Fountain Creek Watershed District Executive Director Alli Schuch and Jim O’Donnell, author of Fountain Creek: Big Lessons from a Little River, followed by a dynamic community conversation.
Alli provides an overview of watershed basics and shares insights on the current state of Fountain Creek. She highlights future opportunities and challenges facing the watershed.
Jim dives into key themes from his new book. Together, they explore environmental issues, community engagement, and the economic and cultural dimensions of the watershed—while offering a forward-looking perspective.
Mary Barber of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future hosts, while Allen Beauchamp of Trails and Open Space Coalition moderates. Melody Daugherty delivers the land acknowledgment and blessing.
Presenters’ Slides: https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Complete-Presenters-Slides-SIP-March-19-2025.pdf
Thanks to These Hosts & Sponsors:
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future: https://peakallianceco.org/
Fountain Creek Watershed District: https://www.fountain-crk.org/
El Paso County Parks and Recreation: https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/parks-and-recreation/
Fountain Creek Nature Center: https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/nature-centers/fountain-creek-nature-center/
Peak Environment podcast: https://studio809podcasts.com/podcasts/peak-environment/
Thanks to These Participating Community Organizations:
Colorado Springs Stormwater: https://coloradosprings.gov/stormwater-enterprise
COS Creek Plan: https://coscreekplan.org/
Trails and Open Space Coalition: https://www.trailsandopenspaces.org/
Pikes Peak Chapter of Trout Unlimited: https://www.ppctu.org/
Jim O'Donnell, MCRP, CPD
Freelance Writer/Photographer
Fountain Creek: Big Lessons from a Little River https://www.aroundtheworldineightyyears.com/books/fountain-creek/
http://aroundtheworldineightyyears.com
http://www.jimodonnellphotography.com/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on March 19, 2025. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
Fountain Creek Water Quality – What the Data Tells Us
How fire, flood, drought, and human development are shaping the watershed—and how partnerships and science are helping to protect it. In this Earth Week presentation, water quality expert Annie Berlemann shares what we know from 68 monitoring sites.
April 16, 2025
Virtual only, noon to 1 p.m.
Register here to get the link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Oan8kU2MR02EG_nmOT4J7Q
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Visit pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
Old Town Bike Shop - your local bike shop since 1976
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
350 Colorado https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Get an update on exciting Great Outdoors Colorado investments and work statewide, from Christopher Aaby, the Generation Wild Program Officer with GOCO. Great Outdoors Colorado invests a portion of the Colorado Lottery proceeds through competitive grants open to local governments and land trusts in Colorado. GOCO just released their 2024 annual report available here: https://www.goco.org/annual-report/2024.
Chris was an active board member of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future, and hosted many of our Sustainability in Progress events. Join us in welcoming him for this visit.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on February 19, 2025. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
March 19, 2025, 12 Noon
The Future of Fountain Creek: Panel and Community Discussion
Attend in Person - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/march-sip-the-future-of-fountain-creek-tickets-1263008013969
Attend Virtually - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/5RNjoPyYRGCLUQ86pcZzJQ
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Presenter's Slides - https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SIP-Febuary-GOCO.pdf
Great Outdoors Colorado - https://goco.org/
Generation Wild - https://www.generationwild.com/
Local website – https://generationwildppr.org
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GenerationWildColorado/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/generationwildcolorado/
Kids on Bikes - https://kidsonbikes.net/
Mile High Youth Corps - https://www.milehighyouthcorps.org/
Blackpackers - https://blackpackers.org/
YMCA Camp Shady Brook - https://campshadybrook.ppymca.org/
Rocky Mountain Field Institute - https://www.rmfi.org/
Colorado Parks and Wildlife - https://goco.org/programs-projects/colorado-parks-wildlife
Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services - https://coloradosprings.gov/PRCS
Catamount Institute - https://www.catamountinstitute.org/
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
Old Town Bike Shop - https://www.oldtownbikeshop.com/ your local bike shop since 1976
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Components of nature connection and the basic skills that everyone's ancestors practiced. Host/co-producer Ally Richardson and guests Iraiah & Austin – who run Smokebrush’s Earth Skill Club – talk about facilitating opportunities in our local community to foster deeper connections, not only with fellow humans but with all living things in our surrounding ecosystems. Deeply engage your senses, so together we can witness how living closely with our earth is practical, accessible, & tangible. Tune in to explore how these ancient practices can enrich our modern lives.
Mentioned in this episode:
Join Earth Skill Club for three hands-on classes— 2nd Saturday of the month all spring long! ⏰12:30 pm - 2:30
Fiber & Cordage - March 8th. Learn the basics of fiber processing through cordage making, an essential for making tools, shelter, and clothing from the earth. Learn how to make rope with the help of your friends, tie knots to create proper leverage, and create an ultralight backpack tie.
Stone & Bone Tools - April 12th. Dive into the art of crafting tools from materials such bone and stone all stemming from the simplest of measures - a sharp edge. Play with nature as we create our own biodegradable, primitive cutting devices. Tap into curiosity as we listen to the density of rock’s sounds, observing what they can tell us to discover their best uses.
Friction Fire Building - May 10th. Ignite your instincts and get a work out as we tap into the age-old skill of fire building, a cornerstone of surviving and thriving. Practice creating a fire with sticks through the power of hand and bow drill friction kits, using different local woods to birth the coal that will provide nourishment to our bird nest kindling.
Earth Skill Club on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/EarthSkills-of-Manitou/100086610595176/
Earth Skill Club on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/earthskills_of_manitou/
Rocky Mountain Highway's Meadowgrass Music Festival
May 23, 10am - May 25 · 11:30pm https://meadowgrass.org/
Be sure to check out Smokebrush's Puppet Show!
Listen to last year’s Studio 809 podcast about Meadowgrass here: https://rockymountainhighway.org/meadowgrass-2024-featured-on-studio-809-podcast/
Pikes Peak Permaculture’s The Seed Garden Class
March 15, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Go to https://pikespeakpermaculture.org or click here to register: https://form.jotform.com/250237033443043
Join us for this class and discussion on the value of seeds. Learn about seed starting and saving techniques and participate in a seed swap. Learn the value of climate adaptation and landrace development in seed stock and how it helps to strengthen community food sheds. Build community and meet great people who face the same perils of gardening our region as you do.
An Amazing List of Resources our guests recommend! Check them out at your local library.
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, Book by Charles C. Mann
Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources, Book by Kat Anderson
What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World, Book by Jon Young
Eavesdropping on Animals: What We Can Learn From Wildlife Conversations, Book by George Bumann
Forgotten Fires: Native Americans and the Transient Wilderness, Book by Omer Stewart
Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains, Book by Harold Harrington
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, Book by Michael Moore
Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species, Book by Mark Elbroch
Participating in Nature: Wilderness Survival and Primitive Living Skills, Book by Thomas J. Elpel
Animal Tracking Fundamentals: Animal Track Identification, Flashcards by Silva Tracking
Colorado Wildflowers Search, Free App by Steve Sullivan (has a Columbine as the app image)
A big thank you to sponsors:
Old Town Bike Shop – your local bike shop since 1976 http://oldtownbikeshop.com/
And thanks to Becky Elder for her support. You can provide support here. https://www.patreon.com/studio809
This episode was produced by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a content partner with Studio 809 Podcasts. Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture design – certifications, workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Learn about the comprehensive vision for future investments and stewardship, with a focus on downtown Colorado Springs. We’ll hear from Chris Lieber, COO for Pikes Peak Waterways, Principal at N.E.S. Inc. and Chair of the Downtown Development Authority. He is joined by former city councilor Jan Martin, cofounder and board member for Pikes Peak Waterways.
The COS Creek Plan establishes a comprehensive vision for the future investments and stewardship of the Fountain Creek Watershed with a specific focus on segments of the Monument and Fountain creeks adjacent to Downtown Colorado Springs. The COS Creek Plan establishes an implementable vision, which respects our communities’ values, responds to infrastructure needs, and leverages opportunities. Implementation of the Plan is being pursued through a unique partnership between Pikes Peak Waterways (non-profit), the City of Colorado Springs (Stormwater Enterprise), and Colorado Springs Utilities. It is intended to create excitement, foster collaboration, and identify public and private partnership opportunities.
Pikes Peak Waterways is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded on the premise that visionary planning, research, and action is vital to making our region’s waterways sustainable and enjoyable for generations to come. Pikes Peak Waterways serves as a catalyst for change and is turning Fountain and Monument Creek’s challenges into opportunities: opportunities for restoration, opportunities for preservation, opportunities for recreation, and opportunities for community and economic development.
Chris Lieber is leading efforts to implement the COS Creek Plan and supporting the non-profit work of Pikes Peak Waterways. For nearly two decades Chris managed the Colorado Springs Parks, Trails and Open Space (TOPS) Program.
LINKS:
Presenters’ Slides
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/COS-Creek-Plan-SIP.pdf
Pikes Peak Waterways
https://Ppwaterways.org
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on January 15, 2025. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
February 19, 2025, 12 Noon
Topic: Connecting Colorado with the Outdoors - Great Outdoors Colorado and Generation Wild
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/3NQwgJHAScGcXFVygi4bow
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Visit pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
Old Town Bike Shop - your local bike shop since 1976
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakallianceco.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Permaculture
350 Colorado
GrowthBusters
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow Peak Environment on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
Chelsea and Melissa at 350 Colorado discuss hope and art, in addition to specifics on exciting events in CO Springs coming up in 2025. This episode is a must listen!
Also discussed:
- COP29
- Climate Lobby Day – Friday, March 7
350 Colorado is the largest Colorado-based grassroots network focused on taking action to stop climate change. It’s an independent state affiliate of 350.org, the well-known global organization. Learn more at http://350colorado.org/, or email Melissa @ melissa@350colorado.org, and Chelsea @ chelsea@350colorado.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
350 Colorado https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
There is a divide among sustainability advocates concerning urban development. At a glance, it may seem that halting all development would be beneficial. However, John Olson urges us to look beyond the surface and consider the implications of how we develop our cities, as well as the potential consequences of stopping development altogether.
He believes we need to shift the status quo mindset of development. Rapid urbanization, suburban sprawl, and the degradation of natural resources have strained infrastructure, exacerbated social inequalities, and threatened environmental sustainability. New urban planning approaches foster deeper human connections, mitigate climate change, and build communities that are resilient, equitable, and prosperous for future generations.
John’s passion and dedication is creating inspiring places that foster deeper connections with each other and our natural environment. With over two decades of experience integrating smart growth principles across various project types, his strength is creating innovative and sustainable solutions, engaging a wide variety of stakeholders, and leading projects from vision to implementation and beyond.
John earned his Landscape Architecture degree from Kansas State University. He has a passion and vested interest in projects that enrich the Colorado Springs area in which he and his wife of over twenty years have lived and raised their family of five.
His commitment extends to serving on multiple boards. Recognized for his impact, he currently serves as Chair of the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority and Co-Chair of ULI Southern Colorado. He helped found the Colorado Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism, and Colorado Springs Urban Intervention. He is an Accredited New Urbanist, Registered Landscape Architect, and LEED Accredited Professional.
LINKS:
Video of this Presentation https://youtu.be/Wai4GHPGKGA
Presenter's Slides https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Olson-Sustainable-Development-Nov-2024.pdf
Urban Landscapes https://urbanlandscapes.design/
Loving the Springs podcast https://studio809podcasts.com/category/loving-the-springs/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on November 20, 2024. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
January 15, 2025, 12 Noon Topic: TBA Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpduuopzMuHdf7Nk4vUgzyYVjJ69f1d402
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
Old Town Bike Shop - your local bike shop since 1976 https://www.oldtownbikeshop.com/
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at https://peakallianceco.org/.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
350 Colorado https://350colorado.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn how local arts nonprofit Concrete Couch has turned a concrete dump into a community asset – a park and learning center. Caitlin Hannigan and Jorge Estevez also share how Concrete Couch has contributed to increasing interest and engagement in the arts and sustainability in Colorado Springs. Concrete Couch is a nonprofit that works with kids and community groups to create public art, build community, and create environments and experiences that humanize our world.
Speakers:
Caitlin Hannigan is the Education Director at Concrete Couch. She was raised in Colorado Springs and worked as a teacher in China before working at Concrete Couch. Over the last 4-years she has worked with Concrete Couch to help make Concrete Coyote into a 7-acre community park and helped design and develop educational programming for community members.
Dr. Jorge Estevez is an instructor with Concrete Couch. He has a doctorate in physics. He is passionate about trees, biking and the Colorado Springs community. With his work at Concrete Couch, he has helped plant over 50 native trees and plants and build over 2 miles of hiking and biking trails.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on October 16, 2024. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free), normally the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
November 13, 2024 John Olson of Urban Landscapes LLC Register here to receive Zoom link
LINKS:
Presenters' Slides
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Concrete Couch
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
Old Town Bike Shop - your local bike shop since 1976 https://www.oldtownbikeshop.com/
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at https://peakallianceco.org/.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Discover how the symbiotic relationship between our environment and our economic development can lead to a more sustainable future with national speaker and Colorado author, John Giordanengo. John has spent the last three decades in the trenches of conservation, restoration ecology, non-profit development, and small-business ownership. That work, coupled with investigative research from across the globe, led to his recent book, Ecosystems as Models for Restoring Our Economies, which was a finalist in the 2023 Colorado Book Awards. Drawing from his systemic experiences, Giordanengo will share insights on aligning environmental values with critical economic and social goals, bridging the gap between the inherent values of our environmental and economic systems in the Pikes Peak Region.
John Giordanengo began building his career in ecological restoration throughout the Western U.S. While studying business in the late eighties, he became intrigued by a universal challenge: preserving earth's ecosystems while meeting humanity's economic needs. Giordanengo offers lecture series at universities and public venues across the U.S. and several other countries, and works with entrepreneurs, non-profits, and industry leaders to create sustainable solutions to complex challenges. He lives in Fort Collins, where he plays music, gardens, and strengthens his professional networks.
If you wish to see John’s slides, view this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/eCyc2VTp2ew
LINKS:
Book: Ecosystems as Models for Restoring Our Economies - By John H. Giordanengohttps://economicrestoration.org/book
Economic Restoration Serviceshttps://economicrestoration.org/
Contact John: John at EconomicRestoration.org
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on September 18, 2024. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
Concrete Couch October 16, 2024, Noon to 1 p.m. Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMpcu6pqzIoHt1Djz6KOns5dM1rjdNDXm4-
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
Old Town Bike Shop - your local bike shop since 1976 https://www.oldtownbikeshop.com/
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at https://peakallianceco.org/.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
What is a permablitz? Ally Richardson invites fellow permaculturists Alexandra Malecki and Beth Carbone to discuss this engaging social permaculture event. We couldn’t contain our giggles! Together, we share our experiences with these community gatherings, which we believe truly enhance our ability to achieve the impossible. In alignment with Mayor Yemi’s initiative on 1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings Initiative, a permablitz not only tackles seemingly impossible tasks but also addresses mental health issues and isolation, all while offering support and sunshine. Find more information about a permablitz here: https://www.permablitz.net/ Since the recording in August, Alex Malecki has joined the 1,000 Neighborhood Gathering Initiative! We’re now at 767 gatherings. We need 233 more, with just over two weeks to go! Have you hosted a gathering recently? Register yours here: https://coloradosprings.gov/1000Gatherings Mentioned in the episode: The mystery book that was referred to by Beth, given by Alex, is the SKIP book by Paul Wheaton and Mike Hasaal. Skip is short for Skills to inherit property. There are many people who have built wonderful permaculture systems on their land, but with no heirs. This program allows for an opportunity to prove you have the skills to take care of the land. For more information on the SKIP program, look here: https://wheaton-labs.com/skip/
To purchase a physical copy of the book, look here: https://permies.com/wiki/160690/physical-copy-SKIP-book Chip Drop was also mentioned. We love wood chips in permaculture. See more information here about getting your wood chips delivered: https://getchipdrop.com/
There is a free resource pile from the City Parks Department at 1601 Recreation Way in Colorado Springs.
Thanks to Old Town Bike Shop for sponsoring the Peak Environment podcast. Check them out at https://www.oldtownbikeshop.com/
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn about the GRIT Program that offers training in a brief conversational intervention used to support effective coping for those in your natural social network. In these trying times, we could all benefit from free training in effective coping to build our collective grit. We get the details from Dr. Lauren Shaw, GRIT Program Manager at UCCS’ Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience. The program is intended to function as one element within more comprehensive planning to help individuals and communities to be as resilient as they can be in the wake of stress-related problems or disasters. In times of disaster, strengthening coping, spreading support, and providing resources can have a positive impact on healing and resilience for everyone.
Dr. Shaw is the GRIT Program Manager with the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience. She received her Bachelor of Science in Human Biology from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in 2009, and her Psy.D. in Organizational Psychology, with a specialization in Health and Wellness, from the University of the Rockies in 2018. Her professional background includes teaching resilience, mindfulness-based training, and leadership development in military and organizational settings. Additionally, she holds certifications as a health coach and personal trainer from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
LINKS:
Presenter's Slides https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GRIT-Presentation.pdf
GRIT Programhttps://grit.uccs.edu
Pikes Peak Rising 360https://www.elpasocountyhealth.org/prevention-services/pikes-peak-rising-360/
Contact Maggie Youkhana for a Pikes Peak Rising 360 platform demo: maggieyoukhana@elpasoco.com
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on August 21, 2024. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
Ecosystems as Models for Restoring our Economies (to a sustainable state)Wednesday, September 18, from 12:00 - 1:00 PM Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAuc--vqj0uG9DCLX0N-3Bo4oyOLJu62nQa
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
Old Town Bike Shop - your local bike shop since 1976 https://www.oldtownbikeshop.com/
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at https://peakallianceco.org/.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn how 350 Colorado can help you become a climate activist, or have more fun and be more effective if you’re already an activist. Chelsea Alexander and Melissa Burrell share what 350 Colorado is and does, and then drill down to some activities and events coming up in Colorado Springs and Pueblo.
350.org. 350 Colorado is the largest Colorado-based grassroots network focused on taking action to stop climate change. It’s an independent state affiliate of 350.org, the well-known global organization. After listening, you’ll understand why 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben said, “It’s hard to imagine a place more important to the climate fight than Colorado.”
In this episode:
Melissa BurrellDenver, Boulder, & CO Springs Team Coordinator, 350 Colorado
Chelsea AlexanderMovement Building & Volunteer Director, 350 Colorado
Dave Gardner, Peak Environment Host
Learn more and plug in at https://350colorado.org/
or find @350Colorado on social media
Join 350 Colorado, The Butterfly Pavilion, Rocky Mountain Bee Supply, Cronk Art, Rick's Garden Center, Pikes Peak Beekeepers Association, Heroes To Hives, and The Horticulture Society at:
Pollinating Climate ActionAugust 4, 2024 2 to 7 pmSoda Springs Park (at farmers market)Manitou Springs, COInfo & RSVP: https://secure.ngpvan.com/Yr2N45vPpUeOCLrrqK6oTA2
Contact Melissa for Colorado Springs specific questions or suggestionsmelissa@350colorado.org
Contact Chelsea, as wellchelsea@350colorado.org
Thanks to these Peak Environment underwriters:
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
Old Town Bike Shop https://www.oldtownbikeshop.com/
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Colorado’s Circular Economy Development Center facilitates connections in Colorado to create circular economy solutions using materials that Coloradans recycle. Archibald, Southern Front Range Satellite Office Coordinator for the CEDC shares details and case studies.
The Center’s mission is to assist companies striving for circularity by helping them advance their business or locate to Colorado. The goal is to create individual, scalable pathways toward circular economies—and step one is creating beneficial collaboration and innovation between Colorado businesses.
This program of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provides end market solutions and fosters the round-table discussions that lead us to circularity. They engage and work closely with stakeholders to mediate solutions that work for our businesses, communities, and environment alike.
During Q&A, there is also an interesting discussion about efforts to have just one trash hauler picking up in each neighborhood, eliminating multiple trucks, reducing costs and cutting carbon emissions.
Alicia Archibald has been developing partnerships and assisting communities throughout Colorado for over 20 years. Most of her career has centered around waste diversion, sustainable procurement, and recycling systems. She’s based in Colorado Springs.
Speaker’s Slideshttps://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CEDC-Intro-Deck-2024_AA-small.pdf
Circular Colorado & CEDChttps://coloradocedc.org
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on July 17, 2024. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
Sustainability in Progress, Topic TBAAugust 21, 2024, 12 noon Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcucuGpqDosE9KbpycdFfUuRsv2kAxwPiYm
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
Old Town Bike Shop - your local bike shop since 1976 https://www.oldtownbikeshop.com/
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at https://peakallianceco.org/.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn about deep nature connection, nature deficit disorder, great programming in the area, and ways we all can engage to feel a belonging amongst the other species that live in the lovely Southern Colorado region. Co-host Ally Richardson, from local nonprofit Pikes Peak Permaculture, is joined by three permaculture guests who work and teach in the region, all who steward the gift of nature connection: Brian Fritz from Pikes Peak Permaculture, Frank Cordova “Ranger Frank,” and Angelina Perez from Pueblo, CO.
Discussed in this episode:
Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center, Pueblo, Colorado https://hikeandlearn.org/
Nature School, Day and Overnight Camps, Trails, and Home School Programs!
Check out the programs here: https://hikeandlearn.org/programs-and-events-camps/
Jon Young- Deep Nature Connection - http://512project.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo-HyjwrsLM
Richard Louv ‘Last Child in the Woods’ https://richardlouv.com/books/last-child/
Findhorn Gardening https://www.findhorn.org/
Heart Math Institute https://www.heartmath.org/
Upcoming Community Classes:
Catamount Institute https://www.catamountinstitute.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture, Manitou Springs, Colorado http://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org
Weeds have a story for you! July 20th, 2024, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Spend the day with Jayme Domejka at Fountain Creek Nature Center to learn about what the weeds in your landscape are telling you about your soil. Discussion will be surrounding specific weedy species, how and if they can be used, and what strategies you can use to get them to give way to other more desirable plants. Don’t want to miss this one!!
Register Here: https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/event/weeds-have-a-story-for-you/
Flying Pig Farm https://flyingpigmanitou.org/
Traditional Ecological Knowledge Workshop with Michael Alcazar July 21, 2024, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
The event with include lunch featuring indigenous foods and a hands-on learning experience from an expert in the field. Register here: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/traditional-ecological-know
Farm and Art Camp July 29 - Aug 2, 2024 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Grades 2nd - 8th Growing relationships to their food and the natural world in a safe, supportive, and fun environment.
Grades 9th - 12th Learn cooking and leadership skills as assistant counselors and chefs, with activities like clay work, construction, animal and plant care, food harvesting, and many more…
Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffT1XJqnK-JhBKZtiAMJD3SdrOGYnaxgsUnAbsBeSCQzAgnA/viewform
A big thank you to sponsors:
Old Town Bike Shop – your local bike shop since 1976https://oldtownbikeshop.com
KJS Auto Hail Repair, your go-to when your vehicle gets hail damage- $100 discount for mentioning Studio 809https://kjsautohailrepair.com/
This episode was produced by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a content partner with Studio 809 Podcasts. Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Join host Ally Richardson as she ventures to the opposite slope of Pikes Peak to converse with master herbalist Mari Marques. Explore how plants nurture us, followed by a tour of her stunning and bountiful gardens. Discover additional advantages and applications for the plants thriving in our area, including those often deemed invasive or labeled as weeds!
“Invasive plants are Earth’s way of insisting we notice her medicines.” -Stephen Herrod Buhner
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/books
United Plant Savers https://unitedplantsavers.org/
Ute County News Article - Wild Thing, You Make My Heart Sing by Mari Marguezhttps://www.utecountrynews.com/archives/2022/july-2022.pdf
Home Remedies and Healing with Plants w/ Mari MarquesJune 29th, 1:00-3:00pm
Enjoyed what you learned from the podcast? Join an upcoming class where Mari Marques delves further into cultivating plants and exploring those found in the wild, emphasizing their role in our healing and well-being. Mention your interest in joining Mari on a tour of her space that day! The class will be at the Florissant Fire Protection District at 2606 W Hwy 24, in Florissant. Registration is required due to limited seating.
Here is a link to register: https://www.rlifeskills101.com/book-online
Join Pikes Peak Permaculture for our upcoming class!
Weeds Have a Story For You! July 20th, 9:00-4pm
Discover what the weeds in your landscape reveal about your soil. We'll explore various weedy species, their potential uses, and effective strategies to encourage more desirable plants to thrive. This class will be held at the Fountain Creek Nature Center. 320 Peppergrass Lane, in Colorado Springs. Registration is required due to limited seating.
Here is a link to register: https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/event/weeds-have-a-story-for-you/
A big thank you to sponsors:
Old Town Bike Shop – Your local bike shop since 1976http://oldtownbikeshop.com/
KJS Auto Hail Repair – Your go-to when your vehicle gets hail damage$100 discount for anyone mentioning Studio 809https://kjsautohailrepair.com/
This episode was produced by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a content partner with Studio 809 Podcasts. Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Discover practical ways to reconnect your home landscape with nature. Learn how to provide food, water, and shelter to support pollinator habitats in your yard. David Woolley, Science Educator and Founder of the Manitou Seed Library shares fascinating information about the many pollinators and their favorite plant varieties.
LINKS:
Presenter’s Slide Presentation https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Native-Places-15-May-2024.pdf
Manitou Springs Seed Library https://www.facebook.com/ManitouSeedLibrary
To email David Woolley manitouseedlibrary@gmail.com
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on May 15, 2024. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
July 17, 2024 12 Noon Topic TBARegister here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYudu2sqTsuGNUTy-ZKggy_yzQumYhEf2Gq
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
Old Town Bike Shop - your local bike shop since 1976 https://www.oldtownbikeshop.com/
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at https://peakallianceco.org/.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn about water resource limitations and challenges for Colorado and Colorado Springs. Scott Winter, project manager in Water Resources and Demand Management for Colorado Springs Utilities, shares work being done to ensure our community is as efficient and as resilient as possible. He also reviews how and what you can do to participate in the efficient use of water both inside and outside of your home.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Presenter’s Slideshttps://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/04172024-Peak-Alliance-for-Sustainable-Future.pdf
Water Conservation & Efficiency Resources – Colorado Springs Utilitieshttps://www.csu.org/Pages/WaterConservationEfficiency.aspx
Coffee and Conservation – First Saturday of each month May – October, 8 to noon at CSU Conservation Centerhttps://allevents.in/colorado%20springs/200026400462050
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on April 17, 2024. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
Native Plants for Native PollinatorsDavid Woolley, Science Educator and Founder of the Manitou Seed Library May 15, 12 NoonRegister here:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kceuurzouHtOY5fWIjVpK3O3DOkU8Nlt2
Thanks to these Peak Environment sponsors:
Pikes Peak Permaculture Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
Old Town Bike Shop - your local bike shop since 1976 https://www.oldtownbikeshop.com/
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at https://peakallianceco.org/.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn about a great resource in the Pikes Peak Region to help you recycle many items you can’t just toss into curbside recycling. This conversation also explores some opportunities for how we might improve Colorado Springs poor recycling performance – we divert only 15% of our waste from the landfill into recycling. Loveland diverts 60%, Boulder 51%.
Mike Mazzola shares why he founded Galvanize Recycling and how this young business can solve many of our recycling challenge – whether you’re a family, a business, a neighborhood group or a city. We also learn about a great opportunity for businesses to sponsor local recycling events. Frequent Peak Environment hosts Ally Richardson and Dave Gardner shepherd the discussion.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Galvanize Recycling http://galvanizerecycling.com/
Request A Pickup with Galvanize Recycling - Order Formhttps://www.galvanizerecycling.com/pickup/
Front Range Waste Diversion https://www.coloradofrwd.org/
Join the movement! CONO's 1000 Neighborhood Events Initiative https://coloradosprings.gov/1000Gatherings
El Paso County Hazardous Waste Facilityhttps://communityservices.elpasoco.com/household-hazardous-waste/
El Paso County Recycling Directory 2024https://epc-assets.elpasoco.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/Recycling-Directory-2024.pdf
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
The Transition Town grassroots movement is a way you can impact your own neighborhood. Learn more about this as Peak Environment co-host Ally Richardson explores Transition Towns with Becky Elder and Brian Fritz from Pikes Peak Permaculture.
If you would like to find out more about public forums, lectures, and community green movies, or if you would like to host such an event, please send Pikes Peak Permaculture an inquiry at https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/contact-us/
Pikes Peak Permaculture is a Southern Colorado 501c3 nonprofit that educates adults and the youth on the wide world of nature and permaculture.
Our upcoming class…. Weeds Have a Story for You! Fountain Creek Nature Center on July 20th, 2024 from 9am - 4pm. Learn more and register: https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/event/weeds-have-a-story-for-you/
Mentioned in this episode:
The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience - by Rob Hopkins https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2932356-the-transition-handbook Free eBook: https://www.ic.org/community-bookstore/product/transition-handbook/
Transition US https://www.transitionus.org/
Transition Network https://transitionnetwork.org/
Nextdoor App- Social network of neighborhoods https://nextdoor.com/
TED Talk: Transition to a World Without Oil - Rob Hopkins https://www.ted.com/talks/rob_hopkins_transition_to_a_world_without_oil
Music on the podcast by Charlie Mgee from Formidable Vegetable, a permaculture-based musical band out of Australia. https://formidablevegetable.com.au/
This episode was produced by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a content partner with Studio 809 Podcasts. Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Katie Helm, Conservation and Sustainability Program Manager for the City of Fountain, provides an update on the city's sustainability efforts. This episode includes an extensive impromptu discussion of recycling challenges and solutions across El Paso County.
Katie Helm is the Conservation and Sustainability Program Manager for the City of Fountain, where she manages energy and water programs. In previous roles she has worked as a Water Conservation Specialist for the City of Aurora, a Park Ranger for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and as a sawyer through Americorps. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. In 2017 she earned her Master of Science from Denver University for Environmental Management and Policy.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Presenter’s Slideshttps://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CAG-Water-Topics-3.24-small.pdf
Resource Centralhttps://resourcecentral.org/lawn
WaterWise Yards exampleshttps://waterwiseyards.org/inspiration-hub/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on March 20, 2024. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. The next event is:
Sustainability in Progress: Colorado Springs Utilities Water Conservation UpdateHear from Julia Gallucci, Water Conservation Supervisor at Colorado Springs UtilitiesApril 17, 2024 at Noon Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAlc-qprzosHt3sT6MGLj5Um3boT49lewJq
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn about City of Colorado Springs sustainability efforts – from both a strategic and an operational perspective. Ryan Trujillo, Deputy Chief of Staff – Operations, updates us and answers questions. Topics include decentralization of the city’s sustainability efforts, status of the yet to be launched Sustainability Advisory Board, a waste characterization study to determine rates we’re diverting waste from landfills, micromobility, and the 2050 Regional Transit Plan (see link to sign up for updates).
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
2050 Regional Transit Planhttps://coloradosprings.gov/2050-regional-transit-and-specialized-transit-plans
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on February 21, 2024. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
Thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts sponsor KJS Auto Hail Repair. Save $100: Mention that you were referred by Studio 809 when you call, or on the contact form at https://kjsautohailrepair.com/
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
What’s the law on plastic bags and polystyrene cups and take-out containers? What other legislation is in effect or potentially coming soon to move the state toward zero waste? How can you receive funding to support your organizational efforts? How can we all take part in moving to reduce this kind of waste? Find out in this update from Rachel Setzke of Eco-Cycle.
In Colorado, restaurants have experienced as much as a 90% reduction in use (and costs) of single use items like straws, ketchup packets, etc. when they don’t automatically provide them, but first ask if a customer wants them. Get this and other useful bits of information in this episode!
Eco-Cycle is one of the oldest mission-based recyclers and Zero Waste organizations in the US, and an innovator in resource conservation. They operate the Boulder County Recycling Center, provide Zero Waste business services, and created the nation’s first Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM). They also run the Green Star Schools program, Community Carbon Farming program, a recycling helpline (303-444-6634), created the A–Z Recycling Guide, and advance Zero Waste policies at the local, state, and national levels.
MORE INFORMATION:
Presenter’s Slideshttps://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Colorado-legislation-wins-for-recycling-composting-and-waste-reduction-for-Co-Springs-group.pdf
Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise Fund programs informationhttps://www.coloradofrwd.org/
https://ecocycle.org/harmful-plastics
Producer Responsibility Acthttps://www.recyclingforallcoloradans.org/
https://www.plasticfreerestaurants.org/
https://www.chefannfoundation.org/
Bag Fee, Ban Materials & Resourceshttps://ecocycle.org/PPRA
Thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts sponsor KJS Auto Hail Repair. Save $100: Mention that you were referred by Studio 809 when you call, or on the contact form at https://kjsautohailrepair.com/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on January 17, 2024. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
Register for the February Sustainability in Progress: COS Sustainability and Strategic Doing February 21, 2024, 12 noon MST https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsc-GhpjorHNR7orAohu2U6jUEq2Nrz2fy
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Why might you want to attend a permaculture design certification course offered in our region? Ally Richardson, a permaculture educator and Peak Environment podcast co-producer, discusses this with other members of Pikes Peak Permaculture: Becky Elder, Brian Fritz, and Jayme Domejka.
Mentioned in this episode:
Pikes Peak Permaculture’s 2024 Permaculture Design Certification
Since the early 1980s, permaculture has been taught through hands-on courses – PDCs – with experienced mentors handing down their knowledge to passionate students.
We are beginning March 8th and will finish September 22nd. Work Trade available- ask for details!
Register Here: https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/event/2024-permaculture-design-course/
Permaculture Potpourri
Come join us at High Prairie Library on February 3rd, 2024 for a FREE class on many topics we cover as permaculturists. From soil to social systems- we have solutions.
Location: 7035 Old Meridian Road, Falcon, Colorado 80831
Register here: https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/event/permaculture-potpourri/
Weeds Have A Story For You!
Spend the day with us and learn on July 20th to learn about what the weeds in your landscape are telling you about your soil. We will discuss specific weedy species, how and if they can be used and what strategies you can use to get them to give way to other more desirable plants.
Class Fee $35; Location TBD.
Register Here: https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/event/weeds-have-a-story-for-you/
Tree City USA Bulletin #59 Permaculture and the City. Arbor Day Foundation
https://www.arborday.org/trees/bulletins/coordinators/resources/pdfs/059.pdf
Music on the podcast by Charlie Mgee from Formidable Vegetable, a permaculture-based musical band out of Australia. https://formidablevegetable.com.au/
This episode was produced by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a content partner with Studio 809 Podcasts. Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Richard Skorman shares an environmental vision and a unique community building opportunity that can help with the restoration efforts of our local watershed - creating natural landscapes that everyone can enjoy: Poor Richard's Rubbish Roundup! Join the weekly trash roundup team and help keep our community clean. Or, better yet, reach out to Richard for support in starting your own volunteer group near your local waters.
The episode is hosted by Ally Richardson, a permaculture educator and Peak Environment co-producer.
Richard Skorman served thirteen years on Colorado Springs City Council, including two as vice mayor. He was on the initial board of the Fountain Creek Watershed District. In 1975, he launched what is now Poor Richard’s Downtown collection of shops – a book and gift shop, a toy store, a restaurant and a coffee cafe/wine bar. He founded the U.S. Environmental Film Festival in 1991, and was a founder of Citizens Project.
Mentioned in this episode:
Poor Richard's Rubbish Roundup- Beginning Again on January 9th, 2024. The volunteer group meets every Tuesday from 3pm to 5pm to clean up Monument Valley Park - South.
For more information: https://www.poorrichardsrestaurant.com/event/richards-rubbish-roundup-every-tuesday/
Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control & Greenway Districthttps://www.fountain-crk.org/
Induced Meandering MethodThe technique of meandering the creek to recharge groundwater, which in turn recharges flowing waters on the landscape and wetlands. The edges that are created from the natural flowing pattern create habitat and forage- for birds and insects, as well as for other fauna which inhabit earth and need to survive.
Biochar & Permaculture Design for Fire Mitigation and Soil Regenerationhttps://pina.in/engage/february-2023-ferp-webinars/
Music by Charlie Mgee from Formidable Vegetable, a permaculture-based musical band out of Australiahttps://formidablevegetable.com.au/
This episode of Peak Environment is courtesy of Pikes Peak Permaculture, celebrating 15 years of Permaculture education, inspiration, and support throughout Colorado’s Pikes Peak Region. We provide several Design Certification Courses, and have graduated upwards of 60 new Permaculture designers. Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Do you approach the holidays mindful of the environmental impact of shopping, gifts and food? This episode explores sustainable options for this holiday season. Konrad Schlarbaum, sustainability director for the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, shares low-impact practices for gifts, food, decorations, and transportation.
Konrad Schlarbaum is the Director of Sustainability at the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs (UCCS). He also serves on the Board of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future, the Sustainability Committee at Thomas MacLaren School, and the Planning Committee for the Pikes Peak Children’s Water Festival. He holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in sustainability and is certified in LEED and Permaculture.
LINKS:
Presenter’s Slideshttps://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sustainable-Holiday-Practices.pdf
Bear Creek by Candlelight – December 1 5 to 8 p.m.https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/bear-creek-candlelight-2/
Center for Biological Diversity’s Simplify the Holidays (gift guides and other green holiday info)https://simplifytheholidays.org/
SoKind alternative gift registryhttps://sokindregistry.org/
Makeover Your Holiday Plate with MyPlatehttps://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2013/11/21/make-small-changes-healthy-holiday-makeover-your-holiday-plate-myplate
Holiday Travel Methods, Ranked from Most to Least Eco-Friendly - Brightly Bloghttps://brightly.eco/blog/holiday-travel-sustainability
A Thankful Feast, Not a Wasteful One - Natural Resources Defense Councilhttps://www.nrdc.org/bio/andrea-spacht-collins/thankful-feast-not-wasteful-one
E-Tech Recyclershttps://etechrecyclers.com/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on November 15, 2023. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Current and upcoming legislation that will impact greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, zero emission vehicles and consumer energy costs. Chris Piper, Director of Legislative Affairs at the Colorado Energy Office shares this and much more, in a very engaging presentation and discussion.
Colorado Energy Officehttps://energyoffice.colorado.gov/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on October 18, 2023. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
Register for the November 15, 2023 Event (on Zoom):
Have Yourself a Low Impact HolidayNovember 15, Noon to 1 PM Register Here
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Continue your deep dive into permaculture principles in the second part of a series hosted by Pikes Peak Permaculture. Acknowledging and practicing permaculture principles can lead to wonderful experiences - which will guide you to understanding how natural systems work in our environment and our climate.
Pikes Peak Permaculture is a Southern Colorado 501c3 nonprofit that educates adults and the youth on the wide world of nature and permaculture.
Thank you to our supporters and community members who came out to Ranch Foods Direct and helped make our September 16th fundraising event possible!
Food to Power- https://foodtopowerco.org/compost
Food To Power makes it super convenient for residents and businesses to keep food, paper and yard “wastes” out of the trash and instead have it turned into compost. Event inquiries are available.
Music by Charlie Mgee from Formidable Vegetable, a permaculture-based musical band out of Australiahttps://formidablevegetable.com.au/
This episode was produced by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a content partner with Studio 809 Podcasts. Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
We can enjoy the great outdoors most when we love and protect our cherished spaces. In this episode we get to know longtime nonprofit Leave No Trace organization, its principles and its programs. Frequent host Dave Gardner is joined by guest co-host Bob Falcone, co-host of the Outdoors with Hiking Bob podcast, and guest Andrew Leary, Director of Sustainable Tourism and Partnerships at Leave No Trace. Andrew and Bob also explain some of the basics of how we can love and protect the outdoors. It’s easier than you think.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Leave No Tracehttps://lnt.org/
Take the free Leave No Trace 101 Coursehttps://learn.lnt.org/
Care for Colorado https://oedit.colorado.gov/care-for-colorado-program
Hiking Bob – Podcast, Book, Photography & Newshttps://hikingbob.com/
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Pikes Peak Permaculture begins a deep dive into permaculture principles in this Part 1 of 2 episode. Acknowledging and practicing these principles can lead to wonderful experiences which will guide you to understanding how natural systems work in our environment and our climate.
Pikes Peak Permaculture is a Southern Colorado 501c3 nonprofit that educates children, and adults, on the wide world of nature and permaculture.
Join us on Saturday, September 16th from 12 to 6 for Pikes Peak Permaculture’s first fundraising event, as we inform the community of ways towards resilience and sustainability within our homes and our community. Many of the things discussed in the podcast will be available to view at the event, such as rainwater harvesting, composting techniques, and much more.
The event will take place at Ranch Foods Direct East at 4635 Town Center Dr . Just by coming to the event, you are supporting educational programs and outreach, and you will also have an opportunity to meet with local farmers, enjoy LIVE music, engage at educational booths, learn creative activities for children, like natural painting and seed balls. We will have local vendors, and food trucks. Door prizes and a silent auction add excitement to that day.
For more information, visit https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/event/pikes-peak-permaculture-fundraiser/
Mentioned in today’s podcast:
Rainwater, Storm Water & Graywater https://dwr.colorado.gov/services/water-administration/rainwater-storm-water-graywater
Regulation #86, Graywater Control Regulation https://cdphe.colorado.gov/wqcc-rulemaking-proceedings
Calculate your footprint here: https://www.footprintcalculator.org/home/en
Pikes Peak Library Repair Café https://ppld.org/repair-cafe
Music by Charlie Mgee from Formidable Vegetable, a permaculture-based musical band out of Australiahttps://formidablevegetable.com.au/
This episode was produced by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a content partner with Studio 809 Podcasts. Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn how Denver Public Schools' Climate Action Plan was developed and is being implemented. DPS policy is to “be a national leader in establishing an organizational culture anchored in sustainability, climate action, and environmental justice in both the conservation of natural resources and in minimizing the carbon footprint of DPS’ practices.”
LeeAnn Kittle, director of the Sustainability Team at Denver Public Schools, shares the details on that climate plan. She’ll also highlight the significance of GHG inventory storytelling and financial impact assessments, which have played a critical role in driving sustainable change across the school district.
LeeAnn holds a Master's in Business Administration and a B.S. in Environmental Science. She is passionate about educating and inspiring her community on sustainability initiatives to address pressing climate issues. She works hard to change the narrative from climate crisis to one of bold action, innovation, and accountability. Kittle has served on several boards across the front range, including organizations such as US Green Building Council, Recycle Colorado, and Colorado Association for School District Energy Managers. LeeAnn also took part in NREL’s Energy Executive Leadership Program and was recently named Energy Manager of the Year for the Central and South US through the Association of Energy Engineers.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Presenter's Slides
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AUG-2023_SIP-PRESENTATION_DPS.pdf
Denver Public Schools Climate Action Plan
https://sustainability.dpsk12.org/2023/01/06/see-the-dps-climate-action-plan/
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future Monthly Newsletter
https://tinyurl.com/4h4ujnya
Sustainable and Resilient Pikes Peak Region Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/srppr
Pikes Peak Permaculture Fundraiser - September 16
https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/event/pikes-peak-permaculture-fundraiser/
The Brewshed Alliance Liquid Lecture
https://www.fountain-crk.org/liquid-lecture-series
Fountain Creek Watershed’s 10th Anniversary Creek Week Cleanup Registration
https://www.fountain-crk.org/creek-week-2023-registration?fbclid=IwAR17qEUuoOIrjcV4dPytDVhIZq-OJ2deuZ9ZDb-JcNn7yjrwPVOyfydIkLU
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on August 16, 2023. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
Register for the next Sustainability in Progress event:
Building High Efficiency, All-Electric Homes – Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity - September 20 at noonhttps://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAocOCppjwuHNZFUr8MeMV8K6pJa0IA-WGy
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture
https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters
https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn about the environmentally sensitive design and construction of the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center and the Living Building Challenge certification process. Sandy Elliott, Parks Operations Administrator for Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain, shares the fascinating details.
Speaker's Slides
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Peak-Alliance-Presentation.pdf
Pikes Peak - America's Mountain
https://coloradosprings.gov/drivepikespeak
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on July 19, 2023. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
Register here for the August 16 SIP, Denver Public Schools' Climate Action Plan
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctcu-srz0uHtTWIXd_vjdZGva87qykG6NR
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture
https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters
https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Permaculture elementary Environment Club, permaculture Earth Day Celebration, and a youth permaculture design course. Pikes Peak Permaculture discusses the importance of permaculture education to connect our children to nature, and how impactful it was in a local school.
Pikes Peak Permaculture is an educational 501c3 nonprofit serving Southern Colorado in the nature and ways of permaculture. If you would like to find out more about permaculture and our programs, please visit our website at pikespeakpermaculture.org.
Come join us at our upcoming sustainable fundraiser event on September 16th, 2023. We are growing in big ways and we are trying to reach you! At our event, we will have a silent auction, door prizes, music, games, local vendors, food trucks, and lots of hand-on permaculture activities will be available for everyone to try.
We need help- Interested in volunteering?
Contact us: https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/contact-us/
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Flying Pig Farm’s Barak Ben-Amots
PEAK ENVIRONMENT Podcast # 98 Building Resilient Community Relationships with Land
https://studio809podcasts.com/resilient-community-relationships-with-land/
Music by Charlie Mgee from Formidable Vegetable, a permaculture-based musical band out of Australia
https://formidablevegetable.com.au/
This episode was produced by Pikes Peak Permaculture, a content partner with Studio 809 Podcasts. Visit https://pikespeakpermaculture.org for opportunities to learn more about sustainable organic living through permaculture – workshops, classes, field trips, and networking.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture
https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters
https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
How homeowners and the community can reduce wildfire risk and prepare for a wildfire event. Ashley Whitworth, Wildfire Mitigation Program Administrator for the Colorado Springs Fire Department, brings us up to speed on defending against wildfire. She also tells us about the Division of the Fire Marshal, and Peak Alerts. Ashley served as a Wildland Firefighter on the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest Fires.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Presenter's Slide Presentation
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Peak-Alliance-Presentation.pdf
Sign up for Peak Alerts
https://member.everbridge.net/1772417038942752/new
Outdoor burning guidelines, burn bans, burn restrictions
https://www.coswildfireready.org/
719-444-7000 – non-emergency number to report violations
Ashley Whitworth
Office: 719-385-7342
Ashley.Whitworth@coloradosprings.gov
Please take the Green Drinks Meetup survey
https://forms.gle/QGYCaQ1JXvJoNk1p6
Sustainable and Resilient Pikes Peak Region group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/47914284779
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on June 21, 2023. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
July's event:
Sustainability in Progress: How the Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center is Meeting Environmental ChallengesJuly 19, Noon to 1 pmLearn about the environmentally sensitive design and construction of the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center and the Living Building Challenge certification process. Sandy Elliott, Parks Operations Administrator for Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain, will share the fascinating details. Reserve here to receive a link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwscuqorDwjHNSUN7Dg-H9PNEJeQBmsAvUS
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture
https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters
https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Have you heard of Permaculture? Join the Pikes Peak Permaculture's team as we introduce ourselves, permaculture and our mission here in the Pikes Peak region. Learn about the programs we offer, including certifications, teacher training, classes and workshops.
Pikes Peak Permaculture is an educational 501(c)3 nonprofit educating Southern Colorado in the ways and nature of permaculture.
Pikespeakpermaculture.org
http://pikespeakpermaculture.org/
In September, our organization will be holding its first fundraiser event with live music, food and fun. We are planning to have many opportunities for people of all ages to learn about permaculture.
We are growing by leaps and bounds with goals to have big impacts in the community. We are hosting this fundraiser to provide funds for programs for schools, teens, and community members.
We are looking for volunteers. If you can help reach out!
https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/contact-us/
Music by Charlie Mgee from Formidable Vegetable, a permaculture-based musical band out of Australia https://formidablevegetable.com.au/
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture
https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters
https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
If you’re looking for a place to grow delicious produce this summer, get the scoop here. Colorado Springs Sustainability Program Administrator Samantha Bailey provides an update on city sustainability initiatives and a new website to help you find a garden plot. She is joined by Westside Community Center’s Felicia Barnhart, who updates us on what’s happening there (including LOTS of available community garden space).
Samantha provides details about:
Sustainable COS (Sustainability Action Plan) – using the Pikes Peak Region 2030 Plan – to improve or create a more robust sustainability program for the city for the next 10 years.
COS Love My Air –we now have air quality monitoring stations in each council district measuring ozone and particulate matter.
SmartCOS – using technology to increase efficiency and improve city life
LINKS:
https://coloradosprings.gov/gardens
https://coloradosprings.gov/innovation
https://coloradosprings.gov/smartsustainability
https://coloradosprings.gov/westsidecommunitycenter
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture
https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters
https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
What does the April ballot success of the Trails and Open Space tax renewal tell us about our community, and how might we use that to address shortfalls in county and city parks funding? Susan Davies, Executive Director of the Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC), fills us in. She shares highlights of our areas parks and open spaces, and discusses ways we can improve funding for future needs.
After a 30-year career as a TV journalist in various markets around the country, Susan took the position leading TOSC in 2009. Under her leadership TOSC has tackled several large initiatives including completing the Ring the Peak Trail, supporting Friends Groups across the region, starting a Trail Ambassador and Get Out/Get Healthy Program, empowering neighborhood groups committed to improving trails and parks in underserved areas and most recently the extension of the City's TOPS (Trails, Open Space and Parks) tax.
LINKS:
Presenter's Slides https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SIP-presentation.pdf
Trails and Open Space Coalitionhttps://www.trailsandopenspaces.org/
Info about Colorado Springs Trails, Open Space and Parks Programhttps://www.trailsandopenspaces.org/tops/
Pollinator Festivalhttps://manitoupollinators.org/pollinator-festival-2023
Sustainable and Resilient Pikes Peak Region Facebook Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/47914284779
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on May 17, 2023. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The June 21, 2023 SIP will be: Wildfire Mitigation - with Ashley Whitworth of CSFDRSVP and get the zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwoce6hqDMoGteK4y9gy1FvOXmVvomlhaxO
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn about the 2022 county parks master plan, including updates to future open space and park areas, revisions to trail alignments, and an asset management plan to outline critical needs. Jason Meyer, Planning Supervisor for El Paso County Parks and Community Services, shares how the plan was created, and highlights of the plan.
El Paso County's regional park system has over 8,000 acres of park and open spaces, and over 200 miles of regional trails. Popular parks include Bear Creek Regional in Colorado Springs, Fox Run near Monument, Fountain Creek in Fountain, and Paint Mines near Calhan. County Parks also operates the Bear Creek and Fountain Creek Nature Centers. Planning in underway to add a third nature center in Fox Run Regional Park.
LINKS:
Presenter’s Slides https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/El-Paso-County-Parks-Presentation-4-19-2023.pdf
El Paso County’s Parks Master Plan https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/parks-planning/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on April 19, 2023. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The May 17, 2023 SIP will be: Plans for Trails, Open Space and Parks - with Susan Davies of TOSC
RSVP and get the zoom link here:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUuc-CpqDgtGdOZV27D17F7KQbi5rX7dhl0
Thanks to sponsors Pikes Peak Permaculture (link below) and Becky Elder.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Hungry for good, local food? CSA’s, community gardens, farmer’s markets and the Hunt or Gather Buying Club are discussed by local food experts and champions, Michele Mukatis and Megan Andreozzi Harris.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Hunt or Gather Buying Club https://www.facebook.com/HuntOrGather/ huntorgatherivywild@gmail.com
New Roots Farm https://newrootsfarmllc.com/
Ellen’s Flowers https://www.ellensflowers.com/
Olde Owl Bread Co. https://www.facebook.com/oldeowlbreadco
Nightingale Bread https://www.nightingalebread.com/
Switchback Coffee Roasters https://switchbackroasters.com/
Colorado Produce Calendar https://ag.colorado.gov/sites/ag/files/documents/ColoradoProduceCalendar_0.pdf
Colorado Farm Fresh Directory https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f5ScQ3MVvvroOLQnKsGqmVXMResyAVHm/view
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Thanks to Gold Hill Mesa https://www.goldhillmesa.com/ for their support of Studio 809 Podcasts.
And thanks to Becky Elder for her support. You can provide support here: https://www.patreon.com/studio809
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Food cultivation, land-based learning in empowering youth, and the central role of farmers as caregivers in our region are essential parts of building resilient community relationships with land. Barak Ben-Amots updates us on his efforts as executive director of Flying Pig Farm, a community learning garden growing at the base of Pikes Peak in Manitou Springs, CO. He has worked over the last eight years to help learners of all ages connect with land, natural systems, our ecological family, and themselves. Raised in Colorado Springs as the child of two artists and professors, he is passionate about creativity, resilience, and life-long learning.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/flyingpigmanitou/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on March 15, 2023. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
How will Colorado Springs’ updated zoning and subdivision ordinance make our community more sustainable and resilient? City of Colorado Springs Planning Supervisor Morgan Hester shares important details about RetoolCOS.
The City of Colorado Springs City Council recently adopted the first comprehensive update of the City’s zoning and subdivision ordinance in several decades. The 3-year process has been spearheaded by the Planning Department and is known as the RetoolCOS project, which will result in a Unified Development Code (UDC) to establish a new, modern, and more user-friendly approach to zoning and subdivision regulations as directed by PlanCOS, the 2019 Council-adopted comprehensive plan, to fit the needs of the City.
The zoning and subdivision ordinance governs how property owners can use their land, including regulations such as building height, setbacks between properties and rights-of-ways, and what uses are permitted. The zoning and subdivision ordinance also describes the procedures for subdividing property or undertaking a development project. Learn more at https://coloradosprings.gov/project/retoolcos-zoning-ordinance-update.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on February 15, 2023. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
The new disposable plastic shopping bag “ban” and Colorado’s miserable recycling rate (15%) are among the topics as we hear from Liz Chapman, Executive Director of Recycle Colorado. Chapman shares information about new waste policies being implemented or voted on in 2023, plus other efforts to improve recycling and reduce waste statewide.
Of particular interest is the Producer Responsibility for Recycling Act, passed in 2022 and being fully in effect in 2026. It will make it easy for all Coloradans to recycle more plastics, aluminum cans, glass bottles, cardboard, and printed paper. It will also help manufacturers and businesses by creating a more resilient domestic supply of recycled materials to make new products.
Recycle Colorado is a statewide non-profit organization working to advance infrastructure, end markets, and state and local policies in waste reduction, recovery and diversion. Recycle Colorado has over 300 members from across the state—from the public, private and non-profit sectors.
LINKS:
Speaker's Slide Presentation https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1.18.23_PEAK_Alliance-presentation.pdf
Recycle Coloradohttps://www.recyclecolorado.org/
Producer Responsibility for Recyclinghttps://www.recyclingforallcoloradans.org
Ecocyclehttps://www.ecocycle.org
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on January 18, 2023. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://www.peakalliance.co/
Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn about the changing climate in Colorado with Peter Goble of the Colorado Climate Center. Peter is a climatologist and research associate.
The Colorado Climate Center is located at Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, Colorado, within the Department of Atmospheric Science. As a recognized State Climate Office, the Center strives to collect and observe data with the purpose of monitoring the climate, placing individual events into historical perspective, disseminating climate information to the user community, and providing climate expertise as part of the decision-making process.
Colorado Climate Centerhttps://climate.colostate.edu/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on November 16, 2022. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to receive meeting notices and other updates from Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future: https://tinyurl.com/4h4ujnya
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
In observance of arts month, get arts and culture updates from Andy Vick, executive director of the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region; and Natalie Johnson, executive director of the Manitou Art Center. Andy shares about the community’s new cultural plan, Arts Vision 2030, and some of the work it has already inspired. Natalie shares about some of the specific programs and initiatives that the Manitou Art Center has undertaken to support sustainability efforts.
LINKS:
Andy Vick’s Slides
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SIP-PowerPoint-10-19-22.pdf
Natalie Johnson’s Slides
Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region
https://www.culturaloffice.org
Arts Vision 2030
https://www.culturaloffice.org/artsvision2030/
Manitou Art Center
https://www.manitouartcenter.org/
Military Arts Connection
https://militaryartsconnection.org/
November’s Sustainability in Progress
Climate Change in Colorado
with Becky Bolinger, Ph.D. (she/her), Assistant State Climatologist, Colorado Climate Center, CSU Dept. Atmospheric Science
Wednesday, November 16, from 12:00 - 1:00 PM
This is a virtual event. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtcOmrrDwpGNMQetZ55X-sXH8rPpPF6BLv
Featured Community Events
Green Drinks RebootA monthly casual networking event where sustainably-minded people meet over drinks.
Thursday, October 27 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Ivywild School, Bristol Brewing Company
Info and RSVP: https://fb.me/e/ePzF22UL9
Seeking Board Members
Do you have a passion for sustainability?
Do you want to promote sustainability efforts happening in the region?
Do you have about five hours per month to dedicate to this cause?
Do you have or are willing to develop skills in:
- Marketing
- Fundraising
- Communication
- Financial Management
- Event Management
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is a 501c3 non-profit organization that strives to promote sustainability in the Pikes Peak region and to advance the regional sustainability plan called Looking to Our Future: Pikes Peak Region 2030. You can read the plan here:
http://peakalliance.org/uploads/pdf/Final%20PPR%202030%20Plan.pdf
Contact Mary Barber
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on October 19, 2022. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
In observance of arts month, get arts and culture updates from Andy Vick, executive director of the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region; and Natalie Johnson, executive director of the Manitou Art Center. Andy shares about the community’s new cultural plan, Arts Vision 2030, and some of the work it has already inspired. Natalie shares about some of the specific programs and initiatives that the Manitou Art Center has undertaken to support sustainability efforts.
LINKS:
Andy Vick’s Slides
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SIP-PowerPoint-10-19-22.pdf
Natalie Johnson’s Slides
Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region
https://www.culturaloffice.org
Arts Vision 2030
https://www.culturaloffice.org/artsvision2030/
Manitou Art Center
https://www.manitouartcenter.org/
Military Arts Connection
https://militaryartsconnection.org/
November’s Sustainability in Progress
Climate Change in Colorado
with Becky Bolinger, Ph.D. (she/her), Assistant State Climatologist, Colorado Climate Center, CSU Dept. Atmospheric Science
Wednesday, November 16, from 12:00 - 1:00 PM
This is a virtual event. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtcOmrrDwpGNMQetZ55X-sXH8rPpPF6BLv
Featured Community Events
Green Drinks RebootA monthly casual networking event where sustainably-minded people meet over drinks.
Thursday, October 27 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Ivywild School, Bristol Brewing Company
Info and RSVP: https://fb.me/e/ePzF22UL9
Seeking Board Members
Do you have a passion for sustainability?
Do you want to promote sustainability efforts happening in the region?
Do you have about five hours per month to dedicate to this cause?
Do you have or are willing to develop skills in:
- Marketing
- Fundraising
- Communication
- Financial Management
- Event Management
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is a 501c3 non-profit organization that strives to promote sustainability in the Pikes Peak region and to advance the regional sustainability plan called Looking to Our Future: Pikes Peak Region 2030. You can read the plan here:
http://peakalliance.org/uploads/pdf/Final%20PPR%202030%20Plan.pdf
Contact Mary Barber
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on October 19, 2022. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
An update on the Colorado Water Plan from Jeff Rodriguez, Regional Water Coordination Specialist with the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The 2023 Water Plan, to be finalized in January, builds on a legacy of integrated statewide planning for water in Colorado. This updated plan continues to focus on collaboration between the state and the water community on-the-ground. To help Coloradans take action, the plan incorporates state-of-the-art tools and data focusing on four major interconnected action areas: Vibrant Communities, Robust Agriculture, Thriving Watersheds, and Resilient Planning.
LINKS:
Presenter’s Slides
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Water_plan_rodriguez.pdf
To read the draft plan or share a water story, visit https://engagecwcb.org/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on September 21, 2022. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. Next program:
Arts and Culture in the Pikes Peak Region
October 19, 2022 12:00 Noon Mountain Time
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcodO-oqTstHNHEUOk5WCIzqNmAjx2gz030
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
An update on the Colorado Water Plan from Jeff Rodriguez, Regional Water Coordination Specialist with the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The 2023 Water Plan, to be finalized in January, builds on a legacy of integrated statewide planning for water in Colorado. This updated plan continues to focus on collaboration between the state and the water community on-the-ground. To help Coloradans take action, the plan incorporates state-of-the-art tools and data focusing on four major interconnected action areas: Vibrant Communities, Robust Agriculture, Thriving Watersheds, and Resilient Planning.
LINKS:
Presenter’s Slides
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Water_plan_rodriguez.pdf
To read the draft plan or share a water story, visit https://engagecwcb.org/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on September 21, 2022. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. Next program:
Arts and Culture in the Pikes Peak Region
October 19, 2022 12:00 Noon Mountain Time
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcodO-oqTstHNHEUOk5WCIzqNmAjx2gz030
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Stormwater management is a critical environmental concern for a large urban area like Colorado Springs. City of Colorado Springs Stormwater Enterprise Manager Richard Mulledy discusses the city’s new green infrastructure standards for development and redevelopment. He also shares some planned and some completed capital projects, and gives us an overview of the strategic vision of the Stormwater Enterprise.
LINKS:
Presenter’s slides
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SWENTGreenInfra_7.20.2022.pdf
City of Colorado Springs Stormwater Enterprise
https://coloradosprings.gov/stormwater-enterprise
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on July 20, 2022. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn about the newly revived Kathleen Marriage Garden at Sondermann Park, and how you can incorporate native plants into your landscape and help support a healthy watershed. Colorado Native Plant Society Executive Director Maggie Gaddis and Fountain Creek Watershed District Interim Executive Director Alli Schuch talk about the history of the garden, how it was brought back to life, and how native plants help support a healthy watershed. They also discuss National Pollinator Month.
LINKS:
Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District
https://www.fountain-crk.org/
Fountain Creek Watershed info
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/FCWatershed.jpg
Fountain Creek Watershed Map
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Fountain_Creek_Watershed-map.pdf
Fountain Creek Brewshed Alliance Map
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/FCWD-Brewshed-Poster-2022.pdf
Colorado Native Plant Society
https://conps.org/
Register to Virtually Attend the Next Sustainability in Progress meeting
Sustainability in Progress: Stormwater Green Infrastructure Plan
Jul 20, 2022 08:00 AM
City of Colorado Springs Stormwater Enterprise Manager Richard Mulledy will share about the enterprise’s Green Infrastructure plan.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsde2sqzMpHd3HfEPDlGRTFT3KFjPPU6W8
Special thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on June 15, 2022. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
A dry winter, long-term drought, and record low levels in major Colorado River reservoirs have all of us wondering what we can do to minimize our water consumption. Kate Larson of Resource Central shares how the organization is helping communities implement programs to encourage homeowners to conserve water.
City of Fountain Conservation and Sustainability Manager Katie Helm also shares the response from community members and why being able to partner with another organization to administer these services is so invaluable. (Resource Central is helping the city of Fountain with Lawn Replacement, Slow the Flow (irrigation evaluations), a smart controller program, and seminars).
LINKS:
Speaker’s Slides
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Resource-Central-SIP-5.18.2022_v2.pdf
Resource Central
https://resourcecentral.org/
City of Fountain Conservation & Sustainability
https://fountainco.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=8af6d3c2308b4909a1820b4337bb38b5
Source of information and inspiration - property owners can share water conservation tips and experience
https://waterwiseyards.org/
Three Videos Shown by Kate:
Lafayette Waterwise Yard Transformationhttps://youtu.be/UVyV-I5O5mg
Bee Friendly Yard Beautifies the Neighborhoodhttps://youtu.be/bxMfWP9m2gI
Lawn Replacement Program: How It Workshttps://youtu.be/dQtzodxoOUI
Resource Central YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/ReSourceConservation
Sustainable and Resilient Pikes Peak Region - Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/srppr
Receive Notifications of Future Sustainability in Progress Meetings
https://tinyurl.com/4h4ujnya
Special thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on May 18, 2022. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Sustainability in Progress
June 15, 2022
8 to 9 am
In-Person or Virtual
Sondermann Park
740 West Caramillo Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Planting for a Healthy Watershed
Join CO Native Plant Society Executive Director Maggie Gaddis and Fountain Creek Watershed District Interim Executive Director Alli Schuch at the newly revived Kathleen Marriage Garden at Sondermann Park. We'll talk about the history of the garden, how it was brought back to life, how you can incorporate native plants and help support a healthy watershed. This is an outdoor event at the garden.
Advance registration required to attend the virtual version of this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtduqppjwtG9f1Y2WlqJRbvaQOzwu3hnLf
Cob Oven WorkshopJune 11-12, 2022
Smokebrush Farm
302 El Paso Blvd.
Manitou Springs, CO
For information and registration, call Dylan Roberts: 719-650-5697
Permaculture Design Workshop
June 24-26, 2022
Orient Land Trust
Moffat, CO
For information and registration: permaculture@olt.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
How will Colorado Springs meet its water needs for the next 50 years? Our water system is complex and far-reaching – spanning more than 100 miles. Colorado Springs Utilities Senior Conservation Education Specialist Birgit Landin shares what it takes to acquire, treat and deliver water to our community every day. She also explains the challenges we face and Utilities’ roadmap for a cost-effective water supply for the next 50 years.
Next Sustainability in Progress meeting:
Wednesday, May 18, 2022 from 8 to 9 am
Virtual only. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIofuCuqDgqHNOYJg6cYzTpKl91s5AnLPoO
Conserving Water at HomeA dry winter, long-term drought, and record low levels in major Colorado River reservoirs have all of us wondering what we can do to minimize our water consumption. Kate Larson of Resource Central shares how the organization is helping communities implement programs to encourage homeowners to conserve water.
LINKS:
Speaker’s Slides
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Water-System-and-Future-Planning-2022.pdf
Colorado Springs Utilities Rebates and Showerheads
https://www.csu.org/Pages/ResidentialRebates.aspx
Receive Notifications of Future Sustainability in Progress Meetings
https://tinyurl.com/4h4ujnya.
Sustainable and Resilient Pikes Peak Region Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/47914284779
Special thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
Thanks also to the MeadowGrass Music Festival. This wonderful outdoor music festival in the Black Forest happens Memorial Day weekend. Tickets and info here: https://meadowgrass.org/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on March 16, 2022. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Colorado Springs Sustainability Coordinator Samantha Bailey fills us in on her current efforts, the new SustainableCOS project, and her goals for the future of Colorado Springs. SustainableCOS is a city-wide sustainability action plan.
LINKS:
Samantha Bailey's Slide Presentation
https://studio809podcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/03152022_SustainableCOS_PASF.pdf
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
https://coloradosprings.gov/office-innovation
Special thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on March 16, 2022. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn how to calculate the carbon footprint of some of your common activities and convert that it into work that reduces overall carbon emissions. Carbon Cut Colorado is a website and program of Colorado Springs-based Energy Resource Center (ERC). ERC Development Director Mike Mazzola sat down for this conversation with Peak Environment co-producer and co-host Ellen Johnson-Fay, to explain Carbon Cut Colorado, as well as the other programs of ERC.
The funds donated through Carbon Cut Colorado support the work of ERC – assisting income-qualified families through energy efficiency improvements. Work includes insulation, HVAC, hot water heaters, lighting, appliances, air sealing and more. These efforts save money on energy bills, reduce demand on natural resources by cutting energy waste, assist with the affordable housing crisis, and create a safe environment in which Colorado residents can thrive.
ERC also makes paid home energy audits and weatherization assistance to available to the general public. Fees from this work help support the assistance provided to families in need. Energy Resource Center serves 27 Colorado counties, with offices in the Pikes Peak Region, Denver Metro, the San Luis Valley and Northern Colorado.
LINKS:
Energy Resource Center
https://www.erc-co.org/
Carbon Cut Colorado
https://carboncutco.com/
Special thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Get the state of the science and public policy related to wolves in the U.S. today. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) hosted this virtual conversation in a January 25 webinar. See the video replay here, or listen to this podcast replay.
Learn about the history of gray wolf persecution and recovery, PEER’s unique approach using the Pittman-Robertson Act, hear from a notable scientist about the state of the science about liberalizing wolf-killing, and explore an indigenous perspective for a new vision for wolves based on an ancient relationship. The webinar included Q&A from participants and a call to action for participants to protect wolves in 2022 and beyond.
Featured Speakers:
Adrian Treves PhD
Professor and Founder of the Carnivore Coexistence Lab
Adrian conducts independent research and advocates for future generations of all life, for scientific integrity, and for sovereign publics worldwide. He studies and speaks about the public trust doctrine and intergenerational equity around the world. Adrian earned his PhD at Harvard University in 1997 and is a Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and director of the Carnivore Coexistence Lab since 2007. For the past 27 years, his research focuses on ecology, law, and human dimensions of ecosystems in which crop and livestock ownership overlaps the habitat of large carnivores from coyotes up to grizzly bears.
Peter DavidWildlife Biologist
Peter David a wildlife biologist with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, where he assists GLIFWC’s member tribes in the implementation of their off-reservation, treaty-reserved rights. He received his education (bachelors and master’s in wildlife ecology) from UW-Madison, and from the tribal elders and members for whom he has worked for the last 35 years. At the Commission, he has had the opportunity to work with a variety of natural resources – or “more than human beings” in the Ojibwe world view - ranging from wild rice to wolves.
Dave Parsons
Dave Parsons received his Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Iowa State University and his Master of Science degree in Wildlife Ecology from Oregon State University. Dave is retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service where from 1990-1999 he led the USFWS’s effort to reintroduce the endangered Mexican gray wolf to portions of its former range in the Southwest.
Chandra RosenthalAttorney, Rocky Mountain PEER Director
A Colorado native, Chandra heads up the office as Rocky Mountain PEER Counsel. Chandra, formerly staff attorney with Defenders of Wildlife specializing in endangered species and public lands issues, has also worked for the U.S. Department of Justice and, under a legal fellowship, worked on a Superfund site with the Department of Energy. Chandra earned her law degree in 1993 at the Lewis and Clark Northwestern School of Law, where she focused her studies on environmental law.
Moderator
Hudson Kingston
Policy and Litigation Attorney at PEER
Hudson, a born and raised Minnesotan, helps public employees hold governments to account for environmental harm in the Midwest and across the country. He comes to PEER after working with public health, consumer protection, and environmental organizations in both Washington DC and the Midwest. Over the course of his career, he has worked on litigation and policy related to climate change, addressing the water pollution impacts of mining, pesticide regulation, the environmental and health impacts of e-cigarettes, and environmental injustices perpetuated by the administrative state. It has been his honor to partner in this work with tribes, local nonprofits, low-income advocates, coalitions of environmental and social justice groups, and local/state/territorial/federal public employees. Hudson received his law degree from the University of Iowa School of Law, and two Masters of Laws degrees in human rights and international law from New York University and the National University of Singapore. He received his bachelor’s degree in French and English Literature from Carleton College, in Minnesota.
Call to ActionParticipants are encouraged to call Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland at (202) 208-3100 and encourage her to: (1) Use Pittman-Robertson funds as a lever to compel states to protect native predators and (2) Issue an immediate emergency listing of the Grey Wolf as an endangered species.
Links:
A Review of the Effects of Liberalizing the Killing of Wolves(Pre-print of the peer-reviewed publication) http://faculty.nelson.wisc.edu/treves/publications.php
Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
https://glifwc.org/
Video Replay of this Webinar
https://peer.org/webinar-pups-and-packs-saving-wolves-in-2022/
Speakers’ Slides
https://peermd.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/all-staff/Ebi7scQF_OBGhX0TIxworGQB5xA7569EzDhDBdXse7-URw?e=uUBOg3
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
https://peer.org/
Special thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
An introduction to Arts Vision 2030, the new cultural plan to support arts and culture in the Pikes Peak Region. It was developed by, of, and for the community, under the stewardship of the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPeR), the Bee Vradenburg Foundation, and a diverse steering committee of 24 local creative leaders. COPPeR Executive Director Andy Vick introduces the plan, and he shares how it was created and how we can all be a part of its implementation.
LINKS:
Speaker’s Slide Presentation
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Arts-Vision-2030-10-Minute-Presentation.pdf
Arts Vision 2030 Document
https://culturaloffice.org/artsvision2030
Special thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on November 17, 2021. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn about opportunities to lower your carbon footprint by getting around town without a car. Electric scooters, all-electric buses and trains are among the topics.
SPEAKERS:
Jeff Hoover - Veo
Brian Vitulli - Planning Supervisor, City of Colorado Springs Public Works, Transit Services Division (Mountain Metropolitan Transit)
LINKS:
Veo
https://www.veoride.com/colorado-springs/
Mountain Metro
https://coloradosprings.gov/mountain-metro
How to Ride (Mountain Metro bus services)
https://coloradosprings.gov/mountain-metro/page/how-ride?mlid=8456
Metro Rides – Alternative Commuting
https://coloradosprings.gov/mountain-metro/page/metro-rides-alternative-commuting?mlid=8506
Bustang Intercity Bus Service
https://ridebustang.com/
Special thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on October 20, 2021. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
What should be considered in designing projects to address environmental issues, and how can we best integrate these? In designing projects to address environmental issues, we often underestimate the influence of social, financial and legal systems. Konrad Schlarbaum explores these systems using a permaculture framework and a real-world example. Konrad is Sustainability Coordinator at Pikes Peak Community College.
LINKS:
Presenter’s Slides
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Integrating-Social-Legal-Financial-.pdf
Office of Sustainability, Pikes Peak Community College
https://www.ppcc.edu/sustain
Pikes Peak Permaculture
https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/
This program was recorded at the October 22, 2021 meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. The Forum is now taking a break. Learn about future plans or luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for updates as we evaluate our future.
Environmental Forum Sponsors:
Art of Engineering
Black Hills Energy
Miriam's Place
Becky the Gardener
Environmental Compliance Systems
Old Town Bike Shop
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Special thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
How and why has Colorado Springs grown to be the second largest city in Colorado, and what are the environmental implications of this? John Harner, author of the new book, Profiting from the Peak, shares highlights from the book. Harner is a professor of Geography at UCCS.
LINKS:
Speaker’s Slides
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/harner_podcast.pdf
Profiting from the Peak: Landscape and Liberty in Colorado Springs – by John Harner
https://upcolorado.com/university-press-of-colorado/item/4028-profiting-from-the-peak
Video – John Harner presentation at UrbanCOS Series in 2020
https://youtu.be/GN9oQU35S-U
Lost & Preserved in Colorado SpringsEpisode of Colorado Experience series by Rocky Mountain PBS
https://youtu.be/q09ALRrY6Dw
This program was an encore presentation of the September 24, 2021 meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. The Forum is taking a break following its October, 2021 meeting. Learn about future plans or luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for updates as we evaluate our future.
Environmental Forum Sponsors:
Art of Engineering
Black Hills Energy
Miriam's Place
Becky the Gardener
Environmental Compliance Systems
Old Town Bike Shop
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Special thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Creek Week events give you an opportunity to take care of our local water resource. It’s the largest watershed clean-up in the state of Colorado. Fountain Creek Watershed Outreach Coordinator Alli Schuch shares the exciting events offered during Creek Week, September 25 – October 3, 2021. Also get an update on the projects of the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District – from Executive Director Bill Banks.
LINKS:
Slides from Bill Banks Presentation
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Speakers-Bureau-updated-2021-Sept-15.pdf
Slides from Alli Schuch Presentation
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Sept-2021-SIP-Presentation.pdf
Creek Week Events and Registration
http://www.fountain-crk.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Creek-Week-2021-Public-Events-FINAL-1.pdf
Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District
https://www.fountain-crk.org/
Creek Week 2021 Commercialhttps://youtu.be/9-ZwiUlpwrA
Stella fixes a leaky flapper! – YouTube Video
https://youtu.be/diJ3xuZJTXk
Special thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on September 14, 2021. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
How do our local city and county governments compare to other communities in Colorado and the nation? How does this affect our quality of life? Get an advance look at the Local Government section of the Pikes Peak United Way Quality of Life Indicators Report, Peak Progress.
Andy Gunning, Executive Director of Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, and Deb Hamilton, Strategic Services Librarian of the Pikes Peak Library District, share some of the data collected by the Local Government council for the Quality of Life Indicators report.
LINKS:
Presenters’ Slides
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Data-Presentation-Local-Government-No-data.pdf
PEAK PROGRESS Quality of Life Indicators
https://www.ppunitedway.org/peakprogressqli/
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
https://www.peakalliance.org
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on August 18, 2021. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
September's SIP will be held on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 at 8 am. RSVP here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIsceiupzwrGd1TJP7WZZfFaDdW1fdUfWGs
Special thanks to Studio 809 Podcasts Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
The Demographics council of the Peak Progress Quality of Life Indicators Report share the contributions they’re making to the next version of the report. They’re providing tools to make it easier to understand who lives in our region and how that is changing over time. Data can be overwhelming but it can tell us a lot about the place that we live.
The 2030 Sustainability plan was heavily informed by the past QLI reports. The next several Sustainability in Progress meetings will feature reports on different sections of the QLI report.
Speakers:
- Introduction by Audrey Carlson, QLI Coordinator at Pikes Peak United Way
- Rebecca Theobald - UCCS Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
- Matthew Gottfried - UCCS Geospatial Technologies Specialist
- Matt Cooney - Colorado College GIS Technical Director
LINKS:
Peak Progress: Quality of Life Indicators (includes the video played in this session)
https://www.ppunitedway.org/peakprogressqli/
2007 Report
https://www.ppunitedway.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2007-QLI-Report.pdf
2010 Report
https://www.ppunitedway.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2010-QLI-Report.pdf
2011 Report
https://www.ppunitedway.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2011-QLI-Report.pdf
2013 Report
https://www.ppunitedway.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2013-QLI-Report.pdf
2016/2017 Report
https://www.ppunitedway.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/QLI-FULL-REPORT_web.pdf
UCCS Geocivics website on redistricting
https://geocivics.uccs.edu/
Representable – free, open-source tool for creating maps of communities of interest
https://www.representable.org/
League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region (good source of redistricting info)
https://www.lwvppr.org/
The 15 Most Transient American Citieshttps://roanoke.com/lifestyles/the-15-most-transient-american-cities/article_90f3788d-157b-5660-9257-4d6ea44424ee.html
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on July 21, 2021. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
August's SIP will be held on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at 8 am.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at http://peakalliance.org/
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Get a tour of the new El Paso County Master Plan recently adopted by the county commissioners. Mark Gebhart, Deputy Director of Planning and Community Development for the county, provided this overview at the June 16, 2021 Sustainability in Progress meeting.
LINKS:
Your El Paso Master Plan – project website
El Paso County Planning and Development
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on June 16, 2021. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
August's SIP will be held on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at 8 am.
Special thanks to Studio 809 Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
How do we ensure all Colorado children are engaged in outdoor learning experiences? Appreciation for nature, the great outdoors, conservation and sound environmental stewardship don’t just happen. They are the result of positive experiences and good information and education. In this episode, we hear from two environmental education leaders who are providing these experiences and education for the children of Colorado. Environmental education across the state of Colorado and getting kids learning outside can support our sustainability goals.
Katie Navin, executive director of the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, shares information about updating the Colorado Environmental Education Plan, as well as two important pieces of legislation. Christopher Aaby, executive director of Catamount Institute, fills us in on the excellent youth education programs provided by the Catamount Institute as well as a few other programs.
LINKS:
Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education
Catamount Institute
Organizations Offering Educational Programming
Colorado Environmental Education Plan - draft
Executive Summary
Carbon Cut Colorado – Offset your carbon emissions by providing energy-efficiency ugrades to income-qualified families, thanks to Energy Resource Center
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on May 19, 2021. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
July's SIP will be held on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at 8 am.
Special thanks to Studio 809 Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
https://www.springshomes.com
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Why do we need to grow more of our own food? According to local garden expert Larry Stebbins, Colorado Springs is behind many other cities in local food sufficiency. He explains why urban gardening plays a critical role in our resilience and food supply in the face of a growing population and shrinking farmland. He also shares some of the opportunities in the local area for embracing urban farming. This includes the Backyard Garden Project – launched this year – which helps local food-insecure families start their own raised-bed gardens.
Michael Rigny fills us in on a survey and mapping project he and Larry are conducting to help track progress on some of the stretch goals of the 2030 Sustainability Plan – increased regional farming and more people growing their own food.
Ruthie Markwardt of Flying Pig Farm and Colorado Farm and Art Market updates us on current status and plans for the markets.
LINKS:
Slides accompanying Ruthie's CFAM update
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CFAM-Slides.pdf
The Garden Father (Larry Stebbins’ website)
https://thegardenfather.com/
Backyard Garden Project info
https://thegardenfather.com/garden-blog/f/backyard-garden-project-you-can-help
Colorado Farm and Art Market
https://farmandartmarket.com/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on April 21, 2021. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
May's SIP will be held on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 8 am.
Special thanks to Studio 809 Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
https://www.springshomes.com
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
An ambitious new project near downtown is cleaning up an old construction materials dump and turning it into an amazing community treasure. A lot of creativity is going into this site, including letting nature do what real estate developments typically pour concrete to do (manage stormwater). If you see mosaics on light poles, concrete benches inlaid with tiles, murals and other street art around Colorado Springs, there’s a good chance this is the work of Concrete Couch. This nonprofit works with kids and community groups to create public art, build community, and create environments and experiences that humanize our world.
Executive Director Steve Wood and Community Coordinator Christine Flores share the story of creating an interactive, creativity-inspiring, community wonderland they call Concrete Coyote – complete with bike trails, a natural playground, gardens, and a stone climbing wall. Their model to develop a community-designed-and-built park requiring zero public funds and marshaling hundreds of volunteers can be used for different types of projects! Community, recycled materials, shared skills, and creative fundraising go a long way. Learn how the work gets done!
This program was recorded at the March 26, 2021 meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for meeting notifications.
The next Pikes Peak Environmental Forum takes place April 23. Samantha Bailey and Josh Handley of the Colorado Springs Office of Innovation will update us on: Our Journey to Establishing a Smart & Sustainable Future. This event will not be available later as a podcast, so be sure to RSVP here and plan to attend this free virtual event:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PeSISEqORCa-JpjohXMVRQ
Presenting Sponsors:
Art of Engineering
Black Hills Energy
Miriam's Place
OrganaGardens
Additional Sponsors:
Blue Planet Earthscapes
Peak Radar
Environmental Compliance Systems
Old Town Bike Shop
Terra Essentials
Special thanks to Studio 809 Supporter and Community Partner, Springs Homes.
https://www.springshomes.com
LINKS:
PowerPoint Presentation
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Welcome_to_Concrete_Coyote.pdf
Non-Profit Rehabilitates Dump Site into Community Wonderland (video shared in this presentation)
https://www.rmpbs.org/blogs/rocky-mountain-pbs/nonprofit-rehabilitates-illegal-dump-site-into-community-wonderland/
Concrete Couch
http://www.concretecouch.org/
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
A new non-profit co-op is working in Colorado to help people go solar, simplifying the process and reducing costs. Bryce Carter, Colorado Program Director for Solar United Neighbors (SUN) shares details about how it works. The co-op launched in Colorado Springs at the end of March, 2021.
This event was co-hosted by Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future and Southeastern Colorado Renewable Energy Society.
LINKS
Speaker’s PowerPoint Slides
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Colorado-Springs-Solar-Information-Session-Presentation.pdf
Solar United Neighbors in Colorado Springs
https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/coloradosprings
Colorado Springs Utilities – how to buy into green power
https://www.csu.org/documents/greenpowerfaq.pdf
Southeastern Colorado Renewable Energy Society
https://www.cres-energy.org/southeastern-colorado-secres.html
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on March 17, 2021. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
April's SIP will be held on Wednesday, April 17, 2021 at 8 am. The program will be about Backyard Gardens and Local Food. Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUscuquqjsrHdSAnMRDqjRh928S7aK3jDhf
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Boulder County told Byron Kominek you cannot put solar panels on agricultural land; it violates zoning. But Byron persisted. Agrivoltaics are a global phenomenon in which solar panels and agriculture share land. The county eventually amended its code. Today there are about 3,000 panels on Jack’s Solar Garden, which Bryon created. In addition to helping small farms turn a profit, the panels provide benefits to the crops, and the crops actually provide benefits to the panels. What might those benefits be? Listen to this episode to learn all the details about Byron’s journey and what he has learned. Byron is in the process of launching the Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center, the largest agrivoltaic research site in the U.S.
This program was recorded at the February 26, 2021 meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for meeting notifications.
The next Pikes Peak Environmental Forum takes place April 23. Samantha Bailey and Josh Handley of the Colorado Springs Office of Innovation will update us on: Our Journey to Establishing a Smart & Sustainable Future. This event will not be available later as a podcast, so be sure to RSVP here and plan to attend this free virtual event:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PeSISEqORCa-JpjohXMVRQ
Presenting Sponsors:
Art of Engineering
Black Hills Energy
Miriam's Place
OrganaGardens
Additional Sponsors:
Blue Planet Earthscapes
Peak Radar
Environmental Compliance Systems
Old Town Bike Shop
Terra Essentials
LINKS:
Speaker's Slide Presentation
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Jacks-Solar-Garden-Presentation_26Feb2021.pdf
Jack’s Solar Garden
http://www.jackssolargarden.com
Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center
https://www.coagrivoltaic.org/
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
There are plenty of good reasons for political conservatives to be concerned about the climate crisis. We explore them in this conversation with three gentlemen from the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, or CCL:
- Steven Moses, a physicist
- Don Parcher, a retired Navy pilot
- Nate Hochman, a Colorado College senior and Conservative Outreach Fellow at CCL
Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL) is a nonpartisan group that's focused on a carbon fee and dividend, which would put a price on carbon at the source, and the proceeds of the carbon fee would be distributed back to households in the form of a dividend. This proposal has garnered a lot of attention recently, and was introduced in Congress as the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (https://energyinnovationact.org/).
Links:
Citizens’ Climate Lobby
https://citizensclimatelobby.org/
CCL Colorado Springs Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ColoradoSpringsCCL
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
What steps can the Biden administration take to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Bureau of Land Management to better address its conservation and climate change goals? This question was addressed in a lively online discussion hosted by PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility). Panelists discussed the results of a recent employee survey, trends in land management planning, problems in BLM’s management culture, and questions from the webinar participants. This discussion was held on February 24, 2021.
Panelists included:
Moderator: Rebecca Leber of Mother Jones
Chandra Rosenthal, Director of Rocky Mountain PEER
Laurel Williams, Officer for U.S. Public Lands and Rivers Conservation at the Pew Charitable Trusts
Richard Spotts, former Planning and Environmental Coordinator at the BLM Arizona Strip District Office
Mary Jo Rugwell, former BLM State Director for Wyoming.
LINKS:
Presenter Slides
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/BLM-A-New-Era-PPT-2-25-21_slides-FINALwPew.pdf
Presenter Slides From This Event
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/BLM-A-New-Era-PPT-2-25-21_slides-FINALwPew.pdf
Video of this Webinar
https://www.peer.org/webinar-new-era-bureau-of-land-management/
2021 Bureau of Land Management Employee Survey Report
https://www.peer.org/report-2021-bureau-of-land-management-employee-survey/
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
https://www.peer.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Will Toor, Executive Director of the Colorado Energy Office, provides a summary of State/CEO projects, activities, and initiatives, and shares the Colorado Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Pollution Reduction Roadmap.
This event was co-hosted by Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future, Southeastern Colorado Renewable Energy Society, Green Cities Coalition, and the Energy Resource Center.
LINKS
Speaker’s PowerPoint Slides
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Toor.GHG-Roadmap.pdf
Resource Guide
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/786dca153b1f4275946530d56ccdced4
Energy Code Adoption Toolkit
https://energyoffice.colorado.gov/climate-energy/energy-policy/building-energy-codes/energy-code-adoption-toolkit
Contact local government coordinator Christine Berg with Questions
christine.berg@state.co.us
Southeastern Colorado Renewable Energy Society
https://www.cres-energy.org/southeastern-colorado-secres.html
Green Cities Coalition
https://www.facebook.com/groups/gccppr
Energy Resource Center
https://www.erc-co.org/
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on February 17, 2021. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
March's SIP will be held on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 8 am. The SIP speaker will be, Bryce Carter, Colorado Program Director for Solar United Neighbors. Solar United Neighbors (SUN) is a nonprofit helping people go solar, join together, and fight for their energy rights. SUN is launching across Colorado including a Colorado Springs Co-op at the end of the month. Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpdO-hpjgpH9QPoNV4GdhpfA_87bCNvB_o
While Solar United Neighbors in Colorado Springs doesn't launch until later this month, YOU get an early peek.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
What can you do to create a sustainable, just, and carbon-free city? Hear what’s next in the closure of the fossil-fuel powered Martin Drake Power Plant in Colorado Springs, and learn about three local campaigns on which you can take action. This is audio from a live webinar held on February 19, 2021 – organized by a group of Colorado College students. It was described as speed-dating for climate action.
This event includes a brief update on Drake from David Padgett, General Manager of Environmental Services at Colorado Springs Utilities.
Campaigns Discussed:
Gas-Free BuildingsJenny Wilford, Clean Energy Advocate, Sierra Club
Zoning OrdinancesMax Kronstadt, Co-Founder of The COS Pro-Housing Partnership
Protecting Public LandsPublic Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
Chandra Rosenthal, Rocky Mountain Office Director and Kevin Bell, Staff Counsel
PDF of Event Slides
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Drake-panel.pdf
Thanks to CC Student and Sierra Club Student Campaign Organizer Filip Carnogusky for playing a lead organizing role, and to the following:
Organizing Groups:
Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal (Carbon) Campaign
https://coal.sierraclub.org/campaign
350 Colorado Springs
https://350colorado.org
Co-Sponsors:
Sierra Club
https://coloradosierraclub.org
The Colorado Springs Pro-Housing Partnership (PHP)
https://coloradospringsprohousingpartnership.com
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
https://www.peer.org
Southeastern Colorado Renewable Energy Society (SECRES)
https://www.cres-energy.org/southeastern-colorado-secres.html
Sunrise (Colorado Springs chapter)
https://www.sunrisemovement.org/?ms=SunriseMovement
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future (PASF)
http://www.peakalliance.org
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
https://www.facebook.com/PikesPeakEnvironmentalForum/
Pikes Peak Permaculture
https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org
Chinook Center
https://www.chinookcenter.org
Studio 809 Podcasts
http://studio809podcasts.com
Shout Out to:
Students for Environmental Awareness and Sustainability at UCCS
https://seas.uccs.edu
Food to Power
https://foodtopowerco.org/
Conscious Living Shop
https://www.consciouslivingshop.com
Eclectic CO
https://shopeclecticco.com/
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
What are 33 Colorado cities doing to conserve water? Frank Kinder, Water Efficiency Program Manager for Northern Water, updates us on the conservation work of this regional water provider.
LINKS:
Frank Kinder’s slide presentation
http://studio809radio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021-Presentation-FK-PPENV.pdf
The Colorado-Big Thompson Project - video shown during presentation
https://youtu.be/wQkMdlvCgP0
2020 in Review: Water Efficiency Programs – video shown at end of presentation
https://youtu.be/p8zNT2aPrAU
This program was recorded at the January 22, 2021 meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for meeting notifications.
Presenting Sponsors:
Art of Engineering
Black Hills Energy
Miriam's Place
OrganaGardens
Additional Sponsors:
Blue Planet Earthscapes
Peak Radar
Environmental Compliance Systems
Old Town Bike Shop
Terra Essentials
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Colorado College students demonstrate just how engaged and activated their generation can be. Filip Carnogursky and Liam Reynolds share two initiatives they started because they saw a need and weren’t going to wait around for someone else to do it. They’re doing something about addressing climate change and addressing unaffordable housing and unsustainable urban development. Learn all about Climate Action and the Colorado Springs Pro-Housing Partnership.
Filip, a Sierra Club intern, and the fellow students he assembled have organized the 2021 Climate Justice Action Panel, which takes place on February 18.
View Filip's slides here.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on January 20, 2021. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month. Register here for the February 17 Sustainability in Progress.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
The holidays are coming and that means shopping, gifts, and food. Do you approach the holidays mindful of the environmental impact of all these activities? This episode explores sustainable options for this holiday season. Konrad Schlarbaum, sustainability coordinator for Pikes Peak Community College shares low-impact holiday gift-giving practices, and fills us in on the virtual PPCC Green Holiday Fair. Lorrie Myers, of Who Gives a SCRAP, updates us on the shop’s just completed move to larger quarters at 810 Arcturus Drive, which expands the shop’s offerings.
Who Gives a SCRAP is a donation based scrap store that carries arts, craft and hobbies supplies in addition to unique vintage finds. The store was founded on the belief that the reuse of goods and materials is the most efficient, environmentally friendly and economically viable way to reduce the waste stream. In its five years of existence, Who Gives a Scrap has diverted over 213 tons of clean, reusable materials from ending up in the landfill.
LINKS:
Konrad’s Slide Presentation
PPCC Green Holiday Fair (virtual)
On Instagram
On Facebook
Who Gives a Scrap
On Facebook
On Instagram
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) virtual event on November 18, 2020. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Flying, driving, bus, train, bicycle, on foot, even staycations. What do we need to know to make responsible decisions about the way we move about? Dave Gardner, host of the GrowthBusters podcast about sustainable living, shares data and tools to guide us.
LINKS:
Presentation Slides
GrowthBusters – Free Black Friday Screening (view 11/26/20 to 11/29/20)
1.5 Degree Lifestyles report
The Four Lifestyle Choices that Most Reduce Your Carbon Footprint (Lund University Study ranking carbon reduction actions)
Vacation Traveler Carbon Guide – Quick Reference Chart and the stuy behind it (Union of Concerned Scientists)
Getting There Greener – full report behind the above vacation guide
Skyscanner greener flight booking site
UCS web tool for EV efficiency in your area
Carbon Offset Info and Programs
American Idling: The Ecological Cost of Keeping the Engine Running
Climate Perks
The future of conference: Will events remain virtual after lockdowns?
This program was recorded at the October 23, 2020 meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for meeting notifications.
Presenting Sponsors:
Art of Engineering
Black Hills Energy
Miriam's Place
OrganaGardens
Additional Sponsors:
Blue Planet Earthscapes
Peak Radar
Environmental Compliance Systems
Old Town Bike Shop
Terra Essentials
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Christian Nelson and Michael Avanzi of Colorado Springs Utilities share the future of energy production in our community. The Colorado Springs Utilities Board approved an Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) portfolio in June of 2020 that represents a significant departure from the utility’s heavy reliance on coal and natural gas generation. What does this mean for the Pikes Peak region and renewable energy?
LINKS:
PDF of presenters' slides
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) event on September 16, 2020. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. During COVID we're meeting virtually on the third Wednesday of most months from 8 to 9 a.m.
About Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach. Connect with us at peakalliance.org
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
What’s happening and what can we expect in terms of how we get electricity to power our homes, business and industry? How clean can it be, and what it will cost? Over the past twenty years, the energy market has shifted dramatically. The unsubsidized cost of wind and solar energy, with battery storage, has dropped below the cost of fossil fuel generation. The US Energy Information Agency expects the trend of dropping renewable energy and storage costs, and rising cost of coal, to continue. The shift to renewable energy for electric generation brings more significant benefits than lower electric rates.
This episode features a presentation by Jim Riggins at the September Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. Jim retired after 30 years in the US Air Force, serving as a research engineer, pilot, operational planner, and weapon systems programmer. He also served as an operations group commander, and vice wing commander. He is a retired small business owner as a Home Energy Rater and Professional Building Analyst, providing consulting to builders and architects on energy efficient building construction and residential and commercial energy audits. Jim holds Masters degrees in electrical engineering, Military Art and Science, and National Security Strategy. He is a Senior Executive Fellow from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. He currently sits on the board of Mountain View Electric Association and serves as a volunteer on the Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity building committee.
This program was recorded at the September 25, 2020 meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for meeting notifications.
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum presenting sponsors are Becky Elder the Gardener and Peak Radar.
LINKS:
Slides for the presentation in this episode
Levelized Cost of Energy and Levelized Cost of Storage – 2020
Presenting Sponsors:
Art of Engineering
Black Hills Energy
Miriam's Place
OrganaGardens
Additional Sponsors:
Blue Planet Earthscapes
Peak Radar
Environmental Compliance Systems
Old Town Bike Shop
Terra Essentials
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Indigenous permaculturalist, designer, builder and educator Michael Alcazar led this ceremony on September 18, 2020 at Flying Pig Farm. This ceremony kicked off the Manitou Springs Forest Garden Initiative, in which Manitou will be planting tree guilds (natural communities of tree/plant relationships) that will act as natural education sites for the community for learning how to grow food, provide pollinator and bird support, and help mitigate climatic changes. The initiative began with three planting sites. Volunteers met the next morning to begin planting. Masks were worn and social distancing was practiced at this ceremony.
To volunteer, please call or email Becky Elder (719-685-0290. The ceremony, and this episode, were presented by Pikes Peak Permaculture. Michael Alcazar also spoke about his 1 Million Trees project for Colorado.
LINKS:
Pikes Peak Permaculture
1 Million Trees project for Colorado
Flying Pig Farm
Upcoming Virtual Events:
October 21, 2020, 8 am
Environmental & Social JusticeSustainability in Progress
peakalliance.org for info
October 23, 2020, 12 Noon
Does this Flight Make My Footprint Look Big?Shrinking the carbon footprint of your travel habitPikes Peak Environmental Forum
Register here
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Don’t miss the 7th annual Creek Week Cleanup, September 26 – October 4th.
Every year citizens of Southern Colorado step up, put on their environmental steward hats, and join with friends and neighbors in what’s become the largest watershed-wide cleanup in Colorado. In this episode, Alli Schuch shares how we can all participate this year. Safe, socially-distanced, outdoor activities are on the agenda. Last year, 3,200 volunteers from Palmer Lake to Trinidad removed over 14 tons of litter.
Peak Environment host and co-producer Ellen Johnson-Fay interviews Alli Schuch, who coordinates outreach for the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District.
Registration is now open for the 7th Annual Creek Week Cleanup. There are over 40 public events to choose from, or you can organize your own Creek Crew and Alli’s team will help you find a site. Learn more and register at fountaincreekweek.com
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Dems Environmental Initiative
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Sustainability Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
The 2020 election in Colorado is shaping up to be historic, but not for the reasons you might think. Voters in Colorado will get the chance to direct wildlife managers to reintroduce gray wolves, nearly 80 years after they were eradicated on behalf of the livestock industry.
In this interview, Delia Malone, Mike Phillips, and Rob Edward, three friends and longtime wolf advocates, discuss the importance of wolves to Colorado's future.
This episode is courtesy of Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club. The Pikes Peak Group is part of the Colorado Chapter of the Sierra Club and represents members in the greater Pikes Peak region as well as communities to the east and west of the region. The purpose of the Sierra Club is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.
We invite you to join in our events, hikes, and discussions. For more information about the Group’s activities and events, follow Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club on Facebook (links below).
For more information:
www.sierraclub.org
www.wolfactionfund.com
Colorado Wolves FAQ CHCC – A website developed at Colorado State University by the Center for Human and Carnivore Coexistence
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Dems Environmental Initiative
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Sustainability Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
How can we improve the Pikes Peak Region 2030 Plan? Several municipalities and organizations in the Pikes Peak Region came together to develop a long-range sustainability plan, completed in 2012 and adopted by some cities and organizations (but not by the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, interestingly). In this episode, Konrad Schlarbaum (director of Green Cities Coalition) discusses his recommendations for improvements to the regional sustainability plan (PPR 2030). The City of Colorado Springs has adopted the plan and is interested in doing an update. Ellen Johnson-Fay interviews Konrad here.
Konrad invites you to comment with questions or suggestions, or to express interest in getting involved in this project.
This episode of Peak Environment is courtesy of the Green Cities Coalition, communicating the promise of embracing sustainable actions in our environment and with one another. We strive to collaborate in positive ways and create partnerships with other people and organizations inside and outside of the sustainability community.
Ultimately, our goal is to celebrate with you the achievements of those who contribute to the preservation and health of our local natural and human environments. We invite you to Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate all things sustainable with us!
LINKS:
Looking to Our Future – Pikes Peak Region 2030 plan
PDF of Konrad’s Proposal
PDF of Konrad’s Powerpoint Presentation
Green Cities Coalition (Facebook)
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG)
City of Colorado Springs Office of Innovation
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Community College Office of Sustainability
Manitou Springs Climate Action Workgroup
Manitou Springs sustainability
Sierra Club – Pikes Peak Group
Southeast Colorado Renewable Energy Society (SECRES)
350 Colorado Springs
Colorado Farm and Art Market
Colorado Farm and Art Market – order online at Open Food Network
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Dems Environmental Initiative
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Sustainability Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
What can we learn from indigenous people about caring for the land on which we depend for our food? This episode is a recording of the keynote address by indigenous permaculture designer Michael Alcazar at the 2020 Pikes Peak Foodshed Forum. The forum was hosted by Green Cities Coalition and Pikes Peak Community College on February 8, 2020.
Indigenous permaculture designer Michael Alcazar is a master educator with over 30 years of designing, teaching, facilitating, building, and coaching experience. His various life experiences have uniquely given him the opportunity to explore areas of art, building, design, anatomy and physiology, health and human services, as well as Permaculture - all from the perspective of his indigenous ancestral lineage of traditional ecological knowledge and application.
Thanks to event sponsors Pikes Peak Community College, Pizzeria Rustica, and the PBS POV series.
LINKS:
Michael Alcazar's Slides
Pikes Peak Community College – Office of Sustainability
Pizzeria Rustica
POV on PBS
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Dems Environmental Initiative
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Sustainability Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
You can’t escape toxic PFAS chemicals. They are everywhere. Get an update on what we know and what’s being done about water contamination by PFAS (Perfluoroalklsubstance). Groundwater and surface water in portions of the Pikes Peak Region is known to have PFAS contamination, due to years of firefighting exercises at Peterson Field and the Air Force Academy (PFAS have been an ingredient in firefighting foam for decades).
This February, 2020 update is presented by Dr. Tyler A. Cornelius, Visiting Assistant Professor in the Environmental Program, and Eli Fahrenkrug, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, both at Colorado College. Fahrenkrug and Cornelius have been monitoring and studying the contamination just south of Colorado Springs via the Fountain Valley Water Project, which they launched for this purpose.
This program was recorded at the February 28, 2020 luncheon meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for meeting notifications.
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum presenting sponsors are Becky Elder the Gardener and Peak Radar.
LINKS:
Slides for the presentation in this episode
Fountain Valley Water Project
Fountain Valley Clean Water Coalition
Sierra Club PFAS information page and listserv signup
PFAS: What You Need to Know About Your Water
Episode 45 of Peak Environment: PFAS Water Contamination Panel – Peak Environment Podfest
Episode 21 of Peak Environment: PFAS Contamination in our Water (3/20/19 PASF Presentation)
Presenting Sponsors:
Blue Planet Earthscapes
Peak Radar
Additional Sponsors:
Adams Bank & Trust
Black Hills Energy
Environmental Compliance Systems
Old Town Bike Shop
Miriam's Place
OrganaGardens
Terra Essentials
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Dems Environmental Initiative
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Sustainability Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Colorado needs Wolves – not merely to restore a natural balance or the wildness that we all seek – though wolves will do that if they are present for long enough, in sufficient numbers and with wide enough distribution – but also to ensure that we pass on a Colorado intact, with a complete suite of native wildlife, to enrich future generations.
This episode explores the issue of wolf reintroduction in Colorado, including Initiative 107, which will facilitate reintroduction of gray wolves to the state. Cathy Herzog, Wildlife Chair for the Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club interviews Delia Malone, an ecologist who lives and works on Colorado’s west slope. She’s conducted ecological and biological surveys for streams and wetlands, and rare plants, animals and communities for the purpose of informing conservation. Delia is Wildlife Chair for the Colorado Chapter of the Sierra Club and a member of the Science Advisory Team for the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, which has a campaign to restore Gray Wolves to Colorado.
Find additional information on this issue at the end of these show notes.
This episode is courtesy of Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club. The Pikes Peak Group is part of the Colorado Chapter of the Sierra Club and represents members in the greater Pikes Peak region as well as communities to the east and west of the region. The purpose of the Sierra Club is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.
We invite you to join in our events, hikes, and discussions. For more information about the Group’s activities and events, follow Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club on Facebook (links below).
LINKS:
https://www.wolfactionfund.com/
http://www.eaglesummitwilderness.org/newsletter_200201.htm
http://www.mtoutlaw.com/where-wolves-dare/
https://mountainjournal.org/lessons-learned-25-years-after-wolves-restored-to-yellowstone
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Accessing Clean Water: The PFAS Story in El Paso County, COPikes Peak Environmental Forum
Friday, February 28, 2020
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
Permaculture Design Course 2020Pikes Peak PermacultureFirst class - March 13, 2019Information and Registration
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Dems Environmental Initiative
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Additional Information:
-------------------------------------
Colorado Needs Wolves. Elk Need Wolves – the magnificent bull elk, so coveted by hunters, is a result of eons of selective predation by wolves;
Beaver Need Wolves, to prevent ungulates from devouring the willows that they need for food and to build their dams, that store the water, that helps maintain stream flows in the arid west;
We Need Wolves to restore the natural balance that is our life support system – a natural balance that begins with a balance between predator and prey.
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SO WHY ARE THERE NO WOLVES IN COLORADO’S WILDLANDS?
Renee Askins explains: “In the span of less than fifty years man had systematically, consciously, intentionally killed every wolf in the West . . . Hundreds of thousands of wolves were killed—some in the name of protecting livestock, some for their pelts, some because we believed it was our inalienable right, and some just out of cold, hard vengeance and cruelty, a cruelty we so often attribute to the wolf”.
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Science documents what the land is telling us: Wolves keep ecosystems healthier by balancing species populations with ecological carrying capacity.
Wolves keep elk herds healthy by removing vulnerable, sick or old animals (Lukens 2006) and they keep landscapes healthy by keeping elk within the carrying capacity of their environment.
Although Colorado has more elk by far than any western state all is not well: Elk exceed CPW’s population objectives – i.e. ecological carrying capacity - in over half of Colorado’s elk management units; and Chronic Wasting Disease occurs in at least 16 of Colorado’s 43 elk herds and 31 of 54 deer herds
As the preeminent wolf biologist, Dr. David Mech, stated“…the preponderance of scientific evidence supports the view that wolves generally kill the old, the young, the sick and the weak…” and further states: “Based upon everything I’ve seen over the course of my career, I generally stand behind the assertion that wolves make prey populations healthier...The evidence to support it is overwhelming.”
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IV. SO WHY DOES WOLF RESTORATION STRUGGLE? WHY DO WOLVES REMAIN RESTRICTED TO 15% OF THEIR HISTORIC HABITAT DESPITE AN ABUNDANCE OF SUITABLE HABITAT, MUCH OF IT IN WESTERN COLORADO?
The doomsday scenarios predicted when wolves were restored to the northern rocky mountain states have not come to pass. There is no indication that they would do so in Colorado either.
Evidence indicates that:
…wolves have not decimated prey populations.
…wolves have not reduced hunter success.
… wolves haven’t negatively impacted the ranching industry
…wolves pose an infinitesimal threat to humans
Facts are that with 1,900 gray wolves in the Northern Rockies in 2015 and with the total number of 1,980,600 cattle in the same region as gray wolves, confirmed losses of to wolves in 2015 was 148= 0.007%
Facts are that elk populations and hunter success in the Northern Rockies is either stable or increasing since wolf restoration.
Fact are that in Yellowstone National Park from 1995-2018 with 101,070,722 visitors, none were injured by a wolf and among 2.7 million tent campers in Yellowstone from 1995 to 2018, no camper was injured by a wolf.
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COLORADO’S WEST SLOPE IS IDEALLY SUITED TO WOLVES – prey base and public lands are key determinants of suitable wolf habitat – Colorado’s west slope has an abundance of both.
While it’s true that Colorado’s population is growing, it’s also true that, according to the State Demographer, 84% of Colorado’s population will settle on the Front Range, 11% on the western tier counties and the remaining 5% divided between the Central Mountains, the Eastern Plains and the San Luis Valley (https://demography.dola.colorado.gov/demography/infographics/#a).
A VIBRANT WOLF POPULATION WOULD BE AN ASSET TO COLORADO BUT WOLVES CANNOT GET TO COLORADO ON THEIR OWN.
The journey is simply too dangerous, with too many mortality hazards between the Northern Rockies and Colorado for a sufficient number of wolves to wander to Colorado, find one another, and survive long enough to give birth to the countless litter of pups needed to give rise to a viable, ecologically effective wolf population
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VIII. RESTORATION IS IMPERATIVE IF COLORADO IS TO HAVE ANY CHANCE OF AN ECOLOGICALLY EFFECTIVE POPULATION OF GRAY WOLVES,
In 25 years since wolf restoration to Yellowstone National Park only about 10 wolves have made it to Colorado – 3 were killed and 1 was never again seen. And the six that have recently been seen in Colorado near the Wyoming border are closely related. These six do not carry sufficient genetic diversity to establish a healthy, viable population and six is nowhere near the number Colorado needs for an ecologically effective population.
Coloradans stand ready to achieve a breakthrough, decades in the making — reintroducing the gray wolf and in so doing, beginning the journey to restoring a natural balance to the Wildlands of Colorado’s West Slope.
Initiative 107 is a grassroots path to restoration – a pathway that gives all Coloradans a voice as to the management of their public lands.
- 107 requires that Gray Wolves be restored to Colorado by December of 2023 and directs Wolf management to be guided by best science.
- 107 also directs that ranchers be fairly compensated for any livestock losses to wolves.
If you’re a Colorado voter, please vote for initiative 107 on the 2020 Colorado ballot. Vote to restore a natural balance for now and future generations of Coloradans.
Big things are happening for tiny homes in Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs Principal Planner Lonna Thelan fills us in on how city planning and zoning issues affect tiny home locations, and Shelley Jensen, founder, CEO and chief community strategist of We Fortify, shares details of her first development, Working Fusion at Mill Street.
Working Fusion is a sustainable tiny-home development in the Mill District that will allow young renters to be more functional earlier into their next phase of housing and establishes trust and responsibility. Each tiny home is designed with a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living space. Each new renter receives a bed, bedding, television, silverware, dishes, artwork and a community picture to care for and take with them when they move to more permanent digs. Additionally, KP17 - in collaboration with other organizations - will program community activities such as yoga, summer concerts, community gardening education, poetry slam, and financial wellness classes.
We Fortify is a non-profit homeless prevention organization that creates permanent generational shifts by providing creative, dignified, and environmentally friendly housing solutions in socially supportive neighborhoods.
This program was recorded at the January 17, 2020 luncheon meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for meeting notifications.
LINKS:
Lonna Thelan’s Slides
Shelley Jensen’s Slides
Colorado Springs zoning code update
Short Term Rentals information at City of Colorado Springs website
Working Fusion at Mill Street
Presenting Sponsors:
Blue Planet Earthscapes
Peak Radar
Additional Sponsors:
Adams Bank & Trust
Black Hills Energy
Environmental Compliance Systems
Old Town Bike Shop
Miriam's Place
OrganaGardens
Terra Essentials
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Accessing Clean Water: The PFAS Story in El Paso County, COPikes Peak Environmental Forum
Friday, February 28, 2020
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
Permaculture Design Course 2020Pikes Peak PermacultureFirst class - March 13, 2019Information and Registration
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Dems Environmental Initiative
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Does the City of Colorado Springs have a plan in case of a Zombie Apocalypse? Find out on this episode of Peak Environment. Learn about the myriad projects and initiatives managed or assisted by the City of Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability. Ryan Trujillo, the city’s Director of Support Services, fills us in. Ryan’s department includes the Office of Innovation, whose functions include sustainability and the Smart Communities Program. The Office is now advertising its first full-time, city-funded, sustainability position.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) event on January 15, 2020. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
Note: we may be changing locations, so send Studio 809 a note requesting you be placed on the Sustainability in Progress email list.
Edited by: Katie Lawrie
About Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach.
LINKS:
Speaker’s Powerpoint Presentation
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
COS 150 Tree Challenge
Subscribe to Get Studio 809 Email Updates
Videos Played in this Presentation:
DiscoverCOS Tree Challenge Kick-Off
Mic’d Up Jerry Cordova (Great American Cleanup)
Storm Drain Art Drone Video
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Energy Planning WorkshopColorado Springs UtilitiesFriday, January 29, 2020
6 to 8 pm
Library 21C
1175 Chapel Hills Drive
Food Shed ForumGreen Cities CoalitionFebruary 8, 2020
9:30 am to 2:30 pmPikes Peak Community College
Centennial Campus
(Farmsteaders Film Screening at 1 pm)
Register Here
Accessing Clean Water: The PFAS Story in El Paso County, COPikes Peak Environmental ForumFriday, February 28, 2020
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd.
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
Permaculture Design Course 2020Pikes Peak PermacultureFirst class - March 13, 2019Information and Registration
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Dems Environmental Initiative
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Sustainability Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn all about a very unique community asset. Smokebrush Farm is a small, biodynamic farm in Manitou Springs that serves as an educational model as well as a retreat center. Yoga classes, an art club, Indian dance class and artist residency programs are part of the program, which is part of the Smokebrush Foundation for the Arts.
Chris Collinge, the farm manager, explains everything happening here, including a local herd share for raw goat’s milk, plans to launch an internship program in 2020. Chris also provides a brief overview of biodynamic agriculture.
Since 1992, the Smokebrush Foundation For The Arts has produced and presented innovative arts experiences that foster creativity and collaboration, inspiring positive change in the Southern Colorado community and beyond. The farm is part of its Sun Mountain Center.
We recorded this episode at the November 21, 2019 Green Drinks gathering at the Red Crags House at Smokebrush Farm. Green Drinks is hosted in a different location each month, by the Green Cities Coalition, generally on the fourth Thursday of every month.
The Green Cities Coalition communicates the promise of embracing sustainable actions in our environment and with one another. We strive to collaborate in positive ways and create partnerships with other people and organizations inside and outside of the sustainability community.
Ultimately, our goal is to celebrate with you the achievements of those who contribute to the preservation and health of our local natural and human environments. We invite you to Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate all things sustainable with us!
Special thanks to Adams Mountain Café for providing food for this month’s Green Drinks event.
LINKS:
Smokebrush Farm
Signup for Smokebrush Farm email list
Green Cities Coalition
Flying Pig Farm (mentioned by Kara Stutzman
Adams Mountain Café
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Tiny Homes, Big QuestionsPikes Peak Environmental ForumFriday, January 17, 2020
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd.
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
Grain School 2020Thursday, November 17-19, 2020
UCCS
Program, Registration, Location Info
Happy Hour and Free Public Forum Saturday, January 18, 5-9:30 pm
Drake in 2020: Climate of ChangeSierra Club Beyond Coal and 350 ColoradoFriday, January 21, 2020
6 to 8 pmThe Barrel Aging Room
IvyWild School
1604 S Cascade Ave, Colorado Springs
Info & RSVP Here
Event is free; come learn about activism plans for 2020 around accelerating the closure of Martin Drake Power Plant
Energy Planning WorkshopColorado Springs UtilitiesFriday, January 29, 2020
6 to 8 pm
Library 21C
1175 Chapel Hills Drive
Permaculture Design Course 2020Pikes Peak PermacultureFirst class - March 13, 2019Information and Registration
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Dems Environmental Initiative
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Sustainability Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Did you know less than 15% of donated clothing in the U.S. ends up in our second-hand market? Or that each cycle of a washing machine can release more than 700,000 plastic fibers into the environment? Paper and paperboard account for 29 percent of our municipal waste stream, and yard trimmings and food scraps account for another 27 percent.
The November Sustainability in Progress meeting featured very informative presentations about reducing waste:
The State of Recycling in ColoradoAlicia Archibald of A2 Solutions gives an overview of waste and recycling, and provides an update on issues and progress in the state of Colorado. See link below for her slides.
Textile RecyclingLiz Kettle, director of Textiles West, weaves tales of good and bad practices in sustainability related to our clothing and textiles. See link below for her slides.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) event on November 20, 2019. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
About Peak Alliance for a Sustainable FutureThe mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach.
About A2 Solutions Alicia Archibald has significant experience in the field of waste and recycling. She currently offers business consulting services to help businesses manage their environmental impact.
About Textiles West:Textiles West aims to inspire widespread awareness, participation and appreciation of textile and fiber arts with an understanding of the impact of textiles on the planet. We teach simple ways to reduce the toxic textile footprint in each of our lives. By providing access to skills and tools in our classroom and makerspace, we encourage action to create more eco-conscious lifestyles.
Join Textiles West for the second installment in our free film festival series, Blue Alchemy: Stories of Indigo, a 2011 feature-length historical documentary by Mary Lance. Blue Alchemy is a celebration of indigo, the iconic blue dye plant that people have been using for centuries. Thursday January 16, 2020 6-8pm pm at Textiles West North Academy location. It’s free, but please register here so they make enough popcorn!
LINKS:
Slides for The State of Recycling in Colorado
Slides for Textile Recycling
A2 Solutions
Textiles West
What is Waste? (video produced by Colorado College students)
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Smart Cities for a Sustainable FutureSustainability in ProgressWednesday, January 15, 2020
7:30 to 9:00 am
Ivywild School - Wildcat RoomFree
Coffee and pastries provided
Tiny Homes, Big QuestionsPikes Peak Environmental ForumFriday, January 17, 2020
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd.
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
Green DrinksThursday, January 23, 2020
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Location TBA
Energy Planning WorkshopColorado Springs UtilitiesFriday, January 29, 2020
6 to 8 pm
Library 21C
1175 Chapel Hills Drive
Permaculture Design Course 2020Pikes Peak PermacultureFirst class - March 13, 2019Information and Registration
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Sustainability Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
The future looks bright for renewable energy, according to Joe Jenkins, Principal at Environmental Compliance Systems LLC, but there is a dark side. In this lively and popular presentation, Jenkins explores the hidden environmental and social impacts of the renewable energy supply chain, but emerges with a positive outlook for a renewable future.
This program was recorded at the October 2019 luncheon meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for meeting notifications.
LINKS:
Speaker’s Slides and Notes
A Finer Future
Environmental Compliance Systems
Presenting Sponsors:
Blue Planet Earthscapes
Peak Radar
Additional Sponsors:
Adams Bank & Trust
Black Hills Energy
Old Town Bike Shop
Environmental Compliance Systems
Terra Essentials
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Sustainability in Progress Wednesday, January 15, 2020
7:30 to 9:00 am
Ivywild School - Wildcat RoomFree
Coffee and pastries provided
Tiny Homes, Big QuestionsPikes Peak Environmental Forum
Friday, January 17, 2019
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
Green Drinks Thursday, January 23, 2020
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Location TBA
Permaculture Design Course 2020Pikes Peak PermacultureFirst class - March 13, 2019Information and Registration
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Your local library may not be the first thing you think of when you consider sustainable practices in your community, but sustainability is a core value of librarianship. You might be surprised at all the ways your library contributes to sound environmental stewardship. The American Library Association Council passed a resolution in 2015 on the importance of sustainable libraries. The resolution notes that libraries play an important and unique role in wider community communications about resiliency, climate change and a sustainable future. This resolution was adopted as the ALA’s 12th core value of Librarianship in January of 2019.
John Spears, Chief Librarian and Chief Executive Officer of the Pikes Peak Library District and Jenny Pierce, Director of Collection Management, join Co-Chair Debbie Vitulli and Bill Thomas of the library district’s Green Team to discuss sustainable library practices in the Pikes Peak region.
This episode of Peak Environment is courtesy of the Pikes Peak Library District Green Team. Our purpose is to recommend strategies to PPLD to become an organization that embraces and implements sustainable practices. Sustainable practices are those that provide for the long term viability of economic, human and environmental resources. This is accomplished through reduction, reuse and recycling of consumable goods. We promote a culture of sustainability throughout the library district, and model environmental stewardship in the Colorado Springs Community.
PPLD Green Team hopes you will SEEK sustainable practices, ENGAGE in earth-wise living, and TRANSFORM the world to be an even better place for our children and generations to come! Check us out at PPLD.org or our Facebook page.
Links:
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
American Library Association
Sustainable Library Certification Program
Core Values of Librarianship
Resolution on Importance of Sustainable Libraries
American Library Association Statement on Global Climate Change and a Call for Support for Libraries and Librarians
Sustainable Libraries Initiative
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Sustainability in Progress Wednesday, December 18, 2019
7:30 to 9:00 am
Ivywild School - Wildcat RoomFree
Coffee and pastries provided
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
A one-of-a-kind approach to community gardening pulls out the stops on community building. Richard Mee and a few fellow community garden advocates wanted to take the “my” out of community gardening and make it “ours.” They charted new territory in their effort to launch the Westside Community Garden in Colorado Springs.
Building community was as important to the group as growing food, so they strived to make it truly community run. This cooperative concept builds community, educates gardeners, eases vacation absences, and provides a higher probability of success.
LINKS:
Photos of Westside Community Garden
Explanation of how the garden is run
Application to join the garden
This episode was recorded at the October Green Drinks event hosted by the Green Cities Coalition. The Green Cities Coalition communicates the promise of embracing sustainable actions in our environment and with one another. We strive to collaborate in positive ways and create partnerships with other people and organizations inside and outside of the sustainability community.
Ultimately, our goal is to celebrate with you the achievements of those who contribute to the preservation and health of our local natural and human environments. We invite you to Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate all things sustainable with us!
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Sustainability in Progress Wednesday, December 18, 2019
7:30 to 9:00 am
Ivywild School - Wildcat RoomFree
Coffee and pastries provided
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Colorado Springs was recently teetering on the edge of violating ground level ozone standards, but we had a good summer. Meanwhile, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst of the climate crisis is on all our minds. In this episode, learn about progress, challenges and initiatives pertaining to environmental air quality in the Pikes Peak Region (as defined in the regional sustainability framework Looking to Our Future: Pikes Peak Region 2030.
This update is provided by Gordon Pierce, Technical Services Program Manager for the Air Pollution Control Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.
This episode was recorded at the Sustainability in Progress (SIP) event on October 16, 2019. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
Podcast Producers: Ellen Johnson-Fay and Dave Gardner
Editor: Dave Gardner
About Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach.
LINKS:
Gordon's PowerPoint Slides (PDF)
Colorado air quality forecast summaries, hourly data, alerts and advisories
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Sustainability in Progress Wednesday, December 18, 2019
7:30 to 9:00 am
Ivywild School - Wildcat RoomFree
Coffee and pastries provided
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
How do you like your electricity? Hot and fresh from burning polluting and CO2-emitting coal? Or clean and green from the sun and the wind? Colorado Springs Utilities is in the early stages of updating its EIRP – the Electric Integrated Resource Plan, a road map for the city’s electric generation mix over the coming years. Studio 809 assembled a panel of experts to educate us and offer their views on the subject.
Also: Singer/songwriter Lindsay Facknitz entertains with an original song on the subject, and Dave Gardner shares details about the podcasts and the genesis of Studio 809. Emcees are Debbie Vitulli and Dave Gardner. The podfest was co-hosted by Studio 809 and Stargazers Theatre & Event Center.
Peak Environment is the Pikes Peak region’s podcast about environmental stewardship and sustainability. This episode is courtesy of the Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club. We recorded this episode in front of a live audience at the Peak Environment Podfest, October 19, 2019 at Stargazers Theatre & Event Center.
The panel:
Jane Ard-Smith, Moderator
Scott Harvey
Vice Chair, Utilities Policy Advisory Committee
Colorado Springs Utilities
Civil and architectural engineer, Art of Engineering, Inc
(Scott is speaking as a citizen; not representing Utilities here)
Jim Riggins
The New Energy Market
Anna McDevitt
Senior Campaign Representative, Beyond Coal Campaign
LINKS:
Colorado Springs Utilities – EIRP info
Sierra Club Beyond Coal
Martin Drake Power Plant Retirement Club
Lindsay and Jeremy Facknitz - Music
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Green Drinks Thursday, November 21, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Smokebrush Farm (Red Crags Estate)302 El Paso Blvd, Manitou Springs, CO 80829
Potluck contributions welcome
Some refreshments provided
$5 donation requested
Parking is limited; please carpool if you can
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Less than 1% of our food was grown within 50 miles of Colorado Springs, estimates Larry Stebbins. Larry is one of the panelists gathered by moderator Ellen Johnson-Fay to discuss what is needed to help local food flourish in the Pikes Peak region.
This panel discussion took place on October 19, 2019 as part of the Peak Environment Podfest, recorded in front of a live audience and co-hosted by Studio 809 and Stargazers Theatre & Event Center.
The panel:
Ellen Johnson-Fay
Convener of the Green Cities Local Food Coalition
www.greencitiescoalition.net
Michele Mukatis
Owner, Cultivate Health LLC
www.cultivatehealthcolorado.com
Larry Stebbins
The Garden Father
www.thegardenfather.com
Kara Stutzman
Teacher & Farmer
Flying Pig Farm
Facebook.com/flyingpigmanitou
Steve Oliveri
Front Range Liaison for Tap Root Cooperative
www.taprootcooperative.com/
This episode is courtesy of the Green Cities Coalition. The Green Cities Coalition communicates the promise of embracing sustainable actions in our environment and with one another. We strive to collaborate in positive ways and create partnerships with other people and organizations inside and outside of the sustainability community.
Ultimately, our goal is to celebrate with you the achievements of those who contribute to the preservation and health of our local natural and human environments. We invite you to Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate all things sustainable with us! Join us at our next Green Drinks gathering, Thursday, November 21, 5:30-7:30 pm at Smokebrush Farm.
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Take Colorado Springs Utilities Energy Planning Survey
Green Drinks Thursday, November 21, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Smokebrush Farm (Red Crags Estate)302 El Paso Blvd, Manitou Springs, CO 80829
Potluck contributions welcome
Some refreshments provided
$5 donation requested
Parking is limited; please carpool if you can
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Is your water safe to drink? Is your soil safe to grow veggies? These questions are front of mind for many residents of the Pikes Peak region. For years, firefighting exercises at air bases in Colorado Springs used chemicals that we now know have contaminated area groundwater and are bad for our health. Find out what we know, and what’s being done about it, from an expert panel convened at the Peak Environment Podfest.
The podfest featured three panels recorded in front of a live audience on October 19, 2019, at Stargazers Theatre & Event Center. This panel, moderated by Colorado State Senator Pete Lee, discusses the hazardous traits of PFAS, a family of “forever chemicals” that take a long time to go away. Senator Lee co-sponsored House Bill 1279 which outlaws the foam's use for training and in firefighting equipment.
Panelists include:
Dr. Tyler A. Cornelius
Visiting Assistant Professor, Environmental Program
Colorado College
Eli Fahrenkrug Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Colorado College
Liz Rosenbaum
Founder, Fountain Valley Clean Water Coalition
Candidate for House District 21
Fran Silva-Blayney
Colorado Chapter Chair Sierra Club
Fountain Creek Water Sentinels
Mike Fink, P.E.,
Water Superintendent, City of Fountain Water Utility
Producer: Debbie Vitulli
Editor: Katie Lawrie
Special thanks to our co-host for this event, Stargazers Theatre & Event Center.
LINKS:
Fountain Valley Water Project
Fountain Valley Clean Water Coalition
Sierra Club PFAS information page and listserv signup
PFAS: What You Need to Know About Your Water
Episode 21 of Peak Environment: PFAS Contamination in our Water (3/20/19 PASF Presentation)
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Take Colorado Springs Utilities Energy Planning Survey
Green Drinks Thursday, November 21, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Smokebrush Farm (Red Crags Estate)302 El Paso Blvd, Manitou Springs, CO 80829
Potluck contributions welcome
Some refreshments provided
$5 donation requested
Parking is limited; please carpool if you can
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Light pollution is the one pollution that costs less to solve than it does to continue polluting. It also represents a lot of wasted energy and has potential negative health effects. Plus, the lights of the city hide the wonders of the night sky from us. Clint Smith reacquaints us with what we’re missing and tells the story of how the Wet Mountain Valley (Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, CO) became the first International Dark Skies Community in Colorado. One accomplished amateur astronomer started crying when he experienced the night sky in this valley.
Clint explains light pollution and what communities around the world are doing about it. He and other volunteers with Dark Skies of the Wet Mountain Valley hold star parties throughout every summer.
This program was recorded at the September 27, 2019 luncheon meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for meeting notifications.
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum presenting sponsors are Becky Elder the Gardener and Peak Radar.
LINKS:
Clint's Powerpoint Slides
Smokey Jack Observatory
Dark Skies of the Wet Mountain Valley
International Dark Skies Association
Sunday Today feature (video)
Where Are the Stars? See How Light Pollution Affects Night Skies (video)
SPONSORS:
- Adams Bank and Trust
- Art of Engineering
- Becky Elder, The Gardener, LLC
- Black Hills Energy
- Environmental Compliance Systems
- Old Town Bike Shop
- PeakRadar.com
- Pikes Peak Permaculture
- Terra Essentials
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Green Drinks Thursday, October 24, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Westside Community Center1628 W Bijou St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Get a garden tour. Refreshments provided
$5 donation requested
Pikes Peak Environmental ForumThe Dark Side of Renewable EnergyOctober 25, 2019
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Candidates for Colorado’s U.S. Senate seat up for grabs in 2020 share their positions on issues related to the climate crisis. This candidate forum was hosted by Indivisible Denver and fourteen other organizations (links below), held at the Ent Center for the Arts in Colorado Springs on October 6, 2019. Ten candidates (links below) participated. U.S. Senator Cory Gardner and former Governor John Hickenlooper did not. This is part 2, the last half of that forum.
Moderators:
- Tania Van Pelt, event co-organizer, writer/producer
- Philip Oke-Thomas, President UCCS College Democrats
- Brent Wilkerson, Vice President, UCCS College Democrats
- Keah Schuenemann, Professor of Meteorology at Metropolitan State University
CANDIDATES:
- Angela Williams
- Trish Zornio
- Andrew Romanoff
- Diana Bray
- Lorena Garcia
- Michelle Ferrigno Warren
- Alice Madden
- Stephany Rose Spaulding
- Joshua Rodriguez
- Gary Swing
HOST ORGANIZATIONS:
- Green Latinos
- Sunrise Colorado
- 350 Colorado
- Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club
- The Climate Mobilization – Colorado (Facebook Page)
- Indivisible Front Range Resistance
- 350 Colorado Springs
- Keep Colorado Green
- Colorado Rising
- Colorado College Sunrise Hub www.sunrisemovement.org
- Indivisible Colorado (Facebook Page)
- Denver March for Science
- Colorado Latino Forum
- Indivisible Colorado Environment
- Boulder CAN
This episode is courtesy of Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club. The Pikes Peak Group is part of the Colorado Chapter of the Sierra Club and represents members in the greater Pikes Peak region as well as communities to the east and west of the region. The purpose of the Sierra Club is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.
We invite you to join in our events, hikes, and discussions. For more information about the Group’s activities and events, follow Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club on Facebook (links below).
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Peak Environment PodfestOctober 19, 2019, Noon to 4 pm
Stargazers Theatre & Event CenterJoin the live audience participating in 3 podcast episodes
More Info
Learn from 3 important panels at this free event:
- Groundwater Contamination (firefighting foam - PFAS)
- Making Local Food Flourish
- Colorado Springs' Energy Future
Green Drinks Thursday, October 24, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Westside Community Center1628 W Bijou St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Get a garden tour. Refreshments provided
$5 donation requested
Pikes Peak Environmental ForumThe Dark Side of Renewable EnergyOctober 25, 2019
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Candidates for Colorado’s U.S. Senate seat up for grabs in 2020 share their positions on issues related to the climate crisis. This candidate forum was hosted by Indivisible Denver and fourteen other organizations (links below), held at the Ent Center for the Arts in Colorado Springs on October 6, 2019. Ten candidates (links below) participated. U.S. Senator Cory Gardner and former Governor John Hickenlooper did not.
Moderators:
- Tania Van Pelt, event co-organizer, writer/producer
- Philip Oke-Thomas, President UCCS College Democrats
- Brent Wilkerson, Vice President, UCCS College Democrats
- Keah Schuenemann, Professor of Meteorology at Metropolitan State University
CANDIDATES:
- Angela Williams
- Trish Zornio
- Andrew Romanoff
- Diana Bray
- Lorena Garcia
- Michelle Ferrigno Warren
- Alice Madden
- Stephany Rose Spaulding
- Joshua Rodriguez
- Gary Swing
HOST ORGANIZATIONS:
- Green Latinos
- Sunrise Colorado
- 350 Colorado
- Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club
- The Climate Mobilization – Colorado (Facebook Page)
- Indivisible Front Range Resistance
- 350 Colorado Springs
- Keep Colorado Green
- Colorado Rising
- Colorado College Sunrise Hub www.sunrisemovement.org
- Indivisible Colorado (Facebook Page)
- Denver March for Science
- Colorado Latino Forum
- Indivisible Colorado Environment
- Boulder CAN
This episode is courtesy of Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club. The Pikes Peak Group is part of the Colorado Chapter of the Sierra Club and represents members in the greater Pikes Peak region as well as communities to the east and west of the region. The purpose of the Sierra Club is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.
We invite you to join in our events, hikes, and discussions. For more information about the Group’s activities and events, follow Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club on Facebook (links below).
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Sustainability in ProgressAir QualityWednesday, October 16, 2019
7:30 to 9:00 am
Wildcat Room at Ivywild SchoolFree Event. Coffee & pastries provided Peak Environment PodfestOctober 19, 2019, Noon to 4 pm
Stargazers Theatre & Event CenterJoin the live audience participating in 3 podcast episodes
More Info
Learn from 3 important panels at this free event:
- Groundwater Contamination (firefighting foam - PFAS)
- Making Local Food Flourish
- Colorado Springs' Energy Future
Green Drinks Thursday, October 24, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Westside Community Center1628 W Bijou St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Get a garden tour. Refreshments provided
$5 donation requested
Pikes Peak Environmental ForumThe Dark Side of Renewable EnergyOctober 25, 2019
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Learn what’s going on at the podcasting hub of the Pikes Peak region, the Studio 809 podcast collective. Over a dozen podcasts originating in the area can be found at studio809podcasts.com. Studio 809 founder Dave Gardner fills us in specifically on the environmentally focused podcasts originating in the “basement studio” – Peak Environment, the GrowthBusters podcast about sustainable living and The Overpopulation Podcast.
Also, local activist and singer/songwriter Lindsay Facknitz shares a couple of original songs and provides information and perspective on the current Colorado Springs Utilities initiative to create an updated Electric Integrated Resource Plan (EIRP).
Thanks to Pikes Peak Lemonade, Java Mountain Baking, Cindy Gardner, and Hobbs Family Farm for refreshment donations.
Be sure you’ve got the Peak Environment Podfest on your calendar for the afternoon of October 19. You’re invited to be part of the live audience at Stargazers Theatre & Event Center from noon to 4 as we present three panels and record their conversations to be episodes of the Peak Environment podcast. It’s free, and your chance to watch a podcast being made, AND be a part of it by asking questions or sharing a comment.
Invite friends, family and colleagues you think will be interested.
- Noon – Doors open
- 12:30 – Groundwater Contamination (firefighting foam)
- 1:40 – Making Local Food Flourish
- 2:45 – Colorado Springs’ Energy Future
LINKS:
Studio 809 Podcasts
Peak Environment podcast (archive and info page)
(see buttons below to access in your app)
GrowthBusters podcast
The Overpopulation Podcast
Colorado Springs EIRP
Pikes Peak Lemonade
Hobbs Family Farm
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Community Tree Planting in Manitou SpringsSaturday, October 12, 2019
10 am to 2 pm Meet at Manitou City Hall
Info and Sign Up
Evening Potluck after the Planting
Bring hand tools, water for your own hydration, sack lunch, gloves, hat, sunscreen.
Sustainability in Progress Wednesday, October 16, 2019
7:30 to 9:00 am
Wildcat Room at Ivywild SchoolFree Event. Coffee & pastries provided Peak Environment PodfestOctober 19, 2019, Noon to 4 pm
Stargazers Theatre & Event CenterJoin the live audience participating in 3 podcast episodes,
Learn from 3 important panels at this free event:
- Groundwater Contamination (firefighting foam - PFAS)
- Making Local Food Flourish
- Colorado Springs' Energy Future
Green Drinks Thursday, October 24, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Westside Community Center1628 W Bijou St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Get a garden tour. Refreshments provided
$5 donation requested
Pikes Peak Environmental ForumThe Dark Side of Renewable EnergyOctober 25, 2019
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Have at least one “arts and culture” experience this month. Art and culture have a lot of value to our community both in quality of life and economic impact. Just the non-profit arts in our region generate 153 million dollars of economic activity annually. The most recent Sustainability in Progress gathering at Ivywild School featured two speakers telling us about arts and culture happenings during Arts Month and year-round as part of a sustainable community.
Andy Vick, executive director of the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPeR), talks all things Arts Month and the importance of keeping the region’s arts and culture flourishing. During this 6th annual Arts Month, he encourages residents to experience one new cultural experience during the month of October. He also talks about the office’s collaboration with Creek Week, an example of how temporary public art can be integrated into sustainability efforts. Vick also shares plans to develop a new 2020-2030 Cultural Plan.
Steve Wood, director of Concrete Couch, shares how the organization builds community through art and education, building fantastical art pieces with recycled materials and teaching kids, teens, and adults new skills. Steve also details plans and progress to create Concrete Couch’s new campus in the Shook’s Run neighborhood. Recent projects have involved trail building, hillside stabilization, building soil, water testing, and a bio-retention system, along with internship and educational opportunities for kids and teens.
This episode was recorded at the September 2019 Sustainability in Progress meeting hosted by Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us the third Wednesday of every month (7:30 – 9:00 am) at Ivywild School for coffee, pastries and enlightening presentations. It’s free to attend. Send us a note to request meeting notices by email.
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach.
Producers: Dave Gardner and Ellen Johnson-Fay
Editor: Katie Lawrie
LINKS:
Andy Vick’s Arts Month PowerPoint Visuals
Arts Month
Peak Radar community events calendar
Concrete Couch
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Sustainability in Progress Wednesday, October 16, 2019
7:30 to 9:00 am
Wildcat Room at Ivywild SchoolFree Event. Coffee & pastries provided Peak Environment PodfestOctober 19, 2019, Noon to 4 pm
Stargazers Theatre & Event CenterJoin the live audience participating in 3 podcast episodes,
Learn from 3 important panels at this free event:
- Groundwater Contamination (firefighting foam - PFAS)
- Making Local Food Flourish
- Colorado Springs' Energy Future
Green Drinks Thursday, October 24, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Westside Community Center1628 W Bijou St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Get a garden tour. Refreshments provided
$5 donation requested
Pikes Peak Environmental ForumThe Dark Side of Renewable EnergyOctober 25, 2019
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
What is about 40 times as heavy as a hippopotamus, 180 times as heavy as a grand piano, and 42 times as heavy as a car? Listen to this week’s episode to find out.
You can pitch in to have clean, healthy waterways in the Pikes Peak Region, starting September 28, in the 2019 Creek Week. Debbie Vitulli, co-chair of the Pikes Peak Library District’s Green Team, along with Green Team member Bill Thomas, talks to Alli Schuch about the upcoming Creek Week and how the event has grown since its inception in 2014. Schuch is outreach coordinator for the Fountain Creek Watershed District.
Learn surprising facts about our watershed and how much our collective and individual actions impact the water around us. Alli explains water quality issues our region faces and ways to participate in Creek Week, a popular annual event attracting hundreds of volunteers throughout the community.
Creek Week kicks off on September 28, 2019. You can form your own creek crew or join in one of over 40 public clean-ups. This is a fun opportunity to give back, and to enjoy and protect our public parks and trails.
LINKS:
Creek Week
Creek Week Events
Creek Week Events on Facebook
Creek Week Kickoff at Fountain Creek Regional Park
Includes breakfast by The Picnic Basket
Clean n Crawl October 5 at the Peaks N Pines Brewery in Fountain (reserve a spot)
Fountain Creek Watershed District
About the PPLD Green TeamThe Green Team is one of the partner organizations creating the Peak Environment podcast on Studio 809. The PPLD Green team recommends strategies for the library district to embrace and implement sustainable practices. Sustainable practices are those that provide for the long-term viability of economic, human and environmental resources, generally accomplished through reduction, re-use and recycling of consumable goods. The team promotes a culture of sustainability throughout the library district and works to build awareness of responsible environmental stewardship in the Colorado Springs community.
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Green Drinks Thursday, September 26, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Energy Resource Center114 W Rio Grande St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Pikes Peak Environmental ForumSouthern Colorado Dark Skies InitiativeSeptember 27, 2019
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
Creek Week 2019September 28 - October 6, 2019Largest watershed-wide cleanup in Colorado. All citizens are encouraged to participate individually in a public event or form a Creek Crew of your own! More information here
Peak Environment PodfestOctober 19, 2019, Noon to 4 pmStargazers Theatre & Event CenterJoin the live audience participating in 3 podcast episodes
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
It’s one of the best-kept secrets in town! There is a service that can evaluate your home’s energy-efficiency and potentially trim your utility bill by 25%. Energy Resource Center is a non-profit that focuses on providing the service at no cost to families that most need the help. But homeowners who don’t qualify can still use the service, paying market rates (which helps ERC do work at no charge for those in need). ERC technicians are experts in heating, air conditioning, hot water heaters, insulation, etc. It’s the biggest, most reputable weatherization company in the nation.
In this episode, Mike Mazzola of Energy Resource Center sits down with Peak Environment Co-Producer Ellen Johnson-Fay to give her the full picture – including the fact that ERC has offices in Alamosa, Denver, and Loveland, in addition to Colorado Springs. If this episode whets your appetite for more information, or if you just want to see the place, put the September 26 Green Drinks event on your calendar (details under events below).
LINKS:
Energy Resource Center
ERC’s YouTube Channel
This episode is presented by the Green Cities Coalition. The Green Cities Coalition communicates the promise of embracing sustainable actions in our environment and with one another. We strive to collaborate in positive ways and create partnerships with other people and organizations inside and outside of the sustainability community.
Ultimately, our goal is to celebrate with you the achievements of those who contribute to the preservation and health of our local natural and human environments. We invite you to Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate all things sustainable with us! Join us at our next Green Drinks gathering, Thursday, September 26, 5:30-7:30 pm at the Energy Resource Center.
Co-Producers: Dave Gardner and Ellen Johnson-Fay
Editor: Dave Gardner
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Green Drinks Thursday, September 26, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Energy Resource Center114 W Rio Grande St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Pikes Peak Environmental ForumSouthern Colorado Dark Skies InitiativeSeptember 27, 2019
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
Creek Week 2019September 28 - October 6, 2019Largest watershed-wide cleanup in Colorado. All citizens are encouraged to participate individually in a public event or form a Creek Crew of your own! More information here
Peak Environment PodfestOctober 19, 2019, Noon to 4 pmStargazers Theatre & Event CenterJoin the live audience participating in 3 podcast episodes
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Coal, gas, solar, wind? How should each of these factor into our utility’s future energy plans? CSU is beginning to develop a new Electric Integrated Resource Plan (EIRP), and the utility wants your help. Michael Avanzi, Energy Planning Manager for the utility, provides an overview of the process, and Jim Riggins, president of Southeastern Colorado Renewable Energy Society, provides an engineer’s perspective on why renewable energy is not just the wisest, most responsible generation resource, but is also now the most economical.
The schedule for retiring the remaining two units of the Martin Drake Power Plant will, of course, be impacted by this EIRP. These presentations provide evidence of the resilience, cost-effectiveness and reliability that renewable energy options can bring to the city. Also discussed: the social costs renewable energy can mitigate, promoting health and sustainability in the region.
Note: Colorado Springs Utilities is simultaneously conducting a gas integrated resource plan.
This episode was recorded at the August Sustainability in Progress meeting hosted by Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us the third Wednesday of every month (7:30 – 9:00 am) at Ivywild School for coffee, pastries and enlightening presentations. It’s free to attend. Send us a note to request meeting notices by email.
About Peak Alliance for a Sustainable FutureThe mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach.
LINKS:
Avanzi Powerpoint Slides
Riggins Powerpoint Slides
Colorado Springs Utilities – EIRP info
Southeastern Colorado Renewable Energy Society
Co-Producers: Dave Gardner and Ellen Johnson-Fay
Editor: Katie Lawrie
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Sustainability in ProgressWednesday, September 18, 2019
7:30 to 9:00 am Wildcat Room at Ivywild School
114 W Rio Grande St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
National Drive Electric WeekSeptember 21, 2019Wasson Academic Campus
2115 Afton Way
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
More information, register, volunteer
Green Drinks Thursday, September 26, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Energy Resource Center114 W Rio Grande St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Pikes Peak Environmental ForumSouthern Colorado Dark Skies InitiativeSeptember 27, 2019
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
Creek Week 2019September 28 - October 6, 2019Largest watershed-wide cleanup in Colorado. All citizens are encouraged to participate individually in a public event or form a Creek Crew of your own! More information here
Environmental PodfestOctober 19, 2019, Noon to 4 pmStargazers Theatre & Event CenterJoin the live audience participating in 3 podcast episodes
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
When the Trump administration messes with Central Colorado’s public lands, the results are not pretty. Hear what’s happening and what you can do to help protect our “Big Back Yard.” Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club Wilderness Chair John Stansfield and Conservation Chair Jim Lockhart discuss multiple planning projects underway, some of which are nearing the end of their public comment period.
The Bureau of Land Management is preparing a resource management plan (RMP) and environmental impact statement to provide comprehensive management direction for all resources and uses within the Royal Gorge Field Office in eastern Colorado. The BLM manages over 650,000 acres of surface land in Eastern Colorado and over 3 million acres of subsurface mineral rights, including “split-estate” lands in which the federal government owns the mineral rights, but private landowners own the surface. Jim and John share some of the details.
The RMP will consider every aspect and impact of federal land use, from air to water to mineral extraction, what areas to protect and what areas are open to exploitation. The final opportunity for citizens to provide comments on the current draft of the plan closes on September 20. Oil production on BLM land in southern Colorado could more than double and natural gas production could more than triple, tripling carbon emissions under one scenario under consideration. See the links section below to review the plan and/or comment.
The BLM is also considering a proposal by the Army at Fort Carson to allow Army training over wildlands managed by the federal government, with helicopters landing on 43 remote sites in Teller, Fremont and Park counties. Jim and John share some of the details. Comments on this proposal are due by September 11th. See the links section below for information and commenting.
The BLM is also working jointly with the U.S. Forest Service on a resource management plan for the new Browns Canyon National Monument. A draft plan and environmental impact statement are expected to be released this Fall. See the links section below for information.
This episode is courtesy of Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club. The Pikes Peak Group is part of the Colorado Chapter of the Sierra Club and represents members in the greater Pikes Peak region as well as communities to the east and west of the region. The purpose of the Sierra Club is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.
We invite you to join in our events, hikes, and discussions. For more information about the Group’s activities and events, follow Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club on Facebook (links below).
LINKS:
BLM Eastern Colorado Resource Management Plan – info and to submit public comments
The public can also mail comments to:
BLM Royal Gorge Field Office
3028 East Main Street
Canon City, CO 81212
Fort Carson High Altitude Mountain Environment Training (helicopter training) – info and to submit public comments
Browns Canyon National Monument Resource Management Plan (draft to be release fall of 2019)
Pike & San Isabel National Forests Motorized Travel Management (MVUM) Analysis
Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club
on Facebook
Website
Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Browns Canyon National Monument
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
National Drive Electric WeekSeptember 21, 2019Wasson Academic Campus
2115 Afton Way
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
More information, register, volunteer
Green Drinks Thursday, September 26, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Energy Resource Center114 W Rio Grande St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Pikes Peak Environmental ForumSouthern Colorado Dark Skies InitiativeSeptember 27, 2019
Noon to 2 pmMargarita at Pine Creek
7350 Pine Creek Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Event is free; you buy your lunch
RSVP here; very important
Creek Week 2019September 28 - October 6, 2019Largest watershed-wide cleanup in Colorado. All citizens are encouraged to participate individually in a public event or form a Creek Crew of your own! More information here
Environmental PodfestOctober 19, 2019, Noon to 4 pmStargazers Theatre & Event CenterJoin the live audience participating in 3 podcast episodes
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Manitou Springs has a rich history, and is taking action on climate change. If you missed the July 2019 Green Drinks event at the Manitou Springs Heritage Center, this episode is the next best thing to being there. Michael Miao gives us the lowdown on this museum, and Manitou Mayor Ken Jaray shares about a proposed Manitou resolution for city action to reduce the city’s net carbon footprint. Manitou senior planner Karen Bechtold also speaks about progress in Manitou to help homeowners apply low impact development and other water conservation/erosion control measures.
Food was provided by Adams Mountain Cafe, Manitou French Bakery, and The Loft. The Heritage Center provided Manitou Lemonade. Green Cities Coalition provided Organic Cherry Juice.
This episode was recorded at the July 25, 2019 Green Drinks gathering. Green Drinks is hosted by the Green Cities Coalition, generally on the fourth Thursday of every month. The Green Cities Coalition communicates the promise of embracing sustainable actions in our environment and with one another. We strive to collaborate in positive ways and create partnerships with other people and organizations inside and outside of the sustainability community.
Ultimately, our goal is to celebrate with you the achievements of those who contribute to the preservation and health of our local natural and human environments. We invite you to Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate all things sustainable with us! Join us at our next Green Drinks gathering, Thursday, September 26, 5:30-7:30 pm at the Energy Resource Center.
LINKS:
Manitou Springs Heritage Center
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
2019 Colorado Permaculture ConvergenceAugust 31 - September 1, 2019Sunrise Ranch, Loveland, COMore information here
Green Drinks Thursday, September 26, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Energy Resource Center114 W Rio Grande St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
National Drive Electric WeekSeptember 21, 2019Wasson Academic Campus
2115 Afton Way
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
More information, register, volunteer
Creek Week 2019September 28 - October 6, 2019Largest watershed-wide cleanup in Colorado. All citizens are encouraged to participate individually in a public event or form a Creek Crew of your own! More information here
Environmental PodfestOctober 19, 2019, Noon to 4 pmStargazers Theatre & Event CenterJoin the live audience participating in 3 podcast episodes
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
If you missed Sustain-a-Fest, this is the next best thing to being there. Over 50 exhibitors and hundreds of Colorado Springs residents and visitors converged on Acacia Park July 27 to crank up the volume on sustainable living. In this episode, Peak Environment Co-Producer Dave Gardner visits with several exhibitors and with Ryan Trujillo, the city’s Innovation & Sustainability Manager, at the event, to bring us perspectives and stories of sustainability efforts in the Springs.
Producer: Dave Gardner
Editor: Katie Lawrie
Those interviewed include:
Pikes Peak Urban Gardens
- Speak about the (thriving!) state of different community gardens in the area and a little bit about new community gardens in the works.
UCCS Office of Sustainability
- Display activities and initiatives that students have taken part in or built themselves
- They talk bike generators, special courses on solar technology, lead gold building initiatives, and Farmhouse Fridays.
Pikes Peak Children’s Museum
-Speak about how repurposed materials can be used for inventive play among children to help develop problem-solving skills and ingenuity.
Aim High Solar
-This local group sells low-cost residential solar energy systems.
-The Colorado Springs-based group speaks to the podcast about different expandable options for its clients.
Biketricity
- Converts regular bicycles into electric bikes at an affordable price
- Speak about the way electric bikes can help those who are less mobile or who want to get back on the road
Yobel Market
-This fair trade fashion store speaks about the importance of making sure workers behind its products are paid a fair, living wage.
- Leather products, jewelry, home goods
350 Colorado Springs
- Speak about the Martin Drake Coal Plant and efforts to close the plant.
- Coalition with Sierra Club and upcoming events
Ahavah Community Initiative
- partner with a regenerative agriculture farm- hand-based, year-round farming based in Peyton Colorado
- provide local, organic food to local needing families, offer classes for adults and children about regenerative agriculture and sustainability
Ryan Trujillo, Manager of Innovation & Sustainability
- Behind much of the work that goes into hosting Sustain-a-Fest
- speaks about the city’s sustainability office
- asks Colorado Springs residents what the most pressing issue surrounding sustainability is (to be brought to a meeting concentrating on the sustainability plan re-write)
Kids on Bikes
- local non-profit concentrated on getting children in Southeast Colorado Springs outdoors and on bikes through earn-a-bike programs
Techwears
-Speaks about wearable technology- turns recycled circuit boards into wearable art
- Hopes to make a statement about the extent of planned obsolescence involved in the tech industry
Old Town Bike Shop
- impact of the event on the community
- Energy efficiency and heath benefits of bicycling
- How riding a bike makes folks more present in their communities
LINKS:
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
On Facebook
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Thursday, August 22, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pmGreen DrinksPodcasting to Save the PlanetStudio 809 / Citizen-Powered Media
2930 Orion Drive
Includes a musical performance by Lindsay Facknitz
More information here
2019 Colorado Permaculture ConvergenceAugust 31 - September 1, 2019Sunrise Ranch, Loveland, COMore information here
Creek Week 2019September 28 - October 6, 2019Largest watershed-wide cleanup in Colorado. All citizens are encouraged to participate individually in a public event or form a Creek Crew of your own! More information here
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
When kids put their hands in the dirt and connect with nature, the results are awesome. Catamount Institute is dedicated to connecting kids with nature and helping them develop into ecological stewards. In this episode, recorded at the June Green Drinks event of the Green Cities Coalition, we learn about the activities of Catamount Institute and Generation Wild, a special Colorado program to provide nature experiences for youth.
Speakers:
Konrad Schlarbaum, Chair of Green Cities Coalition
Beth Austin, Education Program Coordinator, Catamount Institute
Nancy Perez, Marketing & Outreach for Generation Wild
Producers: Ellen Johnson-Fay and Dave Gardner
LINKS:
Catamount Institute
Generation Wild of the Pikes Peak Region
Survey: how can Green Cities Coalition improve Green Drinks?
Green Cities Coaliton
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Creek Week 2019September 28 - October 6Largest watershed-wide cleanup in Colorado
All citizens are encouraged to participate individually in a public event or form a Creek Crew of your own! More information here
Thursday, August 22, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pmGreen DrinksPodcasting to Save the PlanetStudio 809 / Citizen-Powered Media
2930 Orion Drive
Includes a musical performance by Lindsay Facknitz
More information here
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
How do we navigate a time of ecological crisis? It’s not too late to add joy, kindness and beauty to our lives. Carolyn Baker recommends rekindling our love affair with nature and living contemplatively. She believes learning to grieve is a critical resilience skill.
Pikes Peak Permaculture leaders Brian Fritz and Becky Elder sit down with Carolyn Baker for an intimate conversation about finding ways to live well as we observe and experience climate disruption, species extinction, and the many other effects of humankind living outside planetary boundaries.
Baker is a former Jungian-oriented psychotherapist and a current professor of psychology and history. She authored Dark Gold: The Human Shadow and the Global Crisis and Love in the Age of Ecological Apocalypse: The Relationships We Need to Thrive. With Andrew Harvey she co-authored Return to Joy and Savage Grace: Living Resiliently in the Dark Night of the Globe.
She invites us to confront our predicament honestly, and to reframe questions of purpose and meaning in a time of extinction. "People are carrying enormous amounts of grief,” she says. “We need support in learning grief as a major resilience skill... so that we can not feel so overwhelmed.”
This conversation was recorded with Carolyn while she was visiting Colorado Springs to deliver two workshops hosted by Pikes Peak Permaculture, Placing Climate and Other Catastrophic Events Within a Larger Story – An Evening with Carolyn Baker and Living Resiliently in the Dark Night of the Globe – A Workshop with Carolyn Baker.
This episode of Peak Environment comes to us courtesy of Pikes Peak Permaculture, celebrating 15 years of Permaculture education, inspiration, and support throughout Colorado’s Pikes Peak Region. We provide several Design Certification Courses, and have graduated upwards of 60 new Permaculture designers.
Producers:* Ellen Johnson-Fay and Dave Gardner Editor:* Katie Lawrie
LINKS:
Carolyn Baker
Pikes Peak Permaculture
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
August 2-4, 2019
People's Tiny House Festival5:30 to 7:30 pmThe event celebrates all facets of simple living including tiny houses, converted vans, container homes, and converted school buses. The event is family-friendly and dog-friendly.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
5:30 to 7:30 pmGreen DrinksPodcasting to Save the PlanetStudio 809 / Citizen-Powered Media
2930 Orion Drive
In addition to our usual networking opportunity, we’ll get a tour of the studio where Peak Environment and other Studio 809 podcasts are recorded, and host Dave Gardner will share details about his communication efforts as an “ad agency for the planet.” We’ll also be treated to a musical performance by local singer/songwriter and activist Lindsay Facknitz. Refreshments provided.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Join the crowd and get your sustainability game on at Acacia Park in downtown Colorado Springs on Saturday, July 27, 2019. In this episode, Peak Environment co-producers Ellen Johnson-Fay and Dave Gardner are joined by Ryan Trujillo, Innovation & Sustainability Manager for the City of Colorado Springs. Ryan fills us in on the upcoming Sustain-a-Fest event, and also answers questions about the interesting activities of his office and staff. Innovation can play a key role in slimming the ecological and carbon footprint of our city.
2019 brings the 3rd annual Sustain-a-Fest. This event is a community celebration of “Earth Day Every Day” with sustainability exhibits & activities, along with local food trucks, live music, demonstrations, and family friendly activities. It runs from noon to 7 pm on Saturday, July 27. Admission is free. On stage will be musical performances by Tejon Street Corner Thieves, Wendy St. Cyre Band, and Spur.
There will be opportunities to learn about water and energy conservation, composting, trails and parks, and much more. Colorado Springs EV Club will be there showing off electric vehicle, and PikeRide will have a booth where you can see their newest electric-assist bikeshare bicycles. Bring your own reusable water bottle. Colorado Springs Utilities will refill it free with frozen margaritas (not! but it will be fresh, cold water). Studio 809 will have a booth and we’ll be recording an episode of Peak Environment. Stop by and say hello!
Producers:* Ellen Johnson-Fay and Dave Gardner Editor:* Katie Lawrie
LINKS:
Sustain-a-Fest information
Sustain-a-Fest Facebook event page
Sustain-a-Fest free tickets
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
On Facebook
Looking to Our Future – Pikes Peak Region 2030The Pikes Peak region’s sustainability plan
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Thursday, July 25
5:30 to 7:30 pmGreen DrinksManitou Heritage Center517 Manitou Ave.
Visit the Manitou Community Market across the street (3 to 7 pm), then join us for networking at 5:30 and a finger-food potluck. Mineral springs lemonade will be on hand. We'll take a guided tour and discussion of mineral springs. $5 donation requested. Take the Green Drinks survey to help us make this program work for you.
Saturday, July 27
Noon to 7 pm, Acacia Park
Sustain-a-Fest
All age groups are welcome to join in the fun! Come walk the park and experience booths, live music from Tejon Street Corner Thieves and more, local food trucks, and family-friendly activities such as crafts, face painting, mobile cave (CaveSim), bouncy house, and more! Hosted by the Colorado Springs Office of Innovation and Sustainability.
August 2-4, 2019
People's Tiny House Festival5:30 to 7:30 pmThe event celebrates all facets of simple living including tiny houses, converted vans, container homes, and converted school buses. The event is family-friendly and dog-friendly.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
How are Pikes Peak Region sustainability efforts doing? What are the challenges, achievements, strengths, weaknesses, progress and setbacks? This episode provides a valuable history of efforts to promote sustainable policy and practice in Colorado Springs, and a snapshot of where we are today. It’s all explored in this community dialogue recorded at the June 17 Sustainability in Progress meeting of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future.
Peak Alliance Chair Mary Barber shares most of the story, and moderates the ensuing conversation. Barber has long been a community sustainability leader. She was sustainability manager at Fort Carson when the base first developed the Fort Carson Sustainability Plan. Mary reviews the ten goals in the Pikes Peak region’s sustainability plan (link below) and gives us a status report on each. The conversation brings light to those who have been doing valuable work in the Colorado Springs community and beyond. The group discussion explores ways to promote more collaboration, raise public awareness and inspire participation.
LINKS:
Slide Presentation to accompany this talk
Looking to Our Future – Pikes Peak Region 2030 sustainability plan
This presentation was made at the monthly Sustainability in Progress (SIP) event on June 17, 2019. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
About Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach.
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Thursday, July 25
5:30 to 7:30 pmGreen DrinksManitou Heritage Center517 Manitou Ave.
Visit the Manitou Community Market across the street (3 to 7 pm), then join us for networking at 5:30 and a finger-food potluck. Mineral springs lemonade will be on hand. We'll take a guided tour and discussion of mineral springs. $5 donation requested. Take the Green Drinks survey to help us make this program work for you.
Saturday, July 27
Noon to 7 pm, Acacia Park
Sustain-a-Fest
All age groups are welcome to join in the fun! Come walk the park and experience booths, live music from Tejon Street Corner Thieves and more, local food trucks, and family-friendly activities such as crafts, face painting, mobile cave (CaveSim), bouncy house, and more! Hosted by the Colorado Springs Office of Innovation and Sustainability.
August 2-4, 2019
People's Tiny House Festival5:30 to 7:30 pmThe event celebrates all facets of simple living including tiny houses, converted vans, container homes, and converted school buses. The event is family-friendly and dog-friendly.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
You can fight Mother Nature or you can work WITH her. Forest gardening is a way of landscaping that saves time, money, water…and the planet. Learn all about this ethical style of Earth care, and how you can practice it in your own garden, from permaculturist Becky Elder. This episode is a recording of her Forest Gardening class at the 2018 People’s Tiny House Festival.
This episode of Peak Environment comes to us courtesy of Pikes Peak Permaculture, celebrating 15 years of Permaculture education, inspiration, and support throughout Colorado’s Pikes Peak Region.
LINKS:
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Becky, the Gardener, LLC
People’s Tiny House Festival
Edible Forest Gardens
Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Colorado Farm and Art MarketNow in full bloom!
Wednesdays at the Pioneer Museum 3-7 pm
Saturdays at Margarita at Pine Creek 9 am – 1 pm
Starlight Spectacular
Saturday, June 15, 2019, 9 pm to 2 am
Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center
1805 N 30th St, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904
Tickets
Food for Change film screening
Event link
Independent Film Society of Colorado, Ivywild School and Pikes Peak Local Foodshed Forum
Ivywild School
Monday, June 17, 2019, 7 - 9 pm
Free (donations appreciated)
Manitou Community Market
Farm to Table Potluck
Manitou Springs Memorial Park
June 20, 2019, 3 - 7pm
(The Manitou Community Market is every Thursday from 3 pm to 7 pm starting June 20th through October 3rd.)
Pollinator Gardens class
High Prairie Library
7035 Old Meridian Rd.
Peyton, CO 80831
Saturday, June 22, 2019, 10 am – noon
Free, no registration required
Green Drinks
Thursday, June 27, 2019, 5:30-7:30 pm
Catamount Institute
740 W. Caramillo St., Colorado Springs
Navigating Climate Chaos Resiliently - Carolyn Baker Workshop
Friday, June 28, 7 – 9 pm
Saturday, June 29, 9 am – 4:30 pm
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Unity Spiritual Center in the Rockies
945 Mesa Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Bike to Work Day - June 26June 26, 2019, 6 - 9 am
Sustain-a-FestSaturday, July 27, 2019
Acacia Park
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Can cooperation and collaboration trump competition and profit maximization in generating community wealth? Matt Noyes, son of Chinook Bookstore founders Dick and Judy Noyes, shares his vision for the variety of ways Colorado Springs can benefit from models of cooperative organization and solidarity economy. There are several cooperatives today in the city of Colorado Springs. The state of Colorado has some of the best cooperative law; it’s a great place to form a cooperative. Listen and learn a lot!
Matt studied Applied Social Economy at Mondragon University in Spain after living and working in New York City and Tokyo. He’s done extensive research into cooperatives and solidarity economy. He returns to Colorado Springs bringing his passion for sustainability, workers movements, equity and environmental and food justice, and love of good local food.
LINKS:
Colorado Farm & Art Market
Better Work Together
Colorado: The Delaware of Cooperative Law
We’ll See It When We Know It: Recognizing Emergent Solidarity Economy by Matt Noyes
(This is a study Matt did of El Paso County)
Part One
Part Two
The Colorado Cooperatives Study Circle
Everything for Everyone: The Radical Tradition that Is Shaping the Next Economy by Nathan Schneider
Solidarity Economy Roads by Luis Razeto Migliaro
(A great introduction to solidarity economy. Matt Noyes is translating this book, and it is being published serially on Grassroots Economy Organizing)
Worker Self-Directed Nonprofits
Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS)
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Rainwater Harvesting class
Rockrimmon Library
Saturday, June 8, 2019, 10 - 11 am
Free, no registration required
Colorado Farm and Art Marketstarts June 12 at Pioneer Museum
Wednesdays at the Pioneer Museum 3-7 pm
Saturdays at Margarita at Pine Creek 9 am – 1 pm
Starlight Spectacular
Saturday, June 15, 2019, 9 pm to 2 am
Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center
1805 N 30th St, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904
Tickets
Food for Change film screening
Event link
Independent Film Society of Colorado, Ivywild School and Pikes Peak Local Foodshed Forum
Ivywild School
Monday, June 17, 2019, 7 - 9 pm
Free (donations appreciated)
Manitou Community Market
Farm to Table Potluck
Manitou Springs Memorial Park
June 20, 2019, 3 - 7pm
(The Manitou Community Market is every Thursday from 3 pm to 7 pm starting June 20th through October 3rd.)
Pollinator Gardens class
High Prairie Library
7035 Old Meridian Rd.
Peyton, CO 80831
Saturday, June 22, 2019, 10 am – noon
Free, no registration required
Green Drinks
Thursday, June 27, 2019, 5:30-7:30 pm
Catamount Institute
740 W. Caramillo St., Colorado Springs
Navigating Climate Chaos Resiliently - Carolyn Baker Workshop
Friday, June 28, 7 – 9 pm
Saturday, June 29, 9 am – 4:30 pm
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Unity Spiritual Center in the Rockies
945 Mesa Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Bike to Work Day - June 26June 26, 2019, 6 - 9 am
Sustain-a-FestSaturday, July 27, 2019
Acacia Park
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Everything you want to know about the PikeRide bikeshare program in Colorado Springs. How does bikesharing help us achieve the objectives of our sustainability plan (Looking to Our Future – Pikes Peak Region 2030)? What are the various ways it serves the needs of, and provides joy to, city residents and tourists?
If you heard our interview with PikeRide Executive Director Jolie Nesmith in episode 25 of Peak Environment, this episode will take you farther and deeper.
We recorded this episode at the May 23, 2019 Green Drinks gathering at Local Relic. Green Drinks is hosted by the Green Cities Coalition, generally on the fourth Thursday of every month.
The Green Cities Coalition communicates the promise of embracing sustainable actions in our environment and with one another. We strive to collaborate in positive ways and create partnerships with other people and organizations inside and outside of the sustainability community.
Ultimately, our goal is to celebrate with you the achievements of those who contribute to the preservation and health of our local natural and human environments. We invite you to Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate all things sustainable with us!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Rainwater Harvesting class
Rockrimmon Library
Saturday, June 8, 2019, 10 - 11 am
Free, no registration required
Colorado Farm and Art Marketstarts June 12 at Pioneer Museum
Wednesdays at the Pioneer Museum 3-7 pm
Saturdays at Margarita at Pine Creek 9 am – 1 pm
Starlight Spectacular
Saturday, June 15, 2019, 9 pm to 2 am
Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center
1805 N 30th St, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904
Tickets
Food for Change film screening
Event link
Independent Film Society of Colorado, Ivywild School and Pikes Peak Local Foodshed Forum
Ivywild School
Monday, June 17, 2019, 7 - 9 pm
Free (donations appreciated)
Manitou Community Market
Farm to Table Potluck
Manitou Springs Memorial Park
June 20, 2019, 3 - 7pm
(The Manitou Community Market is every Thursday from 3 pm to 7 pm starting June 20th through October 3rd.)
Pollinator Gardens class
High Prairie Library
7035 Old Meridian Rd.
Peyton, CO 80831
Saturday, June 22, 2019, 10 am – noon
Free, no registration required
Green Drinks
Thursday, June 27, 2019, 5:30-7:30 pm
Catamount Institute
740 W. Caramillo St., Colorado Springs
Navigating Climate Chaos Resiliently - Carolyn Baker Workshop
Friday, June 28, 7 – 9 pm
Saturday, June 29, 9 am – 4:30 pm
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Unity Spiritual Center in the Rockies
945 Mesa Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Bike to Work Day - June 26June 26, 2019, 6 - 9 am
Sustain-a-FestSaturday, July 27, 2019
Acacia Park
LINKS:
Local Relic
PikeRide
PeakRadar area events calendar
GrowthBusters podcast
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Everything you wanted to know about vaping, but didn’t know who to ask. How much do you know about the dangers of vaping? Did you know e-cigarettes contain toxins and carcinogens? That youth who vape are four times as likely to start smoking traditional cigarettes? That second-hand vape smoke can affect the health of bystanders?
Our health and the health of those in our community is an essential part of sustainability. Looking to Our Future, the Pikes Peak region’s 2030 sustainability plan states:
- By 2030, the Pikes Peak region ranks in the top 10 for the United States for individual and population health and well-being.
- By 2030, health and wellness care is accessible and affordable for every resident.
Grace Houser, MD, Assistant Professor, Pediatric Pulmonology at Children's Hospital Colorado gives us a preview of the new Children’s Hospital opening in May or June, 2019 in Colorado Springs, and what that means for access to health care in our community. She also provides an eye-opening education on the dangers of vaping, and efforts to protect people – especially adolescents – from those risks.
During questions and answers, El Paso County Public Health officials Dacia Hudson and Jenny Best, who oversee the Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership, were in the audience and provided useful information.
The moderator was Chris Aaby, Executive Director of the Catamount Institute and of Generation Wild of the Pikes Peak Region, and board member of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future.
LINKS:
Dr. Houser's Vaping Slide Presentation
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Looking to Our Future: Pikes Peak Region 2030 sustainability plan
Children's Hospital Colorado
Vaping FAQ
Vape: Myths vs. Facts
Children's Hospital Vaping Handout
El Paso County Youth Tobacco & Vaping Statistics
Get Outdoors Day Colorado Springs June 1, 2019
Peak Radar
This presentation was made at the monthly Sustainability in Progress (SIP) event on May 15, 2019. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
About Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach.
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Thursday, May 23
Green Drinks
Green Drinks - at Pike Ride, then Local Relic5:30 to 7:30 pm
Green Drinks is organized by the Green Cities Coalition. It encourages people to Communicate, Collaborate, Celebrate all things sustainable in the Pikes Peak region! Bring $5 in cash or check to pay it forward for the next Green Drinks or donate online here.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Did you know there are over 200 bikes in a 12 square mile area of central Colorado Springs available for you to borrow? Over a million calories have been burned by riders on PikeRide bicycles since bikesharing began in Colorado Springs ten months ago. Jolie Nesmith, Executive Director of PikeRide Bike Share, fills host Ellen Johnson-Fay in on how bikesharing works, the genesis of the bike share system in Colorado Springs, and the benefits of bikesharing.
Get the full story and try PikeRide out on Thursday, May 23 (2019) when Green Drinks convenes at PikeRide and then pedals over to Local Relic. Nesmith and Johnson-Fay discuss the details of that event in this episode:
Green Drinks at PikeRide
May 23, 2019, 5:30 pm
PikeRide -739 E. Pikes Peak Avenue
we’ll ride from Pike Ride to
Local Relic
320 South Weber
LINKS:
PikeRide
Downtown Colorado Springs
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Who Gives a Scrap is a donation based scrap store in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins that carries an impressive mix of arts, craft and hobby supplies in addition to unique vintage finds. At the April, 2019 Green Drinks, co-founders Jayne Blewitt and Lorrie Myers shared their story and how the store works. It’s an excellent resource for teachers, and it’s a beautiful alternative to tossing scraps and supplies you no longer need. Visit www.WhoGivesaScrapColorado.com for locations and information about what they accept and what you’ll find.
“A woman’s craft room is the same as a man’s garage.”
This episode of Peak Environment is courtesy of the Green Cities Coalition, communicating the promise of embracing sustainable actions in our environment and with one another. We strive to collaborate in positive ways and create partnerships with other people and organizations inside and outside of the sustainability community.
Ultimately, our goal is to celebrate with you the achievements of those who contribute to the preservation and health of our local natural and human environments. We invite you to Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate all things sustainable with us!
Join us at our next Green Drinks gathering, Thursday, May 23, 5:30-7:30 pm. This one begins at PikeRide, 739 E. Pikes Peak Avenue. We’ll have the opportunity to try out their bikes on a ride to Local Relic for refreshments and further conversation.
LINKS:
Who Gives a Scrap
Green Cities Coalition
May 23 Green Drinks at PikeRide
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
How do we get the sustainability message beyond the choir? Social media is an opportunity to tell your story, capture people’s attention, engage with supporters and build community. Skyler Leonard, digital communications specialist for the City of Colorado Springs, shares how to better engage the community about sustainability using social media. He highlights best practices and effective messaging to reach a wider audience, and to engage with other interested citizens in the community.
Skyler Leonard helps manage the City website and social media accounts. He is a graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in English and journalism. Community awareness and citizen engagement with regard to sustainability supports all of the goals in Looking to Our Future: Pikes Peak Region 2030, the Pikes Peak region’s sustainability plan.
The moderator was Chris Aaby, Executive Director of the Catamount Institute and of Generation Wild of the Pikes Peak Region, and board member of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future.
LINKS:
Slide Presentation
Energy Vision
Energy Vision survey
Main City of Colorado Springs Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Accounts:
@cityofCOS
City of Colorado Springs Office of Innovation and Sustainability on Facebook:
@COSsustainability
Hemingway Editor
This presentation was made at the monthly Sustainability in Progress (SIP) event on March 20th, 2019. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Thursday, April 25
Green Drinks
Thursday, April 25
Green Drinks - at Who Gives a Scrap5:30 to 7:30 pm
Green Drinks is organized by the Green Cities Coalition. It encourages people to Communicate, Collaborate, Celebrate all things sustainable in the Pikes Peak region! The theme for April's Green Drinks is reuse.
Who Gives a SCRAP is a donation based scrap store that carries an impressive mix of arts and craft and hobbies supplies in addition to unique vintage finds. Bring $5 in cash or check to pay it forward for the next Green Drinks or donate online here.
Friday, April 26
Mile High Youth Corps
Providing lifetime skills for youth in the arenas of energy conservation and trail building
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP)
About Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
“All mushrooms are edible – at least once,” quips environmental scientist and mushroom expert Mike Essam, president of the Pikes Peak Mycological Society. Mike shared the wonders of fungi in this very popular talk at the March 22 luncheon of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The photographs Mike showed are a key part of the presentation, so it’s recommended you view the slides (see the links below) while listening.
The mushroom is just the fruit of the mycelium fungus. Most of it is in the soil or in a log or tree. Did you know there can be as much as six miles of mycelium filaments in a cubic inch of soil? There are mushrooms that are poisonous, mushrooms with medicinal properties, mushrooms that are very tasty, and some are, well, “magic.” Mike explains how they are identified.
The Pikes Peak Environmental Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for meeting notifications.
PPEF presenting sponsors are Becky Elder the Gardener and Peak Radar.
Slide Presentation Part 1
Slide Presentation Part 2
Slide Presentation Part 3
LINKS:
Join Pikes Peak Mycological Society. It's inexpensive and you get hands-on help!
Telluride Mushroom Festival
Manitou Mushrooms
The Fungal Pharmacy by Robert Rogers
Fungi Magazine
Radical Mycology by Peter McCoy
Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation by Tradd Cotter
Edible Mushroom Hunt class at The Survival University
SPONSORS:
Adams Bank and Trust
Art of Engineering
Becky Elder, The Gardener, LLC
Black Hills Energy
Environmental Compliance Systems
Old Town Bike Shop
PeakRadar.com
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Terra Essentials
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Thursday, April 18
Utilities Energy Vision Open House
Leon Young Service Center6 to 8 pm
Learn more and share your feedback.
Energy Vision info
Online Survey
Saturday, April 20
Earth Day Celebration at Garden of the Gods9 am to 3 pm
Thursday, April 25
Green Drinks - at Who Gives a Scrap5:30 to 7:30 pm
Green Drinks encourages people to Communicate, Collaborate, Celebrate all things sustainable in the Pikes Peak region! The theme for April's Green Drinks is reuse.
Who Gives a SCRAP is a donation based scrap store that carries an impressive mix of arts and craft and hobbies supplies in addition to unique vintage finds. Bring $5 in cash or check to pay it forward for the next Green Drinks or donate online here.
Friday, April 26
Mile High Youth Corps
Providing lifetime skills for youth in the arenas of energy conservation and trail building
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP)
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
The chemicals used in firefighting foam, Teflon, stain-resistant carpet, outdoor sports apparel, and even the lining of your movie theater’s popcorn bags, are everywhere. Since they were first developed in the 1950s, they’ve become so widely used that traces of them have been found in the most remote regions of the globe, and in the blood of over 99% of the U.S. population. They’re correlated with several types of cancer, and are believed to disrupt hormone balance and be particularly harmful to young, developing children. Locally, they’ve been a hot topic because unhealthy levels of the chemical have been found in the groundwater of communities just south of Colorado Springs: Fountain, Widefield and Security.
Learn all about PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, sometimes called PFCs) in this fascinating presentation by Dr. Eli Fahrenkrug - Assistant Professor of Analytical and Materials Chemistry at Colorado College. Fahrenkrug, along with Dr. Tyler Cornelius, launched and runs the Fountain Valley Water Project, the first non-profit, non-partisan research group entirely focused on PFAS water quality in Southern Colorado.
CC chemistry student Keenan Wright, who played a significant role in the launch, also shares about the water analysis and data collection project he’s handling (people in affected areas can get their water tested by the team for free).
The Water Quality goal from Looking to Our Future: Pikes Peak Region 2030 (2012): ”Ground and surface water quality is better than designated water quality standards that are in place to protect classified uses (recreation, aquatic life, agriculture, water supply,and wetlands)."
This presentation was made at the monthly Sustainability in Progress (SIP) event on March 20th, 2019. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
LINKS:
Slide Presentation
Fountain Valley Water Project
The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare(2016 New York Times story)
Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water Leave Military Families Reeling(2/19 New York Times story)
The Devil We Know(Documentary about PFAS)
Why We Can't Run from PFAS Chemicals
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Friday, April 26
Mile High Youth Corps
Providing lifetime skills for youth in the arenas of energy conservation and trail building
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP)
About Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
The mission of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Singer/Songwriter and climate/energy activist Lindsay Facknitz joins host Ellen Johnson-Fay to share how and why she added activism to the busy life of a mother of two young children. From January 2019 through August of 2020 Colorado Springs Utilities is developing a new Electric Integrated Resource Plan. Lindsay wants to mobilize citizens to let our utility know they want the coal-fired Martin Drake Power Plant closed as soon as possible, and to urge the municipal energy provider to adopt renewable power sources more quickly.
They also discuss city council candidates who can be counted on to embrace these changes.
Lindsay also shares a song she wrote about climate change.
LINKS:
UPAC (Utilities Policy Advisory Committee) - Info and Meeting Schedule
Energy Vision (Colorado Springs Utilities "Energy Vision" information, including April 18, 2019 Energy Vision)
Green Cities Coalition
Green Cities Coalition on Facebook
Lindsay and Jeremy Music
MENTIONED:
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
Leadership Pikes Peak
Dave Grossman (utilities UPAC liaison)
Beyond Coal info
This episode of Peak Environment is courtesy of the Green Cities Coalition, communicating the promise of embracing sustainable actions in our environment and with one another. We strive to collaborate in positive ways and create partnerships with other people and organizations inside and outside of the sustainability community.
Ultimately, our goal is to celebrate with you the achievements of those who contribute to the preservation and health of our local natural and human environments. We invite you to Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate all things sustainable with us! Join us at our next Green Drinks gathering, Thursday, March 28, 2019, 5:30-7:30 pm, at Peak to Plains, 4635 Town Center Dr, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80916.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Local food and farmers, composting, permaculture, renewable energy and recycling are among the topics of conversation and announcements as we try something different – “Open Mic” at a Green Cities monthly Green Drinks event. At every Green Drinks attendees get the chance to introduce themselves and make announcements about important local environmental issues and events. We usually exclude these from the Peak Environment podcasts, but decided to experiment and make those announcements the featured content of this episode. Let us know if you find this informative or inspirational. We may do an open mic episode a few times a year.
This episode was recorded at the February 28, 2019 Green Drinks held at Mountain Mama Natural Foods. In addition to “open mic,” Roxanne, Mountain Mama’s Kitchen Manager and Head Chef, describes the breakfast and lunch menus, which include bread baked fresh daily, breakfast burritos, and three kettles of soup. Mountain Mama is a family-owned and operated natural food store located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The store features natural grocery, organic produce, vitamin/supplements, natural body care, perishables, frozen foods, bulk foods, and bulk herbs as well as an in-house bakery and delicatessen. Mountain Mama is a west side landmark just minutes away from Colorado College, The Broadmoor and Downtown Colorado Springs.
LINKS:
Mountain Mama Natural Foods
Green Cities Coalition
Green Cities Coalition on Facebook
Pikes Peak Farm to School on Facebook
This episode of Peak Environment is courtesy of the Green Cities Coalition, communicating the promise of embracing sustainable actions in our environment and with one another. We strive to collaborate in positive ways and create partnerships with other people and organizations inside and outside of the sustainability community.
Ultimately, our goal is to celebrate with you the achievements of those who contribute to the preservation and health of our local natural and human environments. We invite you to Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate all things sustainable with us! Join us at our next Green Drinks gathering, Thursday, March 28, 2019, 5:30-7:30 pm, at Peak to Plains, at 4635 Town Center Dr, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80916.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
The Colorado Springs Environmental Action Summit on March 5, 2019 brought together organizations and individuals working on environmental action – in order to coalesce a more effective environmental movement. Members and leaders from over 50 organizations, including Sierra Club, 350.org, ENACT, Green Cities Coalition, the Pikes Peak Justice & Peace Commission, and GrowthBusters.
Kevin Mitchell of Empowerment Solidarity Network provided the keynote address, which was followed by a panel that included Ian Johnson, Director of the Colorado College Office of Sustainability; Bryna Coyle, Zero Waste intern at the CC Office of Sustainability; Amy Gray, Volunteer Coordinator for 350 Colorado; Eli Fahrenkrug, Professor of Chemistry at Colorado College; and Sabrina Cotta, Innovation and Sustainability Analyst at the Colorado Springs Innovation & Sustainability Department.
LINKS:
News Story about the Summit
Colorado College Office of Sustainability
Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club
350 Colorado
Colorado Springs Office of Innovation & Sustainability
GrowthBusters Podcast
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
We've heard about our Watershed and Foodshed, but did you know we have a Fibershed? Learn why it matters what cloth you choose and where you acquire it.
Judith Rice-Jones shares what she has learned about the clothes we wear, the fabrics from which they’re made, and our “fibershed,” a concept originated by Rebecca Burgess. Judith is an ecological and edible gardener, master gardener, native plant master, and wildscaping instructor.
This program was recorded at the February 22, 2019 luncheon meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page, or contact us to be put on the email list for meeting notifications.
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum presenting sponsors are Becky Elder the Gardener and Peak Radar.
LINKS:
Presenter's PowerPoint Slides (PDF)
Video Shown During This Presentation:
Rebecca Burgess of Fibershed at RFRS Picnic
Fibershed
CalCAN Healthy Soils Program
Marin Carbon Project
Harvesting Color by Rebecca Burgess
Mountain and Plains Fibershed
Textiles West
Care What You Wear (Organic Consumers Association)
Local Food Shift magazine
SPONSORS:
Adams Bank and Trust
Art of Engineering
Becky Elder, The Gardener, LLC
Black Hills Energy
Environmental Compliance Systems
Old Town Bike Shop
PeakRadar.com
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Terra Essentials
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Water is in short supply on the Front Range of Colorado. You probably knew this, but the details might surprise you in this episode of Peak Environment. Where will the 20-plus metropolitan water districts in El Paso County get their water in the future? Water rights are already being shifted from farms in the Lower Arkansas Valley to cities in the I-25 corridor. What’s being done to protect farming?
These are presentations made at the monthly Sustainability in Progress (SIP) event on February 20th, 2019. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
Speakers:
-
Mark Gebhart, Deputy Director, Planning and Community Developement, El Paso County
-
Ed Roberson, Conservation Director, Palmer Land Trust
LINKS:
Mark Gebhart’s Powerpoint Slides
Ed Roberson’s Powerpoint Slides
El Paso County Water Plan
Palmer Land Trust
Peak Radar calendar
Where the Water Goes by David Owen
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Built and Natural Environment: Water and Air Quality
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future - Sustainability in Progress
7:30-9am, Ivywild School - Wildcat Room
Friday, March 22
Fungi, the Forgotten Kingdom, Mike Esom
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP)
Friday, April 26
Mile High Youth Corps
Providing lifetime skills for youth in the arenas of energy conservation and trail building
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP)
About Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
The mission of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future is to promote regional sustainability and advance the Pikes Peak region's sustainability plan (PPR2030) through regional collaboration and outreach.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
From growing gardens to creating community to transforming lives, take a peek at what your community library's Green Team is all about. Pikes Peak Library District Regional Manager Michael Doherty and Senior Library Assistant Debbie Vitulli join host Ellen Johnson-Fay for a tour of the Green Team’s many activities.
LINKS:
Green Team on Facebook
Food Not Bombs Colorado Springs
Contact the Green Team
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Friday, February 22, 2019
Fibershed - Care What You Wear, Judith Rice-Jones
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP)
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Built and Natural Environment: Water and Air Quality
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future - Sustainability in Progress
7:30-9am, Ivywild School - Wildcat Room
Friday, March 22
Fungi, the Forgotten Kingdom, Mike Esom
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP)
Friday, April 26
Mile High Youth Corps
Providing lifetime skills for youth in the arenas of energy conservation and trail building
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP)
About the PPLD Green Team
The Green Team is one of the partner organizations creating the Peak Environment podcast on Studio 809. The PPLD Green team recommends strategies for the library district to embrace and implement sustainable practices. Sustainable practices are those that provide for the long-term viability of economic, human and environmental resources, generally accomplished through reduction, re-use and recycling of consumable goods. The team promotes a culture of sustainability throughout the library district and works to build awareness of responsible environmental stewardship in the Colorado Springs community.
The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Pikes Peak Library District Green Team
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Keeping our local farms intact and productive is in everyone’s best interest, but it takes much more than just shopping at the farmers market. Creating, nurturing and growing local agriculture will be explored at the Foodshed Forum in Colorado Springs February 22-23, 2019. In this episode of Peak Environment, co-producer Ellen Johnson-Fay discusses the forum with Sean Svette, Asst. Manager of the SWELL program at UCCS.
“This is about making really nutritious food available to everyone,” Ellen reminds us. “And it’s possible!” Highlights of the Forum will include an address by Rebecca Jewett of the Palmer Land Trust. LiveWell Colorado is a funding partner in this year’s Foodshed Forum.
For more information about the forum, including registration, email Sean Svette. Also, if you’d like Ellen Johnson-Fay to start emailing local food information to you, send an email to her.
This episode of Peak Environment is courtesy of the Green Cities Coalition, communicating the promise of embracing sustainable actions in our environment and with one another. We strive to collaborate in positive ways and create partnerships with other people and organizations inside and outside of the sustainability community.
Ultimately, our goal is to celebrate with you the achievements of those who contribute to the preservation and health of our local natural and human environments. We invite you to Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate all things sustainable with us! More information at www.greencitiescoalition.net
Join us at our next Green Drinks
Thursday, February 28, 2019, 5:30-7:30 pm
Sweet Elizabeth’s Organics
1625 W. Uintah Ave.
(in the Mountain Mama Shopping Center)
TOGETHER, WE CAN GREEN THE REGION!
You’ve probably heard palm oil production is causing deforestation and biodiversity loss on a massive scale. You might be surprised, however, how many products contain palm oil. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Tracey Gazibara shares how the zoo protects species and habitat by supporting efforts to produce Sustainable Palm Oil.
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was the first zoo to join the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. Over a dozen other zoos followed. Tracy explains why we shouldn’t boycott palm oil, but should instead support certified sustainable palm oil.
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum presenting sponsors are Becky, the Gardener, LLC and PeakRadar.com.
LINKS:
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping App by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo – links at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo – Palm Oil Crisis page
Rainforest Action Network video about orangutans and palm oil
SPONSORS:
Adams Bank and Trust
Art of Engineering
Becky, the Gardener, LLC
Black Hills Energy
Environmental Compliance Systems
Old Town Bike Shop
PeakRadar.com
Terra Essentials
This program was recorded at the January 25 luncheon meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import.
Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page.
UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Water in our RegionPeak Alliance for a Sustainable Future - Sustainability in Progress
7:30-9am, Ivywild School - Wildcat Room
Friday, February 22, 2019
Fibershed - Care What You Wear, Judith Rice-Jones
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP)
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Built and Natural Environment: Water and Air Quality
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future - Sustainability in Progress
7:30-9am, Ivywild School - Wildcat Room
Friday, March 22
Fungi, the Forgotten Kingdom, Mike Esom
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP)
Friday, April 26
Mile High Youth Corps
Providing lifetime skills for youth in the arenas of energy conservation and trail building
Pikes Peak Environmental Forum
Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP)
What is permaculture? According to Becky Elder, it’s not what you do, but how you think about what you do, using nature as a guide. The co-founder and chair of Pikes Peak Permaculture joins host Ellen Johnson-Fay for a very brief permaculture primer. The conversation includes a great tip on eliminating some or all of your lawn. Also, why you may not need or want to do battle with weeds. Becky provides an interesting perspective on “weeds.”
This episode of Peak Environment comes to you courtesy of Pikes Peak Permaculture. While this episode spends most of its time in the garden, permaculture is so much more. Learn about it and find information about classes offered in the Pikes Peak region at www.pikespeakpermaculture.org
Upcoming Classes:
Drought Prepared Gardens - March 9 at Ute Pass Library
Introduction to Permaculture - March 30 at the Sustainacenter, hosted by Pikes Peak Urban Gardens
Edible Gardens – Date Unknown at Monument Library
Containers and Pot Gardening - April 13 at Sand Creek Library
LINKS:
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute
Becky Elder the Gardener (formerly Blue Planet Earthscapes)
Agriculture and local food play a vital role in the Pikes Peak Regional 2030 Sustainability Plan. Three local food practitioners share how local groups are promoting agriculture and local food in the Pikes Peak region. The speakers share how their work is supporting the goals to:
- promote urban agriculture and knowledge about food
- encourage regional collaboration and cooperation
- promote healthy behaviors around food and food waste
Speakers:
Barbra Gibb - Pikes Peak Urban Gardens
View her slide presentation, Local Food Literacy Initiative
Nat Stein - Colorado Food Rescue and Soil Cycle program
View her slide presentation, Soil Cycle
Ellen Johnson-Fay- The Local Food Coalition
View her slide presentation, The Local Food Coalition
Notes:
1) The Grain School mentioned by Ellen Johnson-Fay as happening “this weekend” happened on January 18 and 19 of 2019. These presentations were made on January 16, 2019.
2) The email address given out for the Pikes Peak Library District’s Green Team ends in .org (not .com)
This was the January 2019 Sustainability in Progress presentation. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
LINKS Mentioned in this Episode:
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Urban Gardens
Colorado Food Rescue and Soil Cycle program
The Local Food Coalition (a part of the Green Cities Coalition)
Pikes Peak Foodshed Forum (February 22, 2019) (we'll post this link when we have it)
BrownsGreens (compost pickup west of I-25)
Sustainable Palm Oil presentation January 25, 2019 (Pikes Peak Environmental Forum)
Locally grown grains are essential to successful and sustainable local food economies. Beyond environmental impacts, there are also social, health and economic benefits to our communities. UCCS Sustainability, Wellnss & Learning Manager, Associate Professor of Health Sciences, and mastermind behind Grain School, Nanna Meyer, joins Peak Environment Co-Producer Ellen Johnson-Fay to briefly describe her local food and nutrition activities at UCCS and to offer details about the upcoming Grain School at UCCS (January 18-20, 2019; open to the public).
To inspire a revival of localized grain systems across the Rocky Mountain West, Grain School offers innovative curricula and access to experts to help train and empower people to grow, mill, and steward heritage grains in their communities. By returning heritage grains into active production, we can help restore cultural pride and prosperity in our communities, linking together bakers, maltsters, brewers, chefs, and consumers.
LINKS:
Grain School at UCCS
Free Public Forum
SWELL (Sustainability, Wellness & Learning
The Flying Carrot
Now that Coloradoans ARE able to collect rainwater, with some limitations, you’ll want to pick an expert’s brain about smart rainwater harvesting. In this episode of Peak Environment, we’re sharing permaculturist Becky Elder’s “Rainwater Harvesting” class from the 2018 People’s Tiny House Festival.
This episode of Peak Environment comes to us courtesy of Pikes Peak Permaculture, celebrating 15 years of Permaculture education, inspiration, and support throughout Colorado’s Pikes Peak Region.
LINKS:
Pikes Peak Permaculture
Becky, the Gardener, LLC
People’s Tiny House Festival
Subscribe (free) on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode:
Local nonprofit organizations play a key role in creating a healthy, sustainable community. Many nonprofits are working towards the goals of the 2030 Sustainability Plan and need community support in various ways. This episode features a discussion of the giving nature of the Pikes Peak Region.
This episode of Peak Environment is courtesy of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. It features presentations made at the organization's November Sustainability in Progress meeting. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided. (NOTE: there will NOT be a December, 2018 meeting).
Speakers:
Amber Coté -Colorado Nonprofit Association of the Pikes Peak Region
(View her slides here)
Barb Van Hoy -Indy Give! Campaign
(View her slides here)
LINKS:
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Colorado Nonprofit Association – Pikes Peak Region
Give! Campaign
Bleating Heart Night at Goat Patch Brewing Dec. 4
There is a lot of good sustainability practice happening in the Pikes Peak region. The Green Cities Coalition was formed in 2008 to connect the good people and organizations working in this area and foster collaboration.
In this episode of Peak Environment, Green Cities Chair Konrad Schlarbaum chats with podcast co-producer Ellen Johnson-Fay about the history of the Coalition, and exciting future plans. Ellen is also a member of the Green Cities Coalition Steering Committee and Green Cities Local Food Coalition Convener.
Included: you’re invited to a holiday edition of Green Drinks November 29 at Ranch Foods Direct.
Holiday Green Drinks
November 29, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Ranch Foods Direct
1228 E. Fillmore Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Links:
Green Cities Coalition
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Pikes Peak Region 2030 Sustainability Plan
“Stop Dissing the Grass,” was the cry of turf expert Nick McNamee to permaculturist Becky Elder. In the arid southwestern United States, thirsty, manicured grass lawns have been getting a bad rap. Is it deserved? Or is there more to the story? This episode of Peak Environment brings you a fascinating discussion held at the October luncheon meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum.
The Pikes Peak Environmental Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to the giraffe breeding program at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the built-natural environment interface to sustainable energy solutions, agriculture and more and more! Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world.
Thanks to our sponsors, Adams Bank & Trust, Art of Engineering, Black Hills Energy, Becky Elder the gardener, Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, Old Town Bike Shop and Terra Essentials.
The Forum meets the fourth Friday of most months. To receive meeting notices, email us. Follow us on Facebook for more.
October’s Sustainability in Progress meeting, hosted by the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future, gives us a glimpse of the amazing powers at the disposal of Colorado Springs citizens through the city’s website and its app for smartphones. Jay Anderson, Open Data and Citizen Engagement Administrator for the city, provides a tour of the myriad ways you can get information about what’s important to you, and inform the city of issues it needs to know about.
Drew Johnson of TechWears emceed the meeting.
This meeting was sponsored by the Energy Resource Center. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided. (NOTE: the November 2018 meeting will be the SECOND Wednesday).
LINKS:
Colorado Springs Civic Superhero Info & Resources
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Energy Resource Center
Arts and culture are an important part of a vibrant community, and strong community ties are crucial to a resilient, healthy economy. The Pikes Peak Region is lucky to have many organizations dedicated to Art in its many forms. September’s Sustainability in Progress meeting, hosted by the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future, provided a preview of Arts Month (October), plus a glimpse at two exciting venues – the Manitou Art Center and the Ent Center for the Arts.
Your emcees are Drew Johnson of TechWears and Christopher Aaby of the Catamount Institute.
Speakers:
Andy Vick - Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region
Natalie Johnson - Manitou Art Center
Aisha Ahmad-Post - Ent Center for the Arts, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs
This was the September 2018 Sustainability in Progress presentation. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
LINKS:
Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPeR)
Manitou Art Center
Ent Center for the Arts (UCCS)
Creek Week
Is your house going to erupt in flames or be buried in a landslide? Who are “boosters” and what have they done for Colorado Springs? And how do we measure environmental impact? Who said geology and history are dull? This episode’s stories about environmental and geologic history in the Pikes Peak Region will keep you on the edge of your seat.
This episode, courtesy of Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future, features these presentations from the August 15, 2018 Sustainability in Progress program:
- Environmental History of the Pikes Peak Region: Katherine Sturdevant, Department of History at Pikes Peak Community College
- Mapping Natural Hazards in Colorado Springs: Eric Billmeyer, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
- Measuring Environmental Impacts: Devin Moeller, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
This was the August 2018 Sustainability in Progress presentation. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
LINKS:
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Environmental Hazards website referenced in Eric Billmeyer’s presentation
What does it take to have sustainable landscapes in our city? Does this mean removing all plants and putting rocks in our yards, or cutting down all the trees to save water? Heck no! Learn from experts in lawn care, utilities, and the city’s foresters.
Speakers:
- Catherine Moravec, Water Conservation Specialist at Colorado Springs Utilities
- Steve Moll, Owner of Clean Air Lawn Care
- Dennis Will, Forestry Division of City of Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation
This was the July 2018 Sustainability in Progress presentation. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
Thanks to Clean Air Lawn Care for sponsoring July’s session.
LINKS:
Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Clean Air Lawn Care Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs Utilities:
Basics of Water Wise Landscaping
Water Wise Landscape Resources
Homebuyer Landscape Education Program
Colorado Springs City Forestry
Forestry Survey: Colorado Springs Urban Tree Canopy
The Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future has created the 2016 Pikes Peak Regional Sustainability Report to highlight many of the organizations and projects in our area that have been advancing sustainability over the last couple years.
Follow PASF on social media!
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram
Would you like to sponsor a SIP? You need exposure, we need sponsors! WIN=WIN
Sponsor coffee and pastries for a room full of sustainability advocates. Only $100!
What you get for your $100 sponsorship:
- Your logo with a link to your website appears in the email blast invite sent to a list of about 1800 individuals and businesses (twice)!
- A Facebook post from Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future thanking you for your sponsorship. A mention in the SIP event created on Facebook.
- 2-4 minutes during the event for your organization to directly address the audience.
- Warm smiles and satisfaction beamed at you for providing elixir and carbs for the day.
Whether you bike to work or school; ride to save money or time; pump those pedals to preserve your health or the environment; or simply to explore your community, the June 20, 2018 Sustainability in Progress program celebrated the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. In this episode of Peak Environment, we hear from:
Aubrey Day, El Paso County Healthy Environment Planner
Kate Brady, City of Colorado Springs Senior Bike Planner
Jolie NeSmith, Executive Director, PikeRide (new bike share program in C. Springs)
Sara Vaas, COO, Council of Neighbors and Organizations (CONO)
This month’s meeting sponsored by Old Town Bike Shop.
Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided.
Peak Environment is part of the Studio 809 podcast collaborative.
Links:
Bike to Work Day (June 27)
City of Colorado Springs bicycling information
PikeRide bike share
(after launch visit www.pikeride.org)
El Paso County Public Health
Council of Neighbors and Organizations (CONO)