On this week’s Colorado Edition, we’re on the cutting edge of cool. What’s hip now: bilingual veterinarians, mail order ticks and parks that aren’t Rocky Mountain National Park.
More than four million people visit Rocky Mountain National Park each year. The crowds are getting so big that a lot of vacationers are looking for other parks and areas to visit in Colorado. As Michael de Yoanna reports, that means parks like Black Canyon of the Gunnison have seen huge increases in visitation so far this year.
A new study from Colorado State University shows that disease-bearing ticks are more widespread than expected – but states in the West, like Colorado, are still relatively safe. The exciting part about this study is how they got the ticks: Citizen scientists mailed in more than 16,000 ticks.
About half the people who work with livestock in the U.S. are immigrants, many of them Spanish-speaking. But for the veterinarians guiding the farmworkers in their care of animals, that’s not the case. Esther Honig reports on a push in vet schools to open the lines of communication between the workers and the vets.
A war is ongoing in the West. The enemy is the tamarisk, also known as salt-cedar, and it’s taking over waterways and crowding out native species like cottonwoods. Rae Ellen Bichell reports on how people are fighting back.
Sun Valley is one of the poorest areas in Denver. But within the next few years, more than a billion dollars will be invested into the neighborhood, transforming it into an arts and entertainment hub. Stacy Nick spoke to some of the people behind this revitalization, and what they’re hoping to learn from change in other parts of the city.
You might expect the new Israeli film The Cakemaker to be a how-to baking documentary. But it’s actually a glimpse into a tangled relationship between an Israeli family man, his wife and his German lover. Film critic Howie Movshovitz, who teaches film and television at CU Denver, says the resolution is unconventional and unexpected.
Our intro music is "Remember Me" by Colorado musician Kalatana. Our outro is "Good Grief" by Ryan Little. Other music this week:
- "Bloom Style" by Robbie Reverb
- "As Colorful as Ever" by Broke For Free
- "Flutterbee" by Podington Bear
- “Grow Grotesque” by Doctor Turtle
This episode is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole and Karlie Huckels, with additional production by Ashley Jefcoat, who also manages digital. Editor Brian Larson contributed to this show.
KUNC's Colorado Edition is a weekly look at the top stories from our newsroom. It's available every Friday on our website, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever (RSS) you get your podcasts. You can hear it on the air every Sunday at 9 p.m. on KUNC.