What would it look like if every city dweller got to enjoy the benefits of a thriving environment - healthy air, water, food, soil? What if each of us knew how to be part of this change? 

Join us for our third What Is Community? virtual Fireside Chat to learn from a diverse panel about how these efforts are already underway and how you can get involved. This Virtual Chat Series aims to discuss topics that affect each of us in our community. There are three dimensions to sustainability: social, economic, and environmental. Equity is central to sustainability, and we are gathering with individuals that are working to ensure everyone benefits from sustainability work! Learn more about environmental justice in the metro area and how you can work with others to create positive change.

The panel will be live-streamed to the public on Thursday, April 21st from 4:00pm - 5:00pm MT. To view the live-stream, please register for the Fireside Chat below.

Five Takeaways: A Safer Place in Denver
 

On March 3rd,  we had our second Fireside Chat in the What Is Community? Series. This Fireside Chat focused on exploring housing and food insecurity in Denver and interconnections for creating a safer community for us all.

We discussed questions like - how do homelessness and racism intersect? In what ways does this lead to deeper inequity? Why are housing and food becoming more and more expensive? How can we create systems that support autonomy and sustainable outcomes for those struggling with rent and food security? 

Our panelists were Rep. Leslie Herod, Eli Zain, Heather Martin, Rebecca Arno, and Andres Pulido. Watch the Livestream and explore all the takeaways on the Fireside Blog!

 

By: Audrey Mitchell, Biological Sciences; Ben Roueche, Computer Science; Emily Gage, Biology; Madi Fawcett, Computer Science; Sarah Schuller, Environmental Science & Spanish; Trudy Mickel, Psychology; Undergraduate Students
 

Next time you go skiing or on a popular hiking trail, look around, see what people you are sharing the outdoor space with. Do they look like you? Do you feel comfortable with the people you are sharing the space with?  If you have never taken notice of any of these things while enjoying nature you probably are a part of a privileged community. Outdoor spaces and recreation are not exempt from the systemic racism in this country. This permits the privileged to have easier access to nature and outdoor activities. Nature is often considered a space that exists outside the bounds of the racist system that the United States operates within, however, this is far from the truth. In 2017, white recreators made up 73% of outdoor participants, three times the number of Hispanic, Black and Asian participants combined (Outdoor Foundation, 2017). Outdoor spaces, from national parks to hiking trails to neighborhood parks, are crucial resources for children and adults to access not only for leisurely activities but also to support and maintain both mental and physical health.