S2E6: 2.6 – LIVE from the Partners in the Outdoors Conference

04/18/24 • 40 min

Colorado Outdoors - the Podcast for Colorado Parks and Wildlife

In this episode, recorded from the Partners in the Outdoors Conference at Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, we hear from a few partner organizations in attendance and what the theme “We are Better Together,” means to them.

First, we talked with Partners Conference organizer Shalana Gray about the two-year effort to reimagine and rebuild the Partners Conference. We learned how sessions were developed and looked ahead to continued growth of the event moving forward.

Then, we chat with Topher Downham from the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks about his collaborative work in increasing opportunities for the disabled community to engage in the outdoors through various adaptive programs, including at Colorado State Parks.

We also sat down with Bianka Martinez, an ambassador with Hunters of Color, and learned how her attendance at the 2021 Partners Conference led to new opportunities to engage in the hunting community and what she is doing now to connect others with the outdoors in multiple ways.

We wrap up the show with a powerful spoken word poetry segment from Franklin Cruz, who closed the conference Wednesday afternoon by delivering the poem.

We wrap up the show with a powerful spoken word poetry segment from Franklin Cruz, who closed the conference Wednesday afternoon by delivering the poem.

Previous Episode

S2E5: 2.5 – Colorado Wolf Reintroduction

In this episode, go behind the scenes with CPW staff from the capture team in Oregon and the release team back in Colorado as 10 gray wolves were translocated to the state in December 2023.

While the Colorado gray wolf reintroduction story could take up multiple podcasts, we narrowed our focus in this episode to take listeners behind the scenes and into the minds of our staff and give you their perspective on the capture process in Oregon and from the release sites in Colorado.

The episode starts with audio from Oregon of one of Colorado’s new gray wolves howling in her crate the night before being translocated to Colorado. Then, listen as we are joined by Wildlife Research Scientist Ellen Brandell, Wolf Monitoring and Data Coordinator Brenna Cassidy, Wildlife Veterinarian Pauline Nol and Public Information Officer Rachael Gonzales about their experience on the capture team in Oregon.

Then, we pivot to Eric Odell, the Wolf Conservation Program Manager, and Reid DeWalt, the Assistant Director for Aquatic, Terrestrial and Natural Resources branch of CPW, as they take us through the releases in Colorado.

Next Episode

S2E7: 2.7 – Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

Summer is here, and the high-water season for recreational paddlers has reached Colorado’s iconic rivers. While Colorado manages 43 state parks, the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area is among the most unique in that it spans across a 152-mile corridor that follows the Arkansas River from the high mountains near Leadville to Lake Pueblo.

AHRA isn’t only a whitewater destination, though. It also boasts eight developed campgrounds and 19 dispersed camping areas while also offering gold-medal fishing, incredible wildlife viewing and hiking and climbing opportunities.

Still, it’s the whitewater that many think of first when it comes to AHRA. It’s one of the nation’s most popular rafting and kayaking destinations and is the most commercially rafted river in the United States.

Along with that many boaters and stretches of Class III to Class V rapids comes challenges for CPW staff. AHRA rangers have already responded to multiple rescue calls this year, and there has already been one kayaking fatality in early June.

In this episode, hear from AHRA Manager Tom Waters and River Ranger Supervisor Jeffrey Hammond on what it takes to manage AHRA, the diversity of the rescue and recovery situations they find themselves in and the ever-present danger that comes with whitewater recreation