Open spaces open minds and soothe the soul. Yet increasing demands on our time and continued economic disparity prevent many of us from enjoying the recreational offerings of our public lands. And a population disconnected from its natural landscapes is less likely to grasp the interplay between environmental health and human well-being.

In 2010 Colorado Canyons Association was born with a vision of connecting kids to the outdoors, broadening diversity among recreationists and cultivating the next generation of caretakers of our public Conservation Areas. As the organization prepares to say goodbye to its Founding Director, we reflect on CCA's beginnings and its continued efforts to broaden public awareness and support for outdoor recreation and environmental education.

Killian Rush, Development Director for Colorado Canyons Association, joins me in the studio at KAFM Community Radio for a preview of our upcoming podcast about ongoing efforts to promote and protect local Conservation Areas.

If you've been harboring thoughts of major life changes, this conversation with Grand Junction philanthropist and entrepreneur Jen Taylor will give you the kick in the pants you need to make them happen. A master of re[invention], Jen has been carving out unique niches for herself on this earth since before she left home. It's a craft she continues to hone with her latest venture, El Jet's Cantina + Sky Outpost, part of the recently announced Dos Rios Riverfront Development. Travel back 15 years to Baja, California and the moment that inspired a vision that celebrates not just the confluence of the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers, but also the convergence of culture and community in a timeless atmosphere.

Part 2 of Development in Bloom/s/ features a conversation with Bennett Boeschenstein, who, in his former role as Community Development Director for the City of Grand Junction, was intricately involved in the planning and development of the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens.

Bennett reflects on the poor state of the riverfront upon his arrival in the early 1980's and the critical flood mitigation and herculean clean-up efforts undertaken in the Watson Island area to accommodate the Gardens that helped ignite a fervent reclamation movement that continues to this day. Along with a cast of former players (John Schultz and Lee Lindauer) from the Gardens' 20+ year history, he'll recount the financial struggles and maintenance issues that threatened an institution whose visionary founders were undoubtedly ahead of their time.

Featuring "Aquafunk," off local musician John Schultz's album Far Guitar.

Sue and John Harris remember their mother, Elizabeth Harris, founder of Grand Junction's Western Colorado Botanical Gardens and a visionary in the movement to reclaim the Colorado Riverfront from decades of pollution and neglect. They detail her passion for promoting our unique history and riparian habitat by connecting access to the river with the heart of downtown.

This interview was recorded at Elizabeth Harris' former residence, a location that presented some audio challenges.

To download a transcript of this podcast, visit https://bit.ly/2YOR973

Crossing the Divide's monthly sneak preview show features a behind-the-scenes look at our upcoming podcast with Grand Valley Visionary Jen Rieke Taylor whose contributions to outdoor rec on the Western Slope have been a boon to our quality of life and tourism industry. We talk career shifts, economic development, philanthropic capitalism and so much more in this preview to our full-length podcast "A Taylor-Made Life" where we'll get the full scoop on her latest entrepreneurial venture, El Jet's Cantina and Sky Outpost. This show was originally broadcast on 4/17/19 on KAFM Community Radio.

A sneak preview of our upcoming podcast on the development of our local Botanic Gardens, which helped kickstart the restoration and revitalization of the Colorado Riverfront still in progress today. The interview features Mayor Pro Tem Bennett Boeschenstein who helped guide the permitting process for the Gardens in his role as Community Development Director and later served as an active Board Member. Here we discuss the City's flood mitigation efforts along the waterfront and what we might expect in the face of a potentially torrential Spring runoff.

A profile of Hilltop's Latimer House program, Safe House features Program Director Jackie Sievers detailing the critical services provided to victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault throughout a four county region. Jackie sheds light on the scope and spectrum of domestic violence in our community and on the difficulties associated with leaving an abusive situation. She'll take us through the step-by-step process of how to identify the various forms of abuse and how to safely get out of an abusive relationship. We'll examine the many community partnerships and volunteer opportunities in place to help abuse victims with various needs throughout all stages of the process of transitioning to a life free from domestic trauma.

Short and sweet sneak preview of our upcoming release, Safe House. Safe House features a conversation with Jackie Sievers, Director of Hilltop's Latimer House, providing shelter and vital services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. This show was broadcast 2/20/19 on KAFM Community Radio.

Our final, full-length podcast on the Old Spanish Trail has arrived. Put on your hiking shoes, saddle up your horse or hop on your bike to travel the arduous lengths of the Old Spanish Trail. Old Spanish Trail Association President and Grand Junction local Vicki Felmee details fascinating aspects of a historic trade route that wends its way westward from Santa Fe, New Mexico through portions of Mesa County shaping the lives of a diverse set of travellers from thousands of years in the past and on into the present day thanks to contemporary researchers, preservationists and recreationists.