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Southwest Life


Stephanie Weber
Position: San Juan Mountains Association

It’s spring! Celebrate Earth Day and more

Last weekend while canyoneering with friends and talking about the ongoing opportunities to snowshoe, one friend emphatically declared that spring had started March 21, intimating that she w...

Sharing our world with animals demands we respect them

March 3 was World Wildlife Day, so I’ve been thinking about the animals that share space with us. At Durango Nature Studies, we are transitioning to our springtime programs for k...

The subnivean world is a busy, important place for ecosystem health

One of my favorite things about work is the office banter that occurs when our educators plan lessons for our education and after-school programs. Last week, the education team w...

Resolve to be curious about the natural world

We’re almost to mid-January. How are those New Year’s resolutions going? I’m still vacillating over whether or not to actually make any resolutions. I have a number of goals for ...

Understanding nature is critical in this changing world

If you are like me, your morning routine isn’t complete until you’ve checked Jeff Givens’ latest forecast. His blog, durangoweatherguy.com, is bookmarked on all my devices, and h...

The power of outdoor play benefits kids – and all of us

I feel like it has been a stressful year in our neck of the woods. Political divisions and economic stressors have been exacerbated by drought and wildfires. Casual conversation...

Mountainfilm on Tour bringing adventure to Durango

Durango Nature Studies to host festival this weekend

Hiking in France to connect to nature, history, culture

Durangoans live for adventure, and it’s pretty typical to spend Monday mornings getting the latest news on weekend exploits from colleagues. This summer, it seems like half the t...

One word at a time, our understanding of nature is diminishing

Acorn. Blackberry. Bluebell. Heron. Pasture. These words all share something in common. True, they may be things you see when hiking around these parts, but that’s not exactly it....

Thousands of students benefit from visits to Durango Nature Center

The natural world provides an important laboratory for all learners. Just when it started to feel like a normal summer, I turned the page on the calendar to see the start of the s...

Summer camps connect children to nature, each other

We are in the midst of summer camp season. New friendships and memories occur on a daily basis. At the start of every camp, children’s nervousness may override excitement, but at...

Wildfires scare us but yield opportunity for nature

The 416 Fire has consumed thousands of acres of treasured forest this week. It is safe to say it has also consumed many of our thoughts since it broke out June 1. People have res...