ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL – GEAT CONCERTS AND GREAT REHEARSALS!

English: montage of great classical music composers - from left to right: first row - Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Händel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven; second row - Gioachino Rossini, Felix Mendelssohn, Frédéric Chopin, Richard Wagner, Giuseppe Verdi; third row - Johann Strauss II, Johannes Brahms, Georges Bizet, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Antonín Dvořák; forth row - Edvard Grieg, Edward Elgar, Sergei Rachmaninoff, George Gershwin, Aram Khachaturian (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Aspen Music Festival concerts that I have attended this summer have been wonderful. 

And while I really enjoyed the regular events featuring the musical talents of such artists as Joshua Bell, Edgar Meyer, and Chi Yuen Cheng and the works of such composers as Samuel Barber, Robert Schumann, Igor Stravinsky, Wolfgang Amadè Mozart, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, I have been especially fascinated by the dress rehearsals I have attended as well.

Among other things, these rehearsals have allowed me a greater understanding of just how much effort goes into perfecting these events.

ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL EVENT – OH BOY, WHAT AN OBOE!

English: The Aspen Concert Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival and School, August 16, 2010. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last Wednesday we were treated to exceptional performances at the Aspen Music Tent from the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra – and the Aspen weather!  I also learned a lot about an instrument with which I was not particularly familiar, the oboe.

A driving thunderstorm that sounded like a freight train on the Aspen Music Tent’s roof briefly interrupted the first piece by Igor Stravinsky, “Divertimento from the Fairy’s Kiss”, but this did little to dampen the spirits of the performers or the enthusiasm of the audience at this event. In fact, this dynamic aural display actually seemed to electrify the entire experience – a triumvirate of works by Stravinsky, Wolfgang Amadè Mozart (“Oboe Concerto in C major, K.314”, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( “Symphony No. 5 in E minor, op 64”)

ASPEN MUSIC EVENT WITH JOSHUA BELL & EDGAR MEYER -- WHAT IS A DOUBLE BASS?

Edgar Meyer (Photo credit: judy h)

On Friday, 7/13/2012, I attended my first Aspen Music Festival event of this summer season. The Aspen Chamber Symphony, conducted by Robert Spano and joined by guest artists Susanna Philips(vocalist – soprano), Joshua Bell (violin) and Edgar Meyer (double bass), performed three works reflecting the Aspen Music Festival’s summer  2012 theme, “Made in America”.

According to the Aspen Music Festival, this theme:

 “…features the music of three groups of recognized and much-beloved composers: the current musical luminaries on the North American scene; émigré composers who created significant music in America, from Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky to Hindemith, Bloch, and Bartok; and the entire school of American composers who studied in Europe and returned to establish a truly American school, including MacDowell, Chadwick, Copland, Antheil, Rorem, and many others…”

July 13, 2012, Aspen Music Festival Featured Works

 

“Knoxville Summer of 1915 .op 24” by Samuel Barber

“Concerto for Violin and Double Bass” by Edgar Meyer

“Symphony No. 4 in D minor, op 120” by Robert Schumann

ASPEN CENTER FOR PHYSICS – HIGGS BOSON? WHY SHOULD I CARE?

PhotonQ-Closing In to Higgs Boson (Photo credit: PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE)

Unhappy with your weight? Blame it on the Higgs Boson.

On June 6, 2012, at a “news conference” event held at the Aspen Center for Physics, Michigan State University professor, Elizabeth Simmons made that comment while announcing that physicists at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics run by CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research ) have finally found experimental evidence of  the existence of the long-sought elementary subatomic particle, the Higgs Boson.

The timing of this momentous discovery and its official announcement was serendipitous for the Aspen Center for Physics which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this summer. For the last 50 years, physicists from around the world have gathered in Aspen to discuss theoretical physics to increase their understanding of it and to disseminate this information to the public. 

Just last February, Rolf Heuer, Director General, CERN (LHC), spoke about this very Higgs Boson at one of the Maggie and Nick DeWolf 2012 Winter Physics Lectures in Aspen. In the “Science and Our Future” event, July 1, 2012, held at the 2012 Aspen Ideas Festival, Brian Greene, Professor of Physics and Mathematics at Columbia University, discussed the importance of this discovery.

DARK ENERGY AND THE EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSE – WHAT IS TO BECOME OF US?

WMAP image of the (extremely tiny) anisotropies in the cosmic background radiation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Where are we headed? Cosmologists don’t know for sure, but they’re trying to find out. 

Recently, I went to the latest FREE physics dialogue at the Aspen Center for Physics -- “The Universe Caught Speeding: the Mystery of Dark Energy,” given by Dr. Dragan Huterer , Associate Professor of Physics at the. It was a great follow-up to the May 24th Aspen Center for Physics lecture, “TheDynamic and Evolving Universe”. 

As predicted, based on my experience at previous Aspen Center for Physics lectures, I came away with more questions than answers, but I did learn a lot as well. 

Dr. Huterer’s Presentation

 

In the presentation, we learned that it was once believed that the shape of the universe would dictate its future. This holds true, however, only if the universe is comprised of matter exclusively. 

This theory of “Geometry is destiny”, which acknowledges the existence of Dark Matter as well as regular matter, relies on several assumptions, one of which is that gravity is the ONLY large range force that exists.

Actual observations, however, have cast doubt on the assumption that that gravity is the only large range force in existence and suggest that the universe is NOT made up of matter only. 

In the 1990’s, cosmologists and astrophysicists theorized and discovered observationally through the study of distant supernovae and several other methods, that the expansion of the universe is in fact accelerating and that some repulsive large range force must be causing it to do so.

PHYSICS IN ASPEN - “THE DYNAMIC AND EVOLVING UNIVERSE”

Hubble - infant galaxy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last week I attended the first Summer 2012 Free physics dialogue hosted by the Aspen Center for Physics , “The Dynamic and Evolving Universe”. This presentation was given by Dr. GilHolder, Associate Professor of Physics at McGill University . 

As is usual for me in regard to these kinds of presentations, I have come away with more questions than answers – but I guess that’s the nature of scientific inquiry. 

We were presented with a lot of details, but were given three main takeaways:

1. The universe is expanding at an increasing rate. 
   
2. This is occurring despite the fact that the force of gravity is relentless – It is a relatively weak force, but never stops. 
3. Star formation is a relatively recent phenomenon (on the Cosmological time scale), and the rate of formation has slowed down.

In the discussion, Dr. Holder walked us through the currently most-accepted view that the universe started off as a hot singularity, expanded rapidly at the Big Bang, and has continued to expand ever since.

He informed us that shortly after the Big Bang, the universe was quite smooth, but got more “lumpy” as gravity slowly took over – forming atom parts, then atoms themselves, and then progressively larger structures, including stars and galaxies. 

ASPEN COLORADO – WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON - WHAT’S COMING UP

Jerome B. Wheeler, former Macy's executive who later moved to Aspen, Colorado, and helped develop the town during its silver-mining boom era in the 1880s. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Aspen, Colorado really is a delightfully unique place.

While the town is recognized internationally as a skiing and snowboarding mecca with many high-profile events and activities geared towards the rich and famous, it also provides the venue for many other outstanding activities and events that are accessible to the “common folk” as well.

Having grown up in Aspen and having lived here (or close by) for most of my life, one would think that I would take advantage of this, but it is astonishingly easy sometimes to take opportunities like this for granted. Only recently have I acted to rectify this and avail myself of activities and events that I had once brushed off or ignored completely.

Over the last year, I have listened to Aspen Music Festival concerts, sat in on lectures and presentations by the Aspen Center for Physics and the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) , and even participated in local community dances. 

DANCING IN ASPEN – I DON’T REALLY HAVE TWO LEFT FEET!

Dancing the Lindy hop in Atascadero, California, USA (2005). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Over the last year I have discovered something amazing about myself - I have a right foot!

 

I’ve always known I have two feet – it’s just that I thought they were both left feet. Thanks to my understanding, patient – very patient (persistent) girlfriend, Jo, and several good dance instructors, like Susan Kosch of Colorado Mountain College, I have now found that one of my left feet is actually a right foot and I can actually dance a little bit when I have to umm, get the opportunity.

 

I’m not talking about the funky, freewheeling, spastic kind of dancing I “learned” to do in high school and sometimes disturbingly displayed at nightclubs and parties in my younger years. I’m talking Dancing with the Stars-style smooth, precise, crisp, elegant, wow- the-audience kind of dancing.

 

Well, ok, I can’t actually dance like that – yet, but I am a considerably better dancer than I used to be; and last Saturday night, while much of the rest of the town of Aspen was most likely carousing the bars and nightclubs or awaiting the Lyrid meteor shower, I did have the opportunity to work out that right foot again.

 

Every third Saturday of the month, from 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM, a dedicated group of 20 - 30 people gather at the Rio Grande Commons in downtown Aspen to trip the light fantastic for a few hours at The Aspen Community Social Dance. These events, hosted by local volunteers such as Junee Kirk, usually consist of two, one-hour lessons in various styles such as Fox Trot, Waltz, Swing, Salsa, Rumba, Country Three-Step, Lindy Hop, and more. The evening is capped off by one and a half hours of open dancing.

 

The activities typically begin with an advanced/intermediate lesson for those dancers who discovered their right feet some time ago. This is followed by a beginning lesson for people like me who are just figuring this out, and if they’re a guy, have to be dragged in kicking and screaming. Actually, the screams are mostly silent, and the kicking part can be useful for practicing rhythm and for getting limbered up for the real action.

 

At the end of the evening, the instructors play a mix of music appropriate for many of the various styles, including the dances du jour, allowing you to practice all of slick moves you just learned while trying not to annoy and frustrate your partner at the same time.

 

Last Saturday’s lessons consisted of advanced Waltz and beginning Foxtrot. We decided to skip the beginning Foxtrot because we’re now experts as the result of taking ballroom dancing lessons from Susan at CMC (truthfully, we were just hungry and didn’t think we could hold up for three and a half straight hours of dancing without the sustenance – it’s a lot of exercise).

 

In the waltz lesson, we learned some new steps -- the slip step bridge, the twinkle, the promenade, the sachet, and the hook and spin. These are not necessarily exactly the correct names of the steps and, like my dancing itself, might be a little off, but that’s what I’ll call them for now.

 

We returned from dinner just in time to catch the last few minutes of the Foxtrot instruction. This was fortuitous because it was no longer completely beginner-oriented and we learned that we don’t have to just "slow, slow, quick-quick" – we can also "slow, quick-quick, slow, quick-quick." Wow!

 

During the open dancing, we waltzed, fox-trotted, tangoed, salsaed, and cha-cha-chaed, and we wore ourselves out (it’s a good thing we passed on the Foxtrot lesson). I also realized that I don’t have to be dragged to these dances any more. Now that I’ve learned how to move both of my feet, thanks to those classes at CMC and “practice, practice, practice”, I really enjoy these evenings. Thanks to Jo, I even have some special dancing shoes (one for the right and one for the left).

 

I am looking forward to the next Aspen Community Social Dance to prove, once again, that I don’t have two left feet or two right feet and that I have at least a modicum of rhythm. Watch out Dancing with the Stars!

Dippers in Aspen's Streams -- Just Looking for a Good Home

Riparian zone in Yosemite. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What do you know about Dippers? I, myself, have seen them a few times out on the local streams and all I knew about them is that they… well, they “dip”.

At the final Aspen Center for EnvironmentalStudies (ACES) Naturalist Nights presentation of the season, I found out also that, like us, they are always on the lookout for a good “neighborhood” in which to live. They are an indicator of river health because, in their quest to find the best places to nest and feed, they look for the same ecological characteristics that biologists/naturalists deem vital to healthy stream and riparian areas.

During the presentation, “The American Dipper as an Indicator of River Health”, Dee Malone with the Roaring Fork Conservancy, related that Dippers, which are Aspen’s only aquatic songbird, are habitat specialists – they occupy only healthy, fast-flowing mountain streams and their adjacent riparian areas. They seek out habitat close to the water in locations that are protected from floods, are in a natural flow regime, and are inaccessible to predators (often in areas covered by riparian foliage).

They eat mostly invertebrates such as the larvae or immature forms (nymphs) of certain species of mayflies and caddisflies found among the rocks and debris in and along rapidly-moving, cold streams. These invertebrates do not tolerate chemical, thermal, or sediment pollution and require healthy streams and vibrant riparian zone areas in order to survive.

According to Dee , a healthy stream has these attributes:

• they support, long-term, a full compliment of native wildlife species

• they contain clear, unpolluted water (not too hot, lots of oxygen -- which requires fast moving water – i.e. riffles, and not too much sediment)

• the adjacent riparian zone needs to have foliage that provides shade for the streams to keep the water cool, and which upon shedding leaves releases the nutrients on which the invertebrates feed.

• the root structures from the riparian zone must stabilize the banks, keeping sediment low and preventing “upland” pollutants from reaching the stream

Dee also revealed that climate change in the area, as evidenced by increasingly earlier occurrences of annual stream de-icing and spring runoff, is resulting in earlier spring floods and reduced mid and late-summer stream flow. This is believed to inhibit the stream's and adjacent riparian zone's ability to avoid unacceptable amounts of stream pollution, thus affecting the availability of the Dippers’ food supply.

Furthermore, the Dippers’ breeding cycle is synchronized with this stream de-icing and spring runoff, and although Dippers have evolved in such a way as to have their young developed enough to survive and feed in the high runoff water, the changing timing of this cycle in some areas may no longer allow their offspring to be sufficiently mature to survive this annual event.

In response to this, the Dippers will eventually move on.

It seems that, just like humans, Dippers are always on the lookout for a favorable neighborhood in which to live, and their disappearance from a given territory might be a strong indicator of overall poor stream and riparian zone health in that area.

To view recent Naturalist Nights presentations, visit The Wilderness Workshop’s website. - http://www.wildernessworkshop.org/news.html?page=287

Related articles

• Aspen's Forests - Are they in Danger from the Pine Beetle Epidemic? (interestingaspen.blogspot.com)
• Pollination Research - Global Science On A Local Scale (interestingaspen.blogspot.com)

Pollination Research - Global Science On A Local Scale

Pollination. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
What do snowmelt dates, Aspen Sunflowers and honey bees have to do with our understanding of the effects of climate change on our ability to feed ourselves in the future?
 
At the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) high-altitude biological research field station in the mountains of western Colorado, scientists are trying to find out. 

This independent field station, unencumbered by institutional affiliations, is situated among the remnants of the old mining town of Gothic, Colorado. What began as a field trip site in the 1920’s, has grown into one of the most important and well-respected high-altitude ecosystems field research stations in the world.
 
Research at this field station has biologists from various disciplines working to better understand how the natural world is adapting to climate change, providing insights into what the future might hold for our environment and ultimately how this may affect the world’s human population .
 
At a recent Aspen Center for Environmental Studies Naturalist Nights presentation, “Climate Change and Our Future in the Rocky Mountains”, Dr. Ian Billik, PhD., Executive Director for RMBL, discussed several projects underway at the research site. They were all interesting, but I was especially intrigued by the site’s pollination studies and their implications for the future of the global food supply. 

Dr. Billik explained that one of the long-term pollination studies at RMBL appears to show that the effects of global warming may be contributing to decreased wildflower populations in that area. 

An analysis of snowmelt dates over several decades shows that snowmelt has been occurring earlier in the year than it did in the seventies and early eighties; and it appears that this may have a significant effect on wildflower reproduction in several ways. 

Findings by University of Maryland Professor of Conservation Biology, Dr. David Inouye, suggest that an earlier than normal snowmelt at the RMBL site has caused plants like the Aspen Sunflower to bud and leaf earlier in the year than they have in the past. This, coupled with a spring frost cycle that appears to have little variation, seems to result in greater than usual frost damage to the plants, inhibiting them from flowering and reproducing normally, thus reducing the number of Aspen Sunflowers in the area.
 
Furthermore, in addition to contributing to greater frost damage, Dr. Billik suggested that abnormally early snowmelt can also disrupt the timing of the pollination cycle of the wildflowers. When plants emerge earlier relative to the pollinating insects such as honey bees, a “mid-summer pollination gap” may occur and further contribute to declines in the wildflower population .
 
Although these studies focus on wildflowers, ecological climate change dynamics like this on a global scale, combined with widespread declines in the pollinators themselves, could affect the viability of many of the world’s pollinated plant populations as part of the world’s food supply. Pollinated plants make up approximately one-third of the calories we eat.
 
The RMBL research should lead to a better understanding the effects of early snowmelt on pollination and should “help conserve an ecological interaction upon which we all depend.” - http://rmbl.org/rockymountainbiolab/science.html
 
Summarizing the RMBL findings in the context of climate change in general, Dr. Billik said, “If you like to drink water, if you like to eat food and you like to breathe air, then you probably ought to care about this.” - http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/152446

Related articles

• Global warming: Early snowmelt hits Colorado butterflies

Aspen’s Forests – Are they in Danger from the Pine Beetle Epidemic?

Damage caused by the Mountain Pine Beetle in E. C. Manning Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I think I’ve found a gem in the Naturalist Nights Series hosted by the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES).   These interesting and entertaining presentations are held on Thursday evenings at their Hallam Lake location in Aspen, Colorado.

Last week's lecture, “The Future Forest: Understanding our Forests and Efforts to Protect Them”, was presented by Dr. Tony Cheng, PhD, Director of the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute at Colorado State University (CFRI).

CFRI’s mission is “to develop, compile, and apply the most current natural and social scientific information relevant to the needs of forest managers and communities in taking action to mitigate wildfire risk and restore healthy forest conditions and to “encourage the collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes”.  The institute works locally with such organizations as the Colorado Bark Beetle Cooperative .

Dr. Cheng introduced the concept of resilience and described normal wildfire activity and healthy forest conditions using the Panarchy and the Resiliency Cycle outlined by Lance H. Gunderson and C. S. Hollings. This framework suggests that most ecological systems are governed by a repeating cycle comprised of four elements: exploitation; conservation; release (also termed “creative destruction,”); and reorganization.

Resilience may be defined as “the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and reorganize while undergoing change so as to still retain essentially the same function, structure, identity, and feedbacks.” - http://www.resalliance.org/index.php/glossary .
 
The related Resiliency Cycle phases may be generally defined as:

• Exploitation : vegetation uses the soil resources to grow and mature

• Conservation : older, mature growth builds up and stores biomass

• Release : The freeing of the nutrients stored in the biomass as a result of natural or man-made disturbances (anticipated or unexpected) to an ecosystem. See Disturbance regime below.

• Reorganization : Nutrients freed by a release become available to be used in the next exploitation phase to produce a similar or different ecosystem.

• Disturbance regime : “ the pattern of disturbances that shape an ecosystem over a long time scale .” ( www.eoearth.org ) Examples of these disturbances are: fire; flood; disease; insect infestation; wind; avalanches; mining; and logging.

According to Dr. Cheng, we are currently seeing “large scale releases” due, in part to the forest management polices of the last 100 years. In light of this, “In Colorado, numerous initiatives are being undertaken to restore forest ecosystems that have been degraded through past management policies and practices.” ( http://aspennature.org/taxonomy/term/47/all?page=3 )

One major consideration with these initiatives is that currently there are not enough resources to restore all forests regions that might require it, therefore decisions must be made as to which forest zones and areas have the highest restoration need. A guiding principle is that forest restoration is warranted when the science (ecological need) and human values coincide.

According to Dr. Cheng, the forests around Aspen fall primarily into three ecological zones, the Lower Montane, the Upper Montane and Subalpine. Elevation ranges for the zones vary depending on several factors, but generally in the Aspen area the three zones appear to range from roughly 6,000 ft. to about 11,500 ft.

The Lower Montane zone is relatively hot and dry, has a high ecological need for restoration and is home to a lot of people. Therefore, the convergence of the scientific evaluation and the societal considerations indicate a high need for restoration.

The Upper Montane zone is generally more diverse and complex, is cooler and wetter, and is not as heavily inhabited by humans. Because of these characteristics, the restoration need for this zone is rated low to moderate. However, if projected climate changes occur, some think that it is likely that this zone will become warmer and drier (more like the current Lower Montane zone) and the ecological need for restoration will most likely increase.

The Subalpine zone is higher, cooler and wetter. This is generally where the ski areas are. These areas experience “infrequent but high disturbances” and have the least human habitation; and at the moment, it has been determined that they have no ecological restoration need.

Given the above relative restoration need assessments, restoration focus is presently on the Lower Montane zone, and one of the main issues of disturbance concern locally is mountain pine beetle infestation.

Dr. Cheng suggested that, contrary to what some have said, the mountain pine beetle infestation has perhaps actually resulted in net benefits to forest health by helping to increase diversity and therefore its potential resilience. This continues to be evaluated.

In closing, we were left with these concepts to consider:

•  Appreciate diversity in the forests for its value in maintaining the health of our ecosystems

•  Government agencies, schools, organizations, and individuals need to learn together in order to protect our forests

•  We need to rely on and help organizations like ACES to inform the public as to what is going on

•  We need to continue monitoring the trends

•  We need to prioritize the high restoration need areas

The next Naturalist Nights Series presentation, "Climate Change and Our Future in the Rocky Mountains", will be Thursday, March 22nd at the Aspen Center For Environmental Studies – 7:30 PM.

Related articles

• Ecology of Lodgepole Pine Forests and the Future of Post-beetle Forests (http://nwccog.org)
• Future Forest Conditions (http://nwccog.org)

Looking For Something Different To Do In Aspen, Colorado This Winter? ACES Naturalist Nights Series Fits The Bill

Snow Cat (Photo credit: clickclique)

We are fortunate here in Aspen, Colorado to have intimate access to so many presentations from well-known and up-and-coming experts on a myriad of topics -- so much so that many of us take these opportunities for granted.

So, after thinking about it for years, I finally availed myself of an interesting lecture series hosted by the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES).  With its Naturalist Nights Series, ACES, together with the Wilderness Workshop and the Roaring Fork Audubon Society, provides an opportunity for nature enthusiasts to listen to, and interact with, visiting and resident presenters discussing the weather and climate, forests, wildlife, and other, related topics.

I went to my first presentation last Thursday, “Forecasting Powder and Other Weather Fun” with Joel Gratz, meteorologist and founder of opensnow.com.  OpenSnow is an organization dedicated to providing forecasts, reports “direct from the hill”, and custom snow alerts. Most importantly to us, they try to answer questions like, “When to call in sick for a powder day?”

Entertaining the audience with humor and interesting facts and explanations, Joel conveyed the basics of forecasting snowfall in the various ski areas around the state of Colorado (and specifically Aspen, of course).  He addressed, for instance, “Why didn’t we get much snow out of that last storm” and “When ARE we going to get more snow?”

Among the pertinent interesting items we covered were:

• People in every state think they have the corner on the “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes” market; but, in fact,
• Colorado/mountain weather IS hard to forecast.

• How the La Niña and El Niño general climate patterns (or lack thereof) affect storm patterns coming to the state.
• How these patterns influence how much moisture a storm brings.  According to Joel, storms from the west and the southwest generally “bring the most (heaviest) snow” to our state.
• “Weather happens when moist air gets high” – yes, this did produce some chuckles from the audience.
• Focusing on the effects of orographics (when air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain).
• The local wind direction of an approaching storm greatly affects whether or not we will get snow and how much we will get.
• Why radar is not an effective forecasting tool in the mountains.
• The problems with webcams as tracking tools.
• And more at “How To Forecast Your Next Powder Day”.

I’m going to continue attending the Naturalist Night Series presentations at ACES in Aspen.  I’m confident I will find all of them to be as interesting and entertaining as this one was; and useful -- I think many of us are now more confident that we’ll know when it’s worth it to plan the old, “I’m not feeling well”, phone call to the boss! 

This Thursday’s presentation in Aspen:  “The Future Forest: Understanding our Forests and Efforts to Protect Them” with Dr. Tony Cheng, PhD.

Related articles

• La Niña: Will she, or won't she? (summitcountyvoice.com)
• Crazy Colorado Weather (benchmarkstudio.wordpress.com)