Kunc's Colorado Edition

Fear. Anxiety. Shame. And a horde of colorful, crocheted monsters. It’s all part of a new exhibit at the Denver Art Museum that asks visitors to confront some uncomfortable emotions. Denver artist Sadie Young has created cuddly and soft monsters with vivid colors and big eyes. And they’re all crocheted out of thousands of yards of yarn. Some are large enough for visitors to step inside.  The exhibit, called The Tangled Self, draws on both her artistic experience and her educational background in psychology, particularly the concept of the shadow self. Sadie is also the founder and creative director of Spectra Art Space, which specializes in immersive installations. She joined Erin O’Toole to talk about her new exhibit at the DAM, the inspiration behind the creatures, and how she got started with crocheting.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the sho

The goo and gunk you find in your dishwasher, or in the drip tray underneath your refrigerator, could hold secrets to fighting climate change or reducing pollution. That’s according to James Henrickson, a research scientist from Colorado State University. He says your hot water heater, washing machine, and shower are similar to hot springs or volcanic vents on the ocean floor. James studies creatures that can survive in these harsh environments.  James has traveled the world in search of these organisms, which scientists call extremophiles. Extremophiles can survive by consuming carbon dioxide or toxic chemicals.  So, James is on a search for new extremophiles that might make the planet healthier. He started a campaign with CitSci, an organization that lets citizen scientists upload their observations and share them with researchers.  James joined Erin O’Toole to talk about how the public might be able to help in the search and why he sees potential in these creatures. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter:

The effects of post-partum depression or anxiety can be debilitating. Research shows one in five mothers experience post-partum mental health challenges after childbirth. And that number is even higher for Latina mothers living in the United States. Nearly half of them experience post-partum mental health issues. But organizers of a unique research program based at the University of Colorado Boulder say they’ve successfully reduced postpartum depression for hundreds of mothers – with an emphasis on helping Latinas, including immigrants. They did it by providing peer support to new moms from women who’ve had similar struggles in the past. The program is called Alma, and it recently reached its 10th anniversary. Organizers plan to expand the program with an online version beginning this summer. Professor Anahi Collado is a clinical psychologist who helps train mothers to become peers in the Alma program. She joined Erin O’Toole to talk about the program, and why its creators saw a need for something that helped

Manipulating the clouds to make it rain or snow sounds like something straight out of science fiction. But in reality, the technology behind cloud seeding is decades old, going back to the 1940s. The science of cloud seeding got some new attention recently after lawmakers ordered the Government Accountability Office to look into the technology as water becomes a more precious resource in the U.S. That report says cloud seeding shows promise, but more research is probably needed before we make it part of any serious federal policies. So, as drought continues to be a problem for the Colorado River Basin, some experts wonder if it’s time to look more seriously at cloud seeding’s potential.  KUNC’s in-house water reporter Alex Hager spoke with Erin O’Toole in February about what he’s learned about how cloud seeding might help the Colorado River basin. We’re listening back to that conversation today. For more on the Colorado River, check out KUNC’s award-winning podcast Thirst Gap. * * * * * Sign up for the In Th

A few weeks back, Boulder Reporting Lab published an unusual article.  The writer, Simon Testa, told his story using data and statistics to wrestle with the risk associated with a type of rock climbing called scrambling.  Simon lives in Boulder, and scrambling is his favorite hobby. He even wrote a scrambling guidebook. He climbs up huge rock walls without climbing ropes. He has made hundreds of ascents without ropes over the past decade.  But scrambling is also risky. After two tragic accidents last year, Simon dug into records of 16 people who died while scrambling on the Flatirons –  those towering rock formations outside Boulder.  Simon told In the NoCo’s Brad Turner about what he discovered in the data, and how he approaches scrambling differently now.   Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!Host and Producer: Erin

It's a precarious moment for public media. The Trump administration has declared it wants to end federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – which supports stations that carry programs from NPR and PBS.  If you’re wondering where all of that leaves a local station like KUNC or The Colorado Sound, we’re actually trying to figure that out too. So today, we’re sharing what we know so far. In The NoCo’s Brad Turner spoke with Mike Arnold, the Chief Audience and Content Officer for KUNC and The Colorado Sound. Last week, he and about 190 other leaders from NPR members stations around the country met in Washington, D.C. to talk about this moment of uncertainty for public radio. And they asked lawmakers to continue supporting public media.    * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Produce

The Colorado Rockies have some of the most loyal fans in all of baseball. And that might be part of their problem. The Rockies are off to their worst start of any team in Major League Baseball’s modern history. And yet the fans still show up.  It's been the story of the Rockies for years: The team struggles. The fans keep coming. And the steady ticket sales mean ownership has little incentive to build a better team So what’s behind the uncommonly loyal baseball fans here in Colorado? And are they starting to lose patience this season?  To find out, we turned to Kevin Simpson of the Colorado Sun. He’s been a season ticket holder since the Rockies’ first season in 1993 – and he’s written about why the fans stick around even as the Rockies have one bad season after the next. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!Host and P

Each spring, the Front Range endures miller moth season. Even in relatively mild years, the tiny, winged visitors enter our homes, annoy us and even frighten us.   But they’re also fascinating.  So, we talked with Karim Gharbi – an insect expert and horticulture specialist with Colorado State University Extension – to unpack the mysteries of the miller moths.   Where do the moths come from? Where do they go when they leave? Are they dangerous to our clothing or food? And why do our pets seem to enjoy chomping on them?     Gharbi spoke with Erin O’Toole last spring and offered some surprising answers to these questions and more.  We’re listening back to that conversation today. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Producer: Ariel Lavery Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme

Colorado’s mountain passes and great weather make it a destination for competitive cyclists. But the history of professional cycling races in Colorado is a rocky one.   Races like the Colorado Classic, the Coors Classic, and The USA Pro Cycling Challenge have all come and gone over the years. So, we were intrigued when an events company recently announced plans to create the Tour of Colorado – a five-day men’s road biking race through the Rockies that will attract worldclass cycling teams. The first edition would be held in September 2026. And organizers recently received encouragement from Gov. Jared Polis, who praised the plan. Betsy Welch is a freelance writer who reported on the proposal for the Colorado Sun. She spoke from her home in Carbondale with Erin O’Toole  about whether this new proposal looks promising and why professional road racing in Colorado has been so hard to sustain. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what y

Colorado has an abundance of mountains named after famous men – think Long’s Peak, Mount Wilson, or Pikes Peak. Since childhood, Sarah Hahn Campbell has been fascinated by the people behind place names. But she discovered little to no information on peaks, lakes or trails named after women.  So, in 2017, the Denver-based author and high school teacher set out to research the mysterious women behind the names of some of Colorado’s landmarks. That culminated in Sarah's new book, Her Place on the Map: 18 Women and the Colorado Wonders Named for Them. It’s part trail guide and part history lesson, exploring 18 Colorado trails, mountains and lakes, while highlighting the stories of the women for whom these places were named. She spoke with Erin O’Toole about the book, and how challenging it was to learn about the real women behind the names. Sarah will discuss the book and share some of her favorite local hikes at 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Wolverine Farm in Fort Collins.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newslette

There’s a lot of content these days about self-care: how to stay mentally and physically balanced when work, family or other stresses grind you down. We often see social media influencers posting about bubble baths, the perfect tea, or the best skin care routine. But a new book argues that self-care isn’t simply about focusing on ourselves. Rather, it’s a crucial part of how we show up for other people. And losing sight of that can lead to guilt or strained relationships with loved ones.   Author Jordan Quaglia is a professor of psychology at Naropa University in Boulder and he wrote From Self-Care to We-Care: The New Science of Mindful Boundaries and Caring from an Undivided Heart. Jordan spoke with In the NoCo’s Brad Turner about the book and how he hopes it nudges readers away from the more selfish or even materialistic versions of self-care. Jordan Quaglia will speak about his book at the Boulder Bookstore on May 29 at 6:30 p.m.  Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? S

You know spring is here when the sound of lawn mowers fills your neighborhood. But some folks think mowing isn’t a great idea this time of year. There’s been a trend in yard care called No Mow May – as in, don’t mow your lawn until June. The concept started in the U.K. in 2019. The idea is to protect pollinators like bees and butterflies by letting dandelions and clover grow for a while before cutting them back.  But is No Mow May a good idea in Colorado and the Front Range? For answers, we reached out to Alison O’Connor. She’s a horticulture professor with Colorado State University Extension, and an expert in yards, gardens, and the creatures that live among our plants.  She spoke with Erin O’Toole last spring about the trend – and offered lots of helpful ways to support pollinators. We’re listening back to that conversation today. Find more tips from CSU Extension about creating pollinator-friendly landscaping and about how to attract native bees to your yard.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newslet

Colorado is home to lots of people who are passionate about bicycling. They ride during all seasons.  Our host, Erin O’Toole, however, is more of a casual bike rider, with her bicycle spending many of the colder months cooped up in the garage. This means it often needs some maintenance before going on that first cruise of the year.   So today we’re talking about how to get our bikes ready for summer riding. Schuyler Gantert is the owner of Road 34, a bike shop in Fort Collins, and he’s a bike maintenance expert. He joined Erin and gave a few tips on some do-it-yourself bike maintenance.  Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!Host and Producer: Erin O'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Comm

For the past seven years if you were a Colorado farmer who was struggling and felt overwhelmed, you had a place to turn for help.    The AgWell program offered mental health support to farmers and ranchers in several Western states. It gave them stress management tools and support from their peers. That’s important because farmers statistically struggle with isolation and die by suicide at rates twice as high as the general population.   But those services are on hold now. Amid other spending cuts ordered by the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture in April froze $10 million in funding for support programs like AgWell.  Colorado Sun reporter Tracy Ross recently wrote about the program. She spoke with Erin O’Toole about the abrupt loss of its funding. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks

An artist in Lakewood who specializes in creating tiny books and illustrations received an unusual offer recently. An art gallery reached out to Evan Lorenzen and asked for his help in creating a book of original art – no bigger than your thumbnail – to be placed on the moon.    The Moon Gallery, based in Amsterdam, works to send cultural artifacts into space. They’ve shipped artwork to the International Space Station. Now they wanted to focus on the moon.   Evan worked with the Moon Gallery to compile a tiny, 80-page book filled with images and poetry by dozens of artists and writers.   They called the book Moon Bound. It’s set to be launched into space later this year. Evan spoke with Brad Turner about the challenge of making the tiny book and some of the highlights from artists who contributed to the projects. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on yo

When people speculate about fallout from President Trump's threatened tariffs, they often talk about how tariffs on steel could drive up car prices, or how tariffs on some food products or imported wines will drive up prices at the store.  But tariffs are hitting some small outdoor recreation businesses in Colorado especially hard. Think about the price of a stand-up paddleboard or a ski jacket almost doubling. And some companies that sell Colorado-made products in other countries are cancelling orders altogether.          Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins recently spoke with the owners of several small outdoor companies about how the tariffs are hitting their bottom line. He talked with Erin O’Toole about how they’ll try to cope in the coming months amid the uncertainty.  The Mountain West News Bureau’s Rachel Cohen also reported on how tariff hikes could impact companies that make and sell outdoor gear. Find that story here. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feed

A new study suggests that researchers should take a closer look at cannabis as a treatment for cancer and its symptoms. The team behind the study says the results suggest the federal government should remove restrictions on that research.  An organization called Cancer Playbook, which is based in Evergreen, paid for the study. Cancer Playbook’s head of research says it works to provide people battling cancer with information about what treatments have helped other cancer patients – and that often includes medical marijuana. The study reviewed more than 10,000 published papers on medical cannabis. That makes it the most comprehensive analysis ever conducted on the topic, according to a recent story in The Guardian.  Ryan Castle is the director of research for Cancer Playbook and he led the study. It found that cannabis showed clear promise in many aspects of cancer treatment, from reducing pain to shrinking tumors. Ryan talked with Erin O’Toole about study and why it’s hard to get reliable data on the effectiv

An innovative new prosthetic foot dreamed up by students at Colorado State University could offer new options to amputees and other people with limb differences.  The team behind it calls it the “Goldilocks foot” because it serves as a middle option. It’s more comfortable than cheaper prosthetics but costs less than prosthetics built for running and other competitive sports. The design team says the Goldilocks foot is especially useful for walks and light exercise.  CSU senior, Garrison Hays, worked with a team of engineering undergrads to create the design. And he drew on his personal experience: His leg was partially amputated to remove cancer when he was a kid.  He spoke with Brad Turner about how he realized he wanted  to make a prosthetic that was affordable, but also durable and comfortable. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podc

Writer Cassondra Windwalker’s new horror novel uses fiction to highlight a real-life crisis that often goes ignored.  Ghost Girls and Rabbits touches on the thousands of unsolved cases of Indigenous American and Alaska Native women who were missing or murdered. More than 4,000 cases fit that description, according to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. The novel tells the story of two Indigenous American women: one who has lost her daughter, and the other who has herself been kidnapped. Windwalker is originally from Oklahoma, spent time in Alaska and now lives in Berthoud.  Ghost Girls and Rabbits comes out May 5, which is also a day of awareness to call attention to the issue. Windwalker spoke with Erin O'Toole about the horror writer who inspired her, and how she hopes the book raises awareness about an urgent problem. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by r

In 2025, artificial intelligence gives us personalized shopping recommendations. It writes emails for us. And all those quick tasks require lightning-fast computing and huge amounts of data. Which is why tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon are building massive data centers around the country. Some state lawmakers have proposed incentives for companies that want to build data centers in Colorado. They say the facilities will create jobs and tax revenue – and that Colorado is competing with other states for that economic boost.  But skeptics point out that data centers use enormous amounts of electricity and water, which strains power grids and water supplies.    To sort through the economic benefits and the environmental costs, we reached out to Vijay Gadepally. He's a senior scientist at MIT who researches high performance computing and artificial intelligence. He’s also the chief technology officer of an AI cloud computing company that hopes to build a data center in Colorado.  He talked with Erin O'To