The Cool Boulder Newsletter
Our biodiverse place
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Dear <<First Name>>,
Happy May everyone! Cool Boulder's theme this month is BIODIVERSE PLACES AND SPACES, and it's the perfect time of the year to celebrate the things we can see growing after the spring storms. Biodiversity, however, is so much more than spring wildflowers.
Protecting and growing biodiversity is at the root of almost all nature-based climate solutions. Keep reading to learn more about biodiversity and to find community opportunities to celebrate and support local biodiversity.
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What is biodiversity anyway?
Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is simply the number of living things an area. We often hear about the biodiversity of places like the Amazon rainforest - areas that are far away - but biodiversity is actually part of all places and spaces. It's even inside of us! That's right, biodiversity includes everything from the mountain lion roaming the foothills to the microbes in our own bodies.
Above images courtesy of Heather Bearnes-Loza, Cool Boulder Team Member
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"Nature is not more complicated than you think, it is more complicated than you CAN think" ~Frank Edwin Elger
So why do we care about biodiversity?
Our human community is made of individual people, neighborhoods, and institutions interacting with each other, and natural systems are similar! Every living thing has a relationship to everything around it. Each connection is like a strand in a spider's web. A web with many strands is very strong, and it will be okay when one or two strands breaks. If a web has very few strands, it is less stable and likely to fall down or fail when one connection breaks.
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A biodiverse community is a resilient community
Having many strong relationships in our community means we are able to help each other and respond to challenges, including ones that have come with climate change. This makes our community more resilient to things like fire, floods, and even social unrest. Nature is no different! More biodiversity (more relationships) means a tighter web and more resilient ecosystems.
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Biodiversity is at risk, but we can help
Ecosystems provide us with our food, clean water, and clean air. We need these systems to be biodiverse and resilient to climate change, and these systems are at risk. Our land use for farming and development is one of the primary reasons we are losing species and biodiversity is decreasing.
Start helping by learning about biodiversity and why it matters. Take simple actions like watering your trees appropriately, reducing or eliminating pesticide use, supporting regenerative farming (here is a simple way to start!), planting native plants in your own garden, and composting correctly. If you have the means, consider your buying practices and your sources of food and products.
Consider exploring the information and websites of our Cool Boulder partners! These are some of our local experts making a difference for biodiversity through nature-based climate solutions.
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Remember that our simple actions make us part of the solution. We are part of our ecosystems, and we have an incredible potential to make a difference as a community.
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+Learning: Deep Dive
If your want to take a deep dive into international frameworks on biodiversity, you can learn context here. You can also learn more about these efforts and how they tie to us on a local level by watching the recording of Cool Boulder's Biodiversity, Climate, and You event.
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Our biodiversity
Did you know that our area is a very biodiverse place? This is where the mountains meet the plains, and many ecosystems come together around us. This makes our area very special (and very biodiverse!). For example, the Front Range has the 4th richest butterfly diversity in the US, and some of the richest bird diversity in the state.
You can help experts tracking biodiversity by getting involved with existing community science efforts! See the following article on the Cool Boulder website for suggestions: Community Science — Cool Boulder
Above images courtesy of Lynne Sullivan
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UPCOMING DEADLINE
+Participate: Submit artwork for the Tiny Creatures Art Exhibit by May 31st!
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Cool Boulder, the Endangered Species Coalition and Creature Conserve Mentorship Fellow Faith Williams Dyrsten invite the community to explore our relationship with insects through art, performance, workshops, community discussions, and more. Little Creatures: Appreciating insects and tiny critters that run the world is an art show hosted by the Boulder Public Library that will be held at the library’s Canyon Gallery throughout August and September 2023.
Visit the website for more information! Little Creatures — Cool Boulder
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New trees in our community
Our canopy is a huge part of biodiversity in Boulder. The Tree Trust and City of Boulder Forestry hosted a sapling giveaway last month, and 300 new trees are growing in our community! Thank you to the Tree Tenders who volunteered their time, to Forestry for providing trees and staff, to our friends at McGuckin Hardware for hosting and raising money for the Tree Trust, and to YOU for planting and caring for your new tree! Over 60 people also shared the location of their tree. The trees will be added to tree care maps to help prioritize areas in need of trees. See How to Grow a Tree for info on caring for your new sapling!
Stay tuned for the Tree Sale in the fall! There will be 23 types of trees for pre-order at a great price.
Need tree advice? You can reach out to a Tree Tender to request assistance with trees on private land. You can even become a Tree Tender! There will be another round of training in the fall! Stay tuned for more details. Instructors include some of our Cool Boulder Partners!
Have resources or ideas for a local tree planting? Contact the Tree Trust program manager, Mike Reichert at mike@playboulder.org
Above image courtesy of Jonathan Thornton, City of Boulder Communications and Engagement
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Pollinator Advocate Update
Almost 70 people applied for the Pollinator Advocate Program! Wow, we are so excited to see this level of interest in the program and this information. While we could not take everyone, stay tuned as we build more capacity and work to connect you to resources on native plant and pollinator-friendly work.
Consider exploring events offered by our partners including Harlequin's Gardens, the Butterfly Pavillion, Bee Chicas, and People & Pollinators Action Network for pollinator-related info!
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Composting is one step toward healthy soil, and yes, even our soils are living and contain incredible (and very tiny) biodiversity! Don't forget that rules about what we can put in our compost bins have changed, but that's not the only thing changing around here! Eco-Cycle, one of our wonderful partners, is leading the way with the country's first electric compost truck!
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Don't forget that you can compost on your own too! Check out these great resources from Eco-Cycle. Composting 101 - Eco-Cycle (ecocycle.org)
Above images courtesy of Beaton Photography
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Embracing biodiversity through regenerative farming
Regenerative farming uses biodiverse systems to produce food that takes care of us and local ecosystems. Interested in learning more? Check out opportunities on our calendar, like this movie and Q&A session at Chautauqua!
Interested in supporting local regenerative farmers? Cool Boulder is partnering with Zero Foodprint (ZFP), a nonprofit organization working with local food economies to restore the climate. ZFP works with food and beverage businesses to contribute 1% of sales to change how food is grown to restore the climate.
Learn more about the great local businesses partnering with ZFP and the local farmers who have received financial support in this article and on the ZFP website.
Above image courtesy of Emma K. Morris
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+ Interested in volunteering? Keep your eyes on our calendar!
We are building a calendar to help the Cool Boulder community connect to the incredible work happening around the area. Cool Boulder has over 30 amazing partnering organizations. They all have their own events and programs. Check out the calendar and our partners websites! You might just find the perfect group to volunteer with this year.
The calendar will continue to grow, so please check back in over the year!
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Above artwork by Faith Williams Dyrsten
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You may also see Cool Boulder news coming from the Climate Initiatives department of the City of Boulder or from any one of our partner organizations. There are now over 30 organizations that have formally partnered with the Cool Boulder campaign, and we welcome new partners all the time—email info@coolboulder.org to begin the conversation.
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+Listen: A Local Podcast from Climate Initiatives
📢 Climate Initiatives just dropped the first three episodes of the new city podcast, Let's Talk Boulder! The show explores our community through conversations with city staff, local leaders and your neighbors.
Tune in to our first episodes to hear stories from folks on the frontlines of wildland firefighting and climate resilience work. The conversations also dig into a variety of topics tied to wildfire and the climate crisis, including the importance of community connections during emergencies, ways to make your home more fire-resilient, and the role mushrooms could play in reducing local wildfire risk.
Let's Talk Boulder is available on all major listening platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Follow on your listening app to get notified about new episodes.
Visit the city’s website to learn more and listen.
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