The Downtown Aquarium will host a Summer Kick-Off Celebration on Wednesday, June 13 from 5 – 9 p.m. During the celebration, children and their families can enjoy a variety of activities including arts and crafts, animal appearances, goodie bags filled with treats, a raffle and special discounted kids’ meals. The mascot, Sharkey, and his friends will stop by for a special appearance as well.
Space is limited. Reservations can be made by calling (303) 561-4450.
WHEN: Wednesday, June 13, 5 – 9 p.m.
WHERE: Downtown Aquarium Denver, 700 Water Street, Denver, CO 80211
As the national parks brace for throngs of summer visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of wildlife, Colorado State University faculty and students are improving the way parks keep people from getting too close to wild animals.
Katie Abrams, assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Media Communication, and Tara Teel, professor in the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, teamed up with the National Park Service to tackle the issue from a communications standpoint: What’s the most effective way to warn people about the dangers and problems posed by getting too close to animals in the parks?
People want to have an exciting wildlife experience and get a picture of it. But that doesn’t mean you have to get close. Some people think they have to zoom in with their feet, and they don’t know what a safe distance is. — Abrams says
The campaign
The duo developed a communication campaign and evaluated how well it worked in four national parks from June to October 2017. They targeted Assateague Island National Seashore, Grand Canyon National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Shenandoah National Park. The materials and methods that Abrams and Teel developed successfully increased the number of people keeping a safe distance from wildlife by at least 16 percent in three of the four parks.
In addition to helping train park staff on key messaging, they worked with several CSU graduate students and a local marketing agency to develop a host of printed and digital materials around the theme “Sometimes the best relationship is a long-distance relationship.” The materials provide tips on things like how to estimate safe distances using the length of a bus, and stabilizing one’s arm to take good photos with a smartphone’s zoom feature.
One graphic shows a deer with the phrase, “Look, I’m really fawned of you, but I think we need space.” Another shows a close-up of a bear’s face with the statement, “Don’t make it awkward, we bearly know each other.” At Assateague, which is famous for its wild ponies, catchphrases included “You can’t foal us” and “Whoa, hold your horses!”
Guidance for parks
Abrams explains that messages like “Keep wildlife wild” are simply too broad; parks have to be more specific about preferred visitor behaviors. Another of the team’s recommendations for the parks’ messaging is to focus more on personal benefit rather than fear, and offer tools to concretely visualize safe wildlife distances.
Abrams adds that when advised to not feed wildlife, some people think that just refers to packaged or “human” food. Plucking apples from nearby trees to feed animals is not OK either, because it emboldens animals and makes them comfortable approaching people.
Several of the parks have incorporated the CSU team’s recommendations. On May 17, Grand Canyon officials tweeted an image developed as part of the campaign: a cat appearing to take a selfie with a charging elk, accompanied by the message “I’ll just turn my back to this wild animal. What could go wrong?” The tweet links to several safe wildlife distance tips that the CSU team advised:
Follow the rule of thumb: if you can cover the entire wild animal with your thumb you’re at a safe distance. This distance is usually 25 yards from most wildlife and 100 yards from large wildlife.
Use binoculars or a camera with zoom to view animals from a safe distance. To steady your shot, rest your elbows on your ribcage or knees.
Stay quiet and still on the safe side of railings — noise and quick movements can make wildlife feel threatened.
Word spreads
Other national parks have now contacted Abrams for assistance. Glacier National Park used the CSU team’s input to develop trading card-sized handouts with tips on wildlife safety.
Abrams will present a paper on the project at a conference in August before submitting the research for journal publication.
The CSU graduate students involved in the project were Caitlin Evans and Heather Young of journalism and media communication and Ashley Gramza of the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology.
New Territory: Landscape Photography Today — Opening June 24, is a survey of contemporary landscape photography from around the world. The exhibition of more than 100 photographs will explore how artists stretch the boundaries of traditional landscape photography to reflect the environmental attitudes, perceptions and values of our time.
The works on view revive historic photographic processes as well as use innovative techniques and unconventional equipment and chemistry to depict landscapes in surprising ways. Taken individually and as a whole, the photographs will show how about 40 artists have manipulated materials and processes for expressive purposes, blurring the distinction between “observed” and “constructed” imagery. The exhibition challenges us to see photography differently, and contemplate our complex relationship with the landscape. A daily 45-minute guided tour will be offered at 1:30 p.m. beginning June 25.
New Territory: Landscape Photography Today will be on view through Sept. 16, 2018. Both the exhibition and tour is included in general admission; free for members and youth 18 and younger. #NewTerritoryatDAM
La Musidora is a combination of the Spanish words “la música” (music) and “la mecedora” (rocking chair). This visitor favorite is back for another summer. Take part in this interactive outdoor art installation located on Martin Plaza near the museum’s Hamilton Building entrance. Make musical sounds by gently rocking colorfully woven chairs in tandem. This 90-foot artwork seats a total of 20 visitors at a time. La Musidora was designed by Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena of the interdisciplinary design firm Esrawe + Cadena in Mexico City.
The first major museum exhibition of the artist’s work, Jeffrey Gibson: Like a Hammer chronicles a pivotal moment in Gibson’s career when his contemporary artistic practice converged with his Native American heritage. About 57 objects created from 2011 to the present are on view, including figurative works, text-based wall hangings, painted works on rawhide and canvas, a significant selection of beaded punching bags and video. The exhibition shows how Gibson draws upon his heritage and remixes his older works to create a visual vocabulary that explores his multi-faceted identity and the history of modernism. Gibson’s abstract works take inspiration from his Choctaw and Cherokee heritage, pan-Native American visual culture, alternative subcultures and the artist’s experiences living abroad as well as popular culture. Striking patterned and textured works also incorporate text from poems and song lyrics.
Gibson frequently explores colonialism and the post-colonial mindset, reflecting on how American Indian experiences parallel other civil rights movements. His work also revolves around universal themes of love, community, strength, vulnerability and survival. Visitors will gain an enhanced understanding of Gibson’s distinctive and complex creative practice, as well as how it has evolved from series to series.
A daily 45-minute guided tour is offered at 2 p.m. An exhibition catalog is available in The Shop and online. The exhibition is included in general admission; free for members and youth 18 and younger. #GibsonLikeaHammer
Stampede: Animals in Art brings together more than 300 objects from across the DAM collection to explore the presence of animals in art throughout centuries and cultures. The exhibition creates an opportunity for visitors to discover and consider the role animals play through themes such as personal connections with animals, how animal materials have been used in art, how animals are used to tell stories or represent political ideas and how artists use animals in imaginative ways. Stampede includes visitor favorites—a Nick Cave Soundsuit, Deborah Butterfield’s horse sculptures and artworks by Frederic Remington and Georgia O’Keeffe—as well as rarely seen works. A daily 45-minute guided tour is offered at 1 p.m. Included in general admission; free for members and youth 18 and younger.
Drop in with your little ones, ages 3 to 5, on the second Wednesday of the month. Meet up with other tots and their grownups for storytime, artmaking and more! Create Playdate is a bilingual program (available in English and Spanish). Included in general admission; free for members and kids 18 and younger. No reservations required.
Create-n-Takesfor Summer Fun through –Aug. 19: Monday–Friday 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m. and Free First Saturdays 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Mapping Myths and Monsters (until July 20): Imagine what it would be like to be an explorer and chart encounters with monsters in your own travel journal.
Hold Your Horses (starting July 23): How do sculptures move and stand still at the same time? Explore this idea by looking at bronze horse sculptures and make your own horse.
Carry Me Close (May 19–Aug. 19): Learn about the extraordinary work and creative process of artist Jeffrey Gibson, and create a project inspired by his art.
Sew Wild: Take a walk on the wild side and sew together your own animal-inspired story.
Photo Finish (June 2–Aug. 19; on Martin Plaza 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Mon.–Fri.): Experiment with surprising techniques and unexpected materials to create your own customized photographs. #ArtofSummer2018
Step into the forest and experience new animal-inspired activities created to celebrate the exhibition Stampede: Animals in Art in our newest family space, located on level 3 of the Hamilton Building. Build animals out of branch-like blocks, pick up a pair of binoculars for a bird-watching challenge, mix and match to create unique creatures or put together a shadowbox to display all your favorite animals in a mini-menagerie. Included with general admission; free for members and kids 18 and younger.
Join artist Anna Kaye in our fun and informal creative art sessions. Bring a drawing or sketching project of your own or get started on something new. All ranges of drawing experience are welcome! Materials provided or bring your own supplies (only graphite pencils, kneaded erasers and sketchpads 14 x 17 inches or smaller permitted in the galleries). Included in general admission; free for members and youth 18 and younger.
Inka Essenhigh (American, b. 1969), End of the World, 1998. Oil paint and enamel on canvas. Gift from Vicki and Kent Logan to the Collection of the Denver Art Museum, 2001.723
Join us on the third Tuesday of each month for Mindful Looking, a program that invites you to slow down and spend quality time with a single work of art. In June, explore the surreal imagery of Inka Essenhigh’s End of the World with DAM teaching specialist Molly Medakovich and Kadam Lucy James (Kadampa Meditation Center). James will lead our first look at the painting with a mindfulness meditation practice. Discover overlooked details, explore ideas and make connections as we linger, look and discuss. Included in general admission; free for members and youth 18 and younger.
Unwind from your week with a mindfulness meditation session in the Ganesha: The Playful Protector exhibition, led by our partners from the Kadampa Meditation Center. From first-timers to regular practitioners, all are welcome to join in on this hour of relaxation, reflection and quiet calm. Chairs, yoga mats and meditation cushions provided. No registration necessary, but space is limited. Included in general admission; free for members and youth 18 and younger.
Explore your creativity through the written word in our informal writing sessions with staff from the Lighthouse Writers Workshop. Bring your own writing projects or get started on something new. Open to all levels, from published authors to the occasional journaler! Materials available. Included in general admission; free for members and youth 18 and younger.
Be part of the process and create with Denver artists in an evening of shared perspectives and sensory explorations at the DAM. Join us in transforming the museum through a series of multi-sensory experiences aimed at shifting perspectives by seeing through each other’s eyes and hearing through each other’s ears. Produced with local creatives, Untitled Final Fridays is the museum’s monthly late night program featuring workshops, performances and tours with a twist. Experience the museum in an entirely different way—every time. Included in general admission; free for members and youth 18 and younger. College students with ID receive 2-for-1 admission to Untitled Final Fridays. Untitled Final Fridays are presented by Your 6 Hometown Toyota Stores.
SPECIAL ACCESS PROGRAM
Weekend Artist Demonstrations in June – Saturdays & Sundays, noon–3 p.m.
You are invited to speak with your County Commissioner and Elected Officials to share your ideas, ask questions, and give feedback.
All Telephone Town Halls are 1 hour and begin promptly at 7 p.m. Call 1-855-840-6970 toll free or visit http://bit.ly/ACTownHall to participate. You also can pre-register for upcoming Telephone Town Hall Meetings. The 2018 Telephone Town Hall Meeting schedule is available here.
PARKER CO – The Colorado State Patrol is proud to announce the graduation of 25 cadets to the rank of Trooper this week. After an intense five-month Academy training the new Troopers will receive their badges, take the oath, and move onto the field training component in their respective areas.
This is a tremendous achievement for these individuals and we are proud they have made the choice to go forth and serve Colorado with our family. We look forward to their years of accomplishments and dedication. — Colonel Matt Packard, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol
Members of the class include multiple “legacy” Troopers, continuing the family tradition of serving in the Colorado State Patrol. The event is open to the public for anyone that wishes to attend. The Commencement Speaker will be Colorado State Senator Rhonda Fields of Senate District 29; additional speakers include Chief Packard and the class president.
WHEN: Friday, June 8th 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: CU South Denver, 10035 S. Peoria St., Parker, CO 80134
Washington, DC – Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) today introduced the Rural Physician Workforce Production Act. This legislation will help address the dramatically growing physician shortage in rural areas in Colorado and across the country. The Rural Physician Workforce Production Act reforms the Graduate Medical Education (GME) program to ensure that medical residents have the same opportunity to practice in rural areas as they do in urban areas.
Rural areas across our state are feeling the impacts of a growing shortage of physicians in their communities. We can do better to help address this problem and to ensure these areas are not left behind. I authored this legislation to help provide more physicians to rural communities because Coloradans access to quality healthcare should not be determined by their zip code. — said Gardner
What’s the challenge? The GME program was established as a way for the federal government to support medical residency training to ensure physician supply and access to care. However, the program has fallen short of keeping this promise and has not provided a sufficient physician supply to rural areas. According to the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), a mere 57 percent of the country lives in a geographic region that is having its primary care needs met.
How will the Rural Physician Workforce Production Act work to fix it? One of the greatest indicators of where a doctor will practice is the location of their residency, however, current caps and other limitations on rural residency programs have put rural America at a significant disadvantage compared to their urban counter parts when it comes to accepting residents in order to recruit and retain the next generation of doctors. The Rural Physician Workforce Production Act works to address this issue by establishing a national per resident payment amount in order to make accepting residents a financially viable option for rural hospitals.
Additionally, many urban and rural hospitals have partnered to effectively promote rural training by establishing rural training track programs. However, current laws restrict the ability of hospitals to expand these programs. The Rural Physician Workforce Production Act addresses this issue by eliminating caps on urban and rural hospitals that have prevented them from expanding or creating new rural training track programs in order to produce more rural physicians.
Beyond primary care needs, there is also a significant deficit of specialty care doctors practicing in rural areas. In Colorado, there are approximately 150 specialists per 100,000 as compared with 65 specialists per 100,000 in rural communities. This leads to residents of underserved communities driving significant distances to access care in more urban centers. This legislation aims to close this gap and increase access by allowing residents in all medical specialties to gain exposure to practicing in a rural area in eight week periods or longer. This is necessary because oftentimes residents in medical specialties are confined to completing their residency in an urban center because they need to meet patient mix requirements.
Gardner, Bennet Announce $65 Million South I-25 and $25 Million I-70 INFRA Grants
Washington, DC – Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) today announced El Paso County will receive a $65 million Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant to widen an approximately 18-mile segment of I-25 from Monument to Castle Rock by adding one express lane in each direction. Additionally, the Colorado Department of Transportation will receive a $25 million INFRA grant to add an additional 12-mile shoulder lane on Interstate 70 in Clear Creek County.
“I’m thrilled to announce Colorado will receive $90 million dollars for critical infrastructure projects in our state,” said Gardner. “Coloradans who commute on South I-25 every day or utilize I-70 to travel to the Western Slope and experience the beautiful public lands Colorado has to offer are all too familiar with the unbearable traffic on Colorado highways. These projects will help alleviate congestion on South I-25 and I-70 and help improve the lives of every Coloradan who travels our roads.”
“Colorado’s infrastructure requires significant investment to keep pace with the enormous growth of new residents and tourists,” said Bennet. “These grants will help make improvements to the critical links Coloradans use every day to reach the high country and Southern Colorado.”
Gardner and Bennet sent letters in support of these grants in October 2017.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds landowners to submit proposals for the 2018 Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program
DENVER – Nine days remain for private landowners to submit proposals for the 2018 Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program (CWHP) RFP managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The CWHP is a state-wide program that supports CPW’s mission by offering funding opportunities to private landowners who wish to voluntarily protect important wildlife habitats on their property, and/or provide wildlife-related recreational access to the public.
Approximately $11 million in funding is available through the 2018 Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program. Proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m. on June 15.
Funding for this year’s cycle is approximately $11 million, and is made possible through a conservation partnership with Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and revenue generated through the sale of habitat stamps.
The CWHP is an incentive-based and voluntary program which uses Conservation Easements, Access Easements, and in limited circumstances, Fee Title purchases to accomplish strategic wildlife conservation goals and/or public access goals. Priority is given to proposals for Conservation Easements and Public Access Easements over Fee Title purchases (per CPW Policy and Title 33-4-102.7 C.R.S.).
To Apply:
To apply, a landowner, or his/her designee, must complete a project proposal form (“Proposal”) that addresses one or more of the following Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission (“Commission”) priorities:
Public access for hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing
Big game winter range and migration corridors
Protecting habitat for species of concern (specifically those Species of Greatest Conservation Need, as identified in the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Statewide Action Plan)
Riparian areas and wetlands
Landscape-scale parcels and parcels that provide connectivity
Proposals will be accepted until 5:00 pm on Friday, June 15, 2018
Please email completed Proposals to . You will receive a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of your Proposal.
A landowner may request a land trust, local government, or other conservation organization (collectively, “Third Party,”) to submit a Proposal on his/her behalf. If the Proposal involves a conservation easement to be held by a Third Party, the entity must be qualified to hold conservations easements under federal and state law.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has released information regarding a stolen purse and credit cards. This person is suspected of taking a wallet from a vehicle and subsequently using the stolen credit cards to make unauthorized purchases. The store originally provided a different video with different suspects. This is updated information.
— Can You ID Me? —
REPORT A TIP
Reference CASE # AC18-9402 & CALL 720-874-3600, or email
