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The Dirt and Dust: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Alex Handloff
There are innumerable stories hidden in the landscape of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, tucked away behind Ponderosa Pine trees, bubbling up in cascading streams, soaring above verdant valleys. Who are the people? What is this place? How can we ensure a better future for us and our surroundings?The Dirt and Dust explores these questions along with the personalities, places, and peculiarities of the 2 Watersheds - 3 Rivers - 2 States Cohesive Strategy Partnership (2-3-2) landscape which works collaboratively, bringing together government agencies, tribal partners, non-profits, community members, and more to make decisions collectively about our forests, rivers, wildlife, and communities. Learn more at 232partnership.org. Brought to you by the 2-3-2, Mountain Studies Institute, Forest Stewards Guild, USDA Forest Service, and Zebulon Krol.
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- Sep 30, 202529 min
The Forgotten Willows of Jarita Mesa
In the woods of northern New Mexico lies the history of people and place, of stories and family. The culture of a landscape varies as much as the rise and fall of mountains, the coming and going of trees over time, the hiss of wind. In this episode, The Forgotten Willows of Jarita Mesa, we speak with longtime New Mexico local, Luis Torres, about his legacy of engagement with community and nature, his stories of living and learning from the environment, his thoughts on collaboration, and ...
- Oct 17, 202429 min
Thinking Like a Mountain
Aldo Leopold once lived in a cabin in New Mexico near Tres Piedras. His time there left an impression, not so much for what he did while he lived there – he was only at the cabin for around 9 months – but for who he would become. His legacy has persisted over time, manifesting itself in the quaint and rustic cabin, reaching out to those who stay there, and especially to the person who maintains the cabin, Richard Rubin, a retired medical doctor who now writes his own books, creating his own l...
- Jul 25, 202429 min
Fire is Life
Fire. The word itself is powerful, conjuring up conflicting images of fear and also comfort, of destruction and barbecues. Fire is not a malicious force. It has no more malicious intentions than a penny falling from a skyscraper. But the impacts can range from helpful to horrible, depending on how humans interact and have historically interacted with the landscape. This is a story of when fire helped. It’s a story that often isn’t told but one that can spark renewed belief of how our actions...
- Jun 1, 202428 min
Water is Life
We have the power to change the notion of watershed in an instant, connecting spaces in unforeseen ways through things like diversions. The upper Navajo River in southern Colorado is one such example, where water is diverted from the San Juan River basin into the Rio Chama and eventually the Rio Grande, providing the majority of drinking water for Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The headwaters of the Navajo River therefore jump out as a vital location for how we think about land, forests, fire, and...
- Feb 29, 202429 min
Becoming Beavers
What would nature do? We often don't know until a critical piece of nature no longer functions, and we have to replace it. If we want that replacement to last, it must align with the way nature already works. It is not a machine with parts, but an ecosystem of emergence. What does that mean to embody the critical connection in nature? What does it mean to embody a beaver!? Stream restoration starts with pushing the understanding of how streams work and how much they rely on beavers. This epis...
- Jan 7, 202429 min
Monks of the Rio Chama, part II
With enough time, we can all become attentive to the place we exist, though we must be intentional in that endeavor. What better way to learn the work of being present than from the assiduous, industrious, and philosophical monks of the Christ in the Desert Monastery. In this episode, Alex talks with Brother David about his role at the monastery and his sense of duty and purpose. Then, Alex continues the conversation with Brother Bede, delving deeper into the idea of knowing the landscape an...
- Dec 11, 202322 min
Monks of the Rio Chama, part I
How can we find stability? How can we work towards a stable future? The Rio Chama is the beating heart of the eponymous Rio Chama Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project, the largest project of the 2-3-2 Partnership. Along the river lies the Christ in the Desert Monastery where Brother Bede Bissonnette's curiosity leads him to ask questions about the environment whose implications go far beyond the monastery's boundary. Understanding the conditions in which we live helps ...
- Oct 26, 202321 min
A Bar in Chama
Where does the 2-3-2 Partnership start? It's a hard question, on par with asking where an ocean wave starts, meaning that the genesis of a multidimensional collaborative project cannot be attributed to one particular moment. Or can it? During several conversations, your host, Alex Handloff learned that a bar in Chama, NM was the location of a foundational moment in the 2-3-2's formation. No better way to find out than to visit the bar, explore Chama, and talk to the people who live there. ...
About The Dirt and Dust
There are innumerable stories hidden in the landscape of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, tucked away behind Ponderosa Pine trees, bubbling up in cascading streams, soaring above verdant valleys. Who are the people? What is this place? How can we ensure a better future for us and our surroundings?The Dirt and Dust explores these questions along with the personalities, places, and peculiarities of the 2 Watersheds - 3 Rivers - 2 States Cohesive Strategy Partnership (2-3-2) landscape which works collaboratively, bringing together government agencies, tribal partners, non-profits, community members, and more to make decisions collectively about our forests, rivers, wildlife, and communities. Learn more at 232partnership.org. Brought to you by the 2-3-2, Mountain Studies Institute, Forest Stewards Guild, USDA Forest Service, and Zebulon Krol.
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