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Five Roaring Fork Valley women flew to South America this month to learn about birdlife, ecosystems, migration and birding networks for four days. The Argentina group is scheduled to complete the exchange and visit Aspen in May.

Phase Two of Aspen’s Organic Waste Diversion Ordinance goes into effect on Jan. 15. The city’s restaurants have already been composting since 2023, diverting thousands of tons from the landfill.

At a conference of western governors in Arizona last week, the region's energy future dominated the conversion as populations and the AI data center industry continue to grow and drive up demand.

Warmer temperatures in November meant that less snowpack accumulated. But storms did increase soil moisture in the Upper Colorado River Basin, making future precipitation more likely to run off slopesides and boost rivers and streams.

The Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act was introduced by Democratic California Senator Adam Schiff and Republican Utah Senator John Curtis. If passed, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal officials would have one year to develop a plan to make “commercially available appropriate respiratory personal protective equipment for wildland firefighters and supporting staff in settings in which smoke exposure surpasses covered permissible exposure limits.”

The Colorado River District has cleared an important hurdle in securing the Shoshone water right, which is an in-stream flow agreement with the state. The deal is designed in part to protect Colorado River water levels, and it was approved despite objections from utility companies on the Front Range.

The grants are part of a larger effort to expand the state’s supply of smaller, more affordable housing options.

In October and November, Anderson Ranch Arts Center hosted 15 artists who were affected by the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires for free. One painter, Olivia Hill, spoke about how she was affected by the fires, what she worked on while at the ranch and what she’s taking back home with her. This story is part of Aspen Public Radio’s series “On The Ground: A nonprofit spotlight.”

A new study in the journal Science suggests rivers in the arid American West may be doing something unexpected: absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The finding could reshape how scientists model climate change.

Aspen OKs updates to its short-term rental program, streamlining rules and creating a temporary permit, but delays decisions on estate-planning transfer exemptions.