Tours and Exercises

Saturday, September 17, 10:30-1:30 PM; College Center S Ballroom

To enjoy the sunny (we hope!) Rocky Mountain weather, and to witness small steps and big stories emerging in the Headwaters, we will offer a choice of three tours and exercises:

I. Energy Stories, Facilitated by the Office for Resource Efficiency (ORE)

Regional energy efficiency and climate solution experts will lead a workshop that applies lessons from the history of Gunnison's electrification to imagine how the same level of community empowerment might lead to a future of carbon neutrality. Participants will mine through historic archives to reconstruct this "big story" of the "small steps" that led to electrification. Then, participants will work with ORE's staff to transform the emerging small steps for carbon neutrality into the next big story, a new era in energy history in the Headwaters.

II. Food Stories, Facilitated by Rene Brekke, Mountain Roots Food Project and Molly Mugglestone, Western State College Environmental Studies (ENVS) & Politics Instructor and Environmental Consultant.

This tour will lead participants throughout the Gunnison Valley to visit inspiring sustainable food stories, from large-scale high altitude organic farms, to sustainable ranchers, to community and backyard gardens, ending with a visit to the Gunnison Farmer's Market.

III. Nature's Stories, Facilitated by Rose Tocke, Full Circle Collaborative and Dr. Jonathan Coop. 

Based on Rose Tocke's inspiring talk at the 22nd Headwaters Conference and Dr. Jonathan Coop's expertise as forest ecologist and Director of Western's Institute for Applied Sustainability, this tour will seek stories of resilience found in Gunnison's natural environment. The tour will shine a light on the ecological impacts of climate disturbance, while highlighting ways in which nature has begun to adapt and author a new story in the face of these changes. With background in biomimicry, permaculture, and ecology, Rose Tocke and Dr. Coop will help participants consider how we might co-write this new story of adaptation and resilience with our natural support system.