- THE MORE THAT WE CAN ENGAGE WITH OUR WORLD, THE MORE WE'LL WANT TO TAKE CARE OF IT.

- OH, IT'S LEAVING THE BURROW.

THE MARMOTS HERE HAVE BEEN STUDIED SINCE 1962.

SO, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, WE'RE REALLY ASKING BROAD QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS HIBERNATING ANIMALS, BUT ANIMALS IN GENERAL AS WELL.

- THE BLACK-FOOTED FERRET IS PROBABLY THE POSTER CHILD FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSERVATION.

- IT'S ONE OF THE BEST FEELINGS YOU CAN HAVE IS TO REINTRODUCE A NATIVE SPECIES.

- I THINK THAT WE'VE DONE ENOUGH TO DAMAGE THIS EARTH, OUR HOME, THAT WHY KEEP DOING IT?

- SO, NATURAL BURIAL IS THIS IDEA THAT WE CAME FROM THE NATURAL CYCLES AROUND US AND HAVE NO OPTION BUT IN THE END TO RETURN TO THEM.

- IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, ENERGY, AND COMMITMENT TO COME OUT HERE TODAY AND INSTALL SOLAR FOR RESIDENTS IN NEED.

- YOU READY?

- MY DREAM IS TO HELP BRING MORE SOLAR TO THE NAVAJO NATION AND BE THAT LEADER WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

- WELCOME TO COLORADO VOICES, WHERE WE BRING YOU CLOSER TO THE STORIES SHAPING OUR STATE AND OUR COMMUNITIES.

I'M PETER VO, AND IN TODAY'S EPISODE, WE'RE FEATURING THE PEOPLE, PLACES, AND SOLUTIONS TO FINDING THE FUTURE OF OUR LOCAL AND REGIONAL ECOSYSTEMS.

OUR FIRST STORY TAKES US TO THE SMALL TOWN OF GOTHIC, WHERE RESEARCHERS AT THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY HAVE BEEN STUDYING LOCAL FLORA AND FAUNA AND HOW THEY RESPOND TO CLIMATE CHANGE FOR ALMOST 100 YEARS.

WE CHECK IN ON THE MARMOT PROJECT, WHICH IS THE SECOND LONGEST RUNNING FREE-RANGE MAMMAL STUDY IN THE WORLD.

- SO, RIGHT NOW, I SEE A MARMOT, AND HE JUST CAME OUT OF A HOLE.

THIS IS WHAT WE DO IN THE SPRING.

WE GO AROUND AND WE WAIT FOR MARMOTS TO EMERGE FROM HIBERNATION.

SO, IT'S ALWAYS A WAITING GAME, YOU KNOW?

DID THEY SURVIVE?

DID THEY NOT SURVIVE?

- RMBL, THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY, IS FIRST AND FOREMOST AN ECOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH FACILITY.

THERE'S QUITE A FEW SCIENTISTS OUT HERE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN HOW THE ECOSYSTEMS EVOLVE THROUGH THE WINTER SEASON.

- SO, THE GAME OF EARLY SEASON IS TRYING TO SEE IF YOU CAN MATCH THE MARK ON A MARMOT'S BACK TO A MARK RIGHT HERE.

AND THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP US KNOW, LIKE, WHERE THEY ARE, IF THEY'RE ALIVE, AND ALSO KIND OF WHERE THEY FIT IN THEIR SOCIAL NETWORKS.

- OH, OH, OH.

- BUT WE'VE BEEN GOING HERE EVERY DAY, AND THIS IS THE FIRST DAY WE SAW THAT ONE.

SO, THIS IS WHY WE GO OUT EVERY DAY, WHEN WE CAN.

THE MARMOTS HERE HAVE BEEN STUDIED SINCE 1962, AND WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.

AND THEY LIVE IN PLACES WHERE THEY LIVED BEFORE.

SO, NOW WE'RE STARTING OUR 63RD YEAR OF STUDY.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THESE LONG-TERM QUESTIONS AND USE THIS REALLY REMARKABLE DATA SET MAKES THIS A PARTICULARLY VALUABLE STUDY.

IT TURNS OUT THERE'S AN OPTIMAL AMOUNT OF TIME TO BE ACTIVE.

SO, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, ONE WAY TO THINK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE IS THAT IT CREATES MISMATCHES.

SO, ANIMALS HAVE EVOLVED TO SORT OF BE IN TUNE WITH SEASONS AND SEASONALITY.

- WHEN WE SKIED IN LAST YEAR, WE WERE SKIING OVER CABINS.

THERE WAS, LIKE, SIX TO EIGHT FEET OF SNOW.

WHEREAS THIS YEAR, WE ALREADY HAVE KIND OF MELT OUT, AND IT'S ONLY A WEEK IN.

SO, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL VARIATION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M INTERESTED IN.

SO, IT'S GOOD FOR MY RESEARCH, BUT IT IS BAD FOR THE MARMOTS IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

SO, I'M HOPING THAT IT WON'T IMPACT THE RESEARCH STATION TOO MUCH.

- KEN ARMITAGE, HE WAS A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, AND HE HAD NO INTENTION OF STARTING A LONG-TERM PROJECT, BUT HE KEPT COMING OUT, COMING OUT, USING THE MARMOTS TO ASK MORE AND MORE QUESTIONS.

AND BEFORE YOU KNEW IT, HE HAD 41 YEARS OF DATA ON INDIVIDUALLY MARKED ANIMALS, WHICH SUDDENLY MADE THIS A REALLY IMPORTANT DATA SET FOR THINKING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND POPULATION BIOLOGY.

AND I WAS COMING BACK IN 2001 BECAUSE I HAD A JOB AT UCLA.

I'M LIKE, "HEY, CAN I COME BACK OUT AND DO SOME WORK WITH THE MARMOTS?

” HE'S LIKE, "YOU CAN TAKE IT OVER.

I'VE DONE ENOUGH WITH THE MARMOTS.

IT'S TIME FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO MOVE ON WITH IT."

- RIGHT NOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE DIFFERENT SPOTS THE MARMOTS HAVE BEEN COMING OUT.

SO, LOOKING AT THE HIBERNACULA, TRACKING THE FOOTPRINTS, AND WHETHER OR NOT A BURROW HAS BEEN OPENED.

THAT WAY, WE KNOW WHERE THE MARMOTS MIGHT BE EMERGING FROM AND WHERE THEY MIGHT BE LATER ON.

SO, WE KEEP CHECKING THOSE AREAS.

- SO, WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO LOOK FOR EVIDENCE OF SOCIAL INTERACTIONS.

WHEN AN ANIMAL GOES UP AND GREETS ANOTHER ANIMAL, WHEN THEY FORAGE NEXT TO EACH OTHER, WHEN THEY SIT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, WHEN THEY PLAY WITH EACH OTHER, OR WHEN THEY CHASE EACH OTHER.

WE CAN TRY TO USE THESE STATISTICS TO UNDERSTAND, WELL, IS IT GOOD TO BE CONNECTED WITH OTHERS?

IS IT BAD TO BE CONNECTED WITH OTHERS?

HOW IS IT GOOD?

HOW IS IT BAD?

ARE THERE BETTER GROUPS AND WORSE GROUPS?

STRICTLY, ALL WE'RE REALLY STUDYING IS YELLOW-BELLIED MARMOTS IN THIS ONE VALLEY, BUT WE'RE REALLY ASKING BROAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ADAPTIVE VALUE OF SOCIALITY.

WE'RE USING THIS AS A MODEL SYSTEM TO UNDERSTAND QUESTIONS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS HIBERNATING ANIMALS, BUT ANIMALS IN GENERAL AS WELL.

- THE MARMOT PROJECT IN PARTICULAR IS REALLY NICE IN THAT IT HAS LIKE THE 62, 63 YEARS OF DATA.

THIS IS LIKE THE SECOND LONGEST FREE LIVING STUDY ON FREE LIVING MAMMALS IN THE WORLD.

AND YOU DON'T GET TO SAY THAT VERY OFTEN WHEN YOU'RE DOING RESEARCH.

SO, I THINK THAT'S REALLY COOL TOO.

- PROPER ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION DEVELOPS AN APPRECIATION OF NATURE AND LIFE, BUT ALSO EDUCATES PEOPLE TO THE VALUE OF NATURE, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, EMPOWERS THEM TO HELP EFFECT AND CREATE LAWS THAT PROTECT NATURE.

AS OUR POPULATION GROWS, AS OUR CONSUMPTION GROWS, WE CONTINUE TO DEGRADE ENVIRONMENTS.

EVEN HERE, WE'RE LOVING THIS AREA TO DEATH.

20 YEARS AGO, IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT IN THE SPRING.

ANIMALS WE WERE SEEING THIS TIME OF YEAR 20 YEARS AGO, WE'RE NOT SEEING THIS TIME OF YEAR NOW.

- I'M PARAPHRASING HERE, BUT I HEARD A DAVID ATTENBOROUGH QUOTE.

PEOPLE WHO DON'T GROW UP UNDERSTANDING NATURE, THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO GROW UP TO LOVE IT, AND THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO GROW UP TO WANT TO PROTECT IT.

THE MORE THAT WE CAN ENGAGE WITH OUR WORLD IN A CONSCIOUS WAY AND REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR PLACE IN IT, THE MORE WE'LL WANT TO TAKE CARE OF IT AND TO INVEST IN THE FUTURE.

- NEXT, WE'RE HEADED JUST OUTSIDE OF THE FOUR CORNERS TO THE NAVAJO NATION, WHERE SOME RESIDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING ELECTRICITY AT HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES.

25 STUDENTS FROM FORT LEWIS COLLEGE LED THE INSTALLATION OF SOLAR PANELS TO FOUR HOMES.

- I'M ORIGINALLY FROM THIS AREA, AND THIS PLACE IS CALLED TALL MOUNTAIN.

I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE EVER SINCE I WAS BORN UP UNTIL NOW.

WE'VE BEEN LIVING HERE WITHOUT NO RUNNING WATER OR ELECTRICITY.

SO, TODAY, FORT LEWIS COLLEGE CAME HERE TO INSTALL SOLAR FOR ELECTRICITY, MAKE IT A REALITY FOR MY PARENTS AND OUR FAMILY TO HAVE ELECTRICITY.

I'M 55 YEARS OLD, SO IT TOOK THIS LONG.

- BEING A FOURTH-GENERATION MEMBER OF SOUTHWEST COLORADO, I KNOW FIRSTHAND HOW IMPOVERISHED SECTIONS OF THE NAVAJO NATION ARE AND HOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PROMISES MADE HERE AND BROKEN.

AND I FEEL IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY BEING A LOCAL, TO GIVE BACK AND HELP CHANGE SOME OF THAT SITUATION.

SO, PROVIDING POWER OUT HERE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.

- IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, ENERGY, AND COMMITMENT TO COME OUT HERE TODAY AND INSTALL SOLAR FOR RESIDENTS IN NEED, AND IT'S NOT EASY TO ACCESS THESE AREAS.

LIKE YESTERDAY, WE HAD A LOT OF MUDDY TERRAIN, AND SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIG CHALLENGES, AS WELL AS FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.

- WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY ARE SOME OFF-GRID SOLAR INSTALLATIONS, AND WE'VE GOT PLANNED TO DO FOUR SEPARATE SITES.

ALL THE SYSTEMS ARE FAIRLY SIMILAR.

WE'VE GOT A BIG SOLAR ELECTRIC ARRAY WITH PV PANELS THAT THEY'RE PREPARING THE SITE FOR.

WE'VE GOT AN INVERTER PANEL THAT'S GOING TO BE MOUNTED IN A LITTLE ENCLOSURE, AND WE'VE GOT BATTERIES.

- YOU READY?

- WHEN WE GET TO THE SITE, FIRST THING WE HAVE TO DO IS LEVEL THE GROUND FOR THE TRUSSES.

SO, ONCE WE'VE GOT THE GROUND LEVELED, WE ASSEMBLE THE TRUSSES.

AND YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE THAT THERE ARE SOME LIVESTOCK TROUGHS SITTING ON THE TRUSSES.

THAT'S BALLAST TO WEIGHT THE TRUSSES.

THEY'VE BEEN DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND 100-MILE-AN-HOUR WIND.

NEXT STEP, WE PUT ON WHAT'S CALLED THE RAILS, AND THOSE ATTACH THE PV PANELS TO THE TRUSS.

THIS MORNING, WE SHOWED UP, AND WE'RE INSTALLING THE MODULES.

THERE'S EIGHT MODULES PER SYSTEM.

AND WE ALSO HAD TO DIG A TRENCH FROM THE ARRAY TO WHERE THE INVERTER IS LOCATED IN A SECURE SHED THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE HOMEOWNER.

- ON THAT DAY, WHEN WE BROUGHT SOLAR TO MY GRANDPARENTS' HOUSE, IT WAS VERY, VERY TOUCHING.

WHEN WE FIRST TURNED THE LIGHTS ON AND SEEING THE FACE EXPRESSIONS OF MY AUNT IN TEARS AND THE JOY OF SEEING ELECTRICITY FOR THE FIRST TIME, I FELT THAT WE'RE MAKING A HUGE IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY.

MY DREAM IS TO HELP BRING MORE SOLAR TO THE SHONTO COMMUNITY AND TO THE NAVAJO NATION.

I WANT TO BE THAT CHANGE AND BE THAT LEADER WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

- IN FLORENCE, WE EXPLORE THE COLORADO BURIAL PRESERVE, COLORADO'S FIRST AND ONLY GREEN CEMETERY.

THIS BURIAL METHOD IS KINDER TO THE EARTH AND AVOIDS HARSH CHEMICALS THAT LEACH INTO OUR ECOSYSTEMS FROM TRADITIONAL BURIALS.

- YOU HEAR IT IN THE PHRASE, ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST, THIS IDEA THAT WE CAME FROM THE NATURAL CYCLES AROUND US AND HAVE NO OPTION BUT IN THE END TO RETURN TO THEM.

SO, I THINK THE PROMISE OF A FINAL RESTING PLACE IN A BEAUTIFUL NATURAL LOCATION IS AN EASY ONE TO CONNECT WITH EMOTIONALLY.

I HAVE THIS WISH THAT PEOPLE THAT COME HERE MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SOFTENING AROUND THIS QUESTION OF HOW OUR LIVES AND DEATH FIT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF NATURE.

- SO, SECTION ONE IS COMING UP HERE ON OUR LEFT.

AND THE IDEA IS JUST THAT YOU WOULD GET THIS BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE OVER COYOTE RIDGE, THE VIEW OF THE ARROYO AND THE SHADOWS IT CREATES, AND WE WILL LAY PEOPLE TO REST WITH AS LITTLE OF DISTURBANCE TO THAT ECOSYSTEM AS WE CAN.

- MY NAME IS EMILY MILLER AND I AM THE OWNER OF COLORADO BURIAL PRESERVE.

WE ARE A CONSERVATION CEMETERY IN FLORENCE, COLORADO.

THIS IS THE IDEA OF LAYING A PERSON TO REST WITHOUT ANY ITEMS, OR UNNECESSARY EXPENDITURES, OR WASTE, OR CHEMICALS THAT MIGHT CAUSE POLLUTION.

THE IDEA IS THAT WE ONLY BURY THINGS THAT ARE BIODEGRADABLE SUCH AS A PLAIN WOOD CASKET OR A CLOTH SHROUD.

FOLLOWING THE BURIAL, WE MANAGE THE PLOT AS A NATURE PRESERVE, AND THE PERSON'S NUTRIENTS CAN FERTILIZE THIS NATURE ZONE.

SO, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE HE'S BURIED BECAUSE IT'S SO MANY FEET FROM THIS NEAREST STAINLESS STEEL MARKER.

BUT TO SOMEONE PASSING BY, IT MIGHT JUST LOOK LIKE A NATURAL HUMP IN THE EARTH, AND IT'S RAISED BECAUSE WE PUT ALL OF THE SOIL BACK IN AFTER THE GRAVE WAS EXCAVATED.

AS SOON AS I DID FIND OUT ABOUT NATURAL BURIAL, I INSTANTLY HAD AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH IT FOR MYSELF.

I HAD LIKE AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPARK MOMENT WHERE I FEEL THAT NATURAL BURIAL IN A NATURE PRESERVE ENVIRONMENT WAS A NEED THAT'S NOT BEING MET HERE IN COLORADO THAT OUGHT TO BE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT THAT.

- I'M BARBARA CLARK, AND I DO BELIEVE IN THE NATURAL FUNERAL.

I THINK I PRETTY MUCH GOOGLED A NATURAL, YOU KNOW, PLACE TO BE BURIED WITHOUT EMBALMING.

I THINK I PUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN, AND THEN I FOUND THIS.

AND MAINLY, I JUST FEEL LIKE WE'RE JUST POLLUTING THE GROUND WITH EMBALMING, CASKETS THAT ARE LACQUERED, AND IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I REALLY BELIEVE IN.

AND I THINK THAT WE'VE DONE ENOUGH TO DAMAGE THIS EARTH, OUR HOME, IN OTHER WAYS THAT WHY KEEP DOING IT?

- PEOPLE HAVE THIS IDEA THAT A PLACE IN A CEMETERY IS WASTEFUL.

THE ARGUMENT FOR CONSERVATION BURIAL IS THAT YOU CAN HAVE A DEDICATED FINAL RESTING PLACE AND IT'S NOT A WASTE AT ALL BECAUSE IT'S GETTING USED FOR THIS MULTI-PURPOSE BENEFIT OF FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT'S FOR NATURE.

IT IS NOT A WASTE OF SPACE BUT AN ENHANCEMENT OF SPACE.

THE PRESERVE IS 65 ACRES THAT WE ARE CONSERVING AND PROTECTING.

SO, WE HAVE ONLY MAPPED OUT FOR GRAVES IN A FEW SMALL AREAS SO FAR.

SECTION 5 IS TURNING TO BE LIKE AN EARLY POPULAR BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE THE ROAD BACK HERE.

YOU HAVE A SUNSET VIEW OF THE WEST, VIEW OF PIKES PEAK TO THE NORTH.

IT'S JUST A REALLY KIND OF PRIVATE, SPECIAL SPOT.

I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AROUND OTHER PEOPLE'S REMAINS, AND THE ONE THING THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN CLEAR TO ME IS THE PERSON IS NOT THERE ANYMORE.

ONCE THE LIFE HAS GONE OUT OF THEM, IT CAN LOOK LIKE THE PERSON, BUT THEY ARE NOT THERE.

SO, OUR ROLES IN DEATH CARE ARE YES, TO BE RESPECTFUL, AND APPROPRIATE, AND PROFESSIONAL TO THAT PERSON'S REMAINS, BUT THE PRIMARY THING IS TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LEFT BEHIND.

- EMILY TALKED ABOUT, WELL, YOU CAN FACE, YOU KNOW, THE MOUNTAINS TOWARDS WEST CLIFF, OR YOU CAN FACE THE SUNRISE, OR WHATEVER, AND I THINK THAT'S GREAT TOO.

YOU HAVE A CHOICE OF HOW YOUR FAMILY WILL SEE IT.

YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH I WON'T BE THERE, WHAT AN ENJOYABLE THING OR A PLACE TO GO.

- I SEE A LOT OF THE THINGS WE DO AROUND DEATH AS HAVING THESE CULTURAL AND RITUAL IMPORTANCE.

THEY DON'T ALL, FOR ME, PERTAIN TO, YOU KNOW, THESE BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO US WHEN WE'RE GONE?

WHERE DO WE GO?

BECAUSE ALL WE CAN DO IS WHAT WE SEE, AND WHAT WE SEE IS THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE LEFT BEHIND.

- AT THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ARSENAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN COMMERCE CITY, WE LEARNED HOW THE REINTRODUCTION OF ENDANGERED BLACK-FOOTED FERRETS CAN HELP OUR ENVIRONMENT.

BY HELPING TO CONTROL THE PRAIRIE DOG POPULATION, THESE SMALL MAMMALS MAKE A BIG IMPACT.

- THE BLACK-FOOTED FERRET IS PROBABLY THE POSTER CHILD FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSERVATION.

- LET'S GO RELEASE A FERRET.

HERE WE GO.

- AN ANIMAL THAT ONCE WAS IN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY IN SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES WENT DOWN TO, LIKE, LESS THAN A FEW DOZEN INDIVIDUALS THAT WE THEN HAD TO BRING BACK, AND REAR, AND NOW SLOWLY REPOPULATING ACROSS THE WEST.

- IT TAKES A WHOLE TEAM OF FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE EMPLOYEES, STATE EMPLOYEES, OUR PARTNERS WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER, COMMERCE CITY, ADAMS COUNTY, TO WORK ON A REINTRODUCTION OF NORTH AMERICA'S MOST ENDANGERED MAMMAL, THE BLACK-FOOTED FERRET.

SO, THAT EFFORT STARTED BACK IN 2013 WHEN WE REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF BLACK-FOOTED FERRETS ON AN ECOSYSTEM.

[FERRET CHIRPING] - YOU CAN JUST LEAVE HIM RIGHT THERE AND HE'LL GO.

- BLACK-FOOTED FERRETS ARE INTERESTING IN THE FACT THAT THEY LIVE ENTIRELY ON PRAIRIE DOGS.

SO, A FERRET WILL TAKE OVER A PRAIRIE DOG BURROW, ATTACKING THOSE PRAIRIE DOGS, USING THEM AS FOOD SOURCE, AND THEN THEY'LL TAKE OVER THOSE PRAIRIE DOG BURROWS FOR THEIR OWN HOMES.

- THE TOP PREDATOR IN THE PRAIRIE DOG ECOSYSTEM WAS THE BLACK-FOOTED FERRET.

AND WITHOUT A TOP PREDATOR, ECOSYSTEMS FAIL.

SO, WITHOUT THE BLACK-FOOTED FERRET, THAT ECOSYSTEM CAN'T EXIST AS IT DID NATURALLY.

- HE'S ANGRY.

THAT'S GOOD.

THAT MEANS HE'S GONNA GO GET SOME PRAIRIE DOGS.

- AS A WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST, IT'S ONE OF THE BEST FEELINGS YOU CAN HAVE IS TO REINTRODUCE A NATIVE SPECIES.

WATCHING OTHERS EXPERIENCE THAT SAME THING, IT'S REMARKABLE AND ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT WILL STICK IN MY CAREER.

- WE RELEASED THAT FERRET ONTO THE LANDSCAPE, AND OUR CREWS ARE NOW HEADED OUT TO RELEASE MORE FERRETS.

SO, WE'RE RELEASING 19 FERRETS.

HAVING THE PRAIRIE DOGS OUT HERE, AND THE NATIVE BLACK-FOOTED FERRET BRINGING IT BACK AS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES OUT HERE, AND HAVING THE BISON IN THIS AREA, REDUCING INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES, REDUCING FIRE FUEL LOADS, AND TRYING TO HAVE THE MORE NATIVE PRAIRIE SYSTEM ALL CONTRIBUTE TO A HEALTHY PLAINS ECOSYSTEM.

- GRASSLANDS GENERALLY ARE ONE OF THE MOST ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEMS IN THE US, RIGHT?

MOST OF OUR GRASSLANDS TEND TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR COUNTRY THAT HAVE, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL CENTURIES, BEEN TURNED INTO SORT OF FARMLANDS OR DEVELOPMENT.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ARSENAL HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS ONE PLACE WHERE WE CAN INVEST SOME FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WE HAVE THROUGH THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT TO RESTORE GRASSLANDS BACK TO WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

- AT FIRST GLANCE, YOU DON'T SEE A LOT OF LIFE OUT ON THE PLAINS, RIGHT?

IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A GRASS DESERT.

BUT WHEN YOU START LOOKING CLOSER, YOU SEE ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT WILDLIFE OUT HERE.

AND IF YOU LOOK EVEN CLOSER AT THE VEGETATION, IT'S A WHOLE BIODIVERSE COMMUNITY OF VEGETATION OUT HERE THAT YOU WON'T SEE ANYWHERE ELSE.

- PRAIRIE ECOSYSTEMS ARE EXTREMELY DYNAMIC.

THEY'RE INFLUENCED BY WHETHER IT RAINS OR WHETHER IT'S DRY, THEY'RE INFLUENCED BY FIRE, AND THEY'RE INFLUENCED BY THE ANIMALS THAT ARE OUT HERE UTILIZING IT.

WE NEED ALL OF THOSE PARTS BEFORE THIS ECOSYSTEM WILL WORK PROPERLY.

- NEXT, WE HEAD TO THE PAGOSA SPRINGS AREA, WHERE OFF-THE-GRID LIVING AND WATER SCARCITY ARE COMMON.

WE SPOKE TO ONE FAMILY ABOUT HOW THEIR LACK OF WATER ACCESS AFFECTS THEM ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.

- I GREW UP RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN, SO IT WAS ALWAYS JUST CONVENIENT.

I DIDN'T KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT IT.

I DIDN'T THINK PEOPLE HAULED THEIR OWN WATER FOR WHAT THEY NEEDED, BUT OBVIOUSLY NOW YOU GET INTO IT, YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, THIS IS A PART OF LIFE.

- MOST OF MY LIFE WAS HAULING WATER.

SO, FOR ME, IT WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING INGRAINED IN US AS LITTLE KIDS NOT TO WASTE WATER, NOT TO USE TOO MUCH, NOT TO LET THE WATER RUN.

- THERE'S NOT PUBLIC WATER EVERYWHERE YOU GO, AND THAT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT SITUATIONS FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS, ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHWEST COLORADO.

- MOST PEOPLE IN ASPEN SPRINGS THAT I KNOW OF HAUL WATER JUST LIKE US.

WE COULD HAVE LOOKED AT PLACES IN TOWN, AND IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE COST A LITTLE BIT MORE AS FAR AS MONTHLY PAYMENTS, RENT, AND EVERYTHING, BUT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, MORE LAND THAN WE WOULD HAVE PROBABLY HAD IN TOWN, AND THAT'S BEEN GREAT FOR OUR FAMILY.

THE BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THAT IT WAS A FIXER-UPPER HOUSE, BUT ALSO AT FIRST, WE DIDN'T HAVE A TRUCK TO HAUL WATER, SO WE HAD TO-- THAT WAS ONE THING WE DEFINITELY HAD TO CHANGE.

- SO, THE WATER PROCESS IS OPEN THE CISTERN.

I'M CHECKING TO SEE IF WE'RE LOW OR NOT.

I'LL THROW THE TANK IN THE BACK.

I GO TO TOWN EVERY SINGLE DAY ANYWAY, SO ON THE WAY BACK, I'LL JUST GET A LOAD OF WATER AND THROW IT IN THERE, AND-- THREE, FOUR, FIVE LOADS WILL FILL IT RIGHT UP.

AND THEN, THE CISTERN IS HOOKED UP TO OBVIOUSLY ALL THE PLUMBING.

- WE ARE PRETTY FORTUNATE FOR HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO THE WATER-FILLING STATIONS.

GENERALLY, I WOULD SAY 20 MINUTES EACH LOAD, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SIX TO EIGHT TIMES A MONTH IN ORDER JUST TO KEEP THE CISTERN FULL ENOUGH FOR US TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT RUNNING OUT.

- HAULING WATER DOES MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT WATER USAGE, THOUGH, FOR SURE.

KIND OF BE SMART ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, GIVE AND TAKE FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU GET AND-- - YEAH, YOU TRADE PROS AND CONS FOR SURE.

I WOULD SAY BEING THE PERSON WHO IS IN THE HOUSE, USING THE MAJORITY OF THE WATER IN THE HOUSE, I DON'T KNOW IF I'D PREFER IT.

I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT FOR ME, ESPECIALLY WITH KIDS, CAN BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOU ARE DOING EXTRA LOADS OF LAUNDRY, RUNNING THE DISHWASHER.

I'M BATHING THE KIDS MOST DAYS.

IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, JUST KIND OF SITS IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND, NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

EVEN IF I KNOW THERE'S PLENTY OF WATER IN THE TANK AND HE JUST WENT AND DID A FEW LOADS, I JUST DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO ALSO PUT EVEN MORE BURDEN ON HIM OF LIKE, HEY, WE'RE RUNNING LOW AGAIN.

CAN YOU GET MORE WATER?

SO, WE HAVE A LOW WATER BILL.

I WOULD SAY AVERAGE $20 TO $25 A MONTH.

I KNOW THAT PEOPLE IN TOWN OFTEN ARE SPENDING QUITE A BIT MORE THAN THAT.

- ONCE YOU START ADDING IN GAS AND THE TIME IT TAKES TO GO AND GET THE WATER, COME BACK AND EVERYTHING, SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT WHEN YOU START ADDING EVERYTHING TOGETHER, BUT IT'S CHEAPER THAN, I THINK, LIVING IN TOWN.

- IT DEFINITELY HAS BEEN A DRY SUMMER FOR US IN PAGOSA.

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A LOT OF MORE GREEN GRASS, AND BE ABLE TO WATER IT, AND EVEN LET MY KIDS PLAY IN THE SPRINKLER OUTSIDE, BUT THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT REALLY, FOR US RIGHT NOW, ISN'T FEASIBLE.

IT'S NOT REALLY A SMART OPTION IN TERMS OF CONSERVING WATER.

EVEN OUR RIVER IS STARTING TO GET REALLY LOW.

KINLEY KNOWS NOT TO WASTE WATER, SHE KNOWS THAT WE DON'T LEAVE WATER RUNNING UNNECESSARILY, AND SHE'S BEEN PRETTY SMART ABOUT LEARNING AND TAKING THAT KNOWLEDGE IN.

SHE WOULD PROBABLY LOVE TO TAKE TWO BATHS A DAY IF WE LET HER.

WE DON'T DO THAT.

IF MY KIDS WERE TO HAVE TO CONTINUE HAULING WATER IN THE FUTURE, THAT DOESN'T CONCERN ME, BUT AGAIN, I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE A MINDSET FOR THEM, WOULD JUST BE SOMETHING THAT WILL STICK WITH THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE JUST LIKE IT HAS WITH ME.

- FOR OUR LAST STORY, WE LEARN HOW ELECTRIC OVENS ARE HELPING RESTAURANTS IN BOULDER AND DENVER SAVE ENERGY, LOWERING COSTS AND REDUCING HARMFUL EMISSIONS.

- THIS IS NOT JUST FOR THE BUSINESS' SAKE.

YOU KNOW, WE LIVE AND OPERATE IN A COMMUNITY, THE IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY, AND THE GREATER ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS NATIONALLY AND GLOBALLY.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT INDUCTION, ITS EFFICIENCY IS ABOUT SOMEWHERE IN THE 80-- NOT TO GET BURIED IN NUMBERS, BUT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT BALLPARK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO, IF WE IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S 100% EFFICIENT, GAS IS ABOUT HERE.

YOU KNOW, ONLY ABOUT 20% OF THE-- 20, 30% OF THE ENERGY IS USED, WHERE THE REST IS WASTED.

IN FACT, IT'S MORE THAN WASTED BECAUSE WE HAVE TO COME BACK IN, COOL THE ENVIRONMENT.

SO, WE HAVE TO USE EVEN MORE ELECTRICITY TO COOL THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THE GAS IS HEATING UP.

ONE OF THE COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT, COOKING EQUIPMENT, IS THAT IT'S NOT AS RESPONSIVE AS GAS EQUIPMENT.

AND IN THIS DEMONSTRATION, WE'RE GOING TO SHOW THE INDUCTION BURNERS AND HOW IT'S EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE.

HERE, I HAVE A PAN.

AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S ROOM TEMPERATURE.

IT'S NOT HOT.

AND WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO TURN THIS ON, AND I'M JUST GOING TO POUR A LITTLE WATER IN HERE.

OKAY.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT VERY QUICKLY, IT'S GOING TO-- YOU CAN SEE STEAM IS ALREADY STARTING TO COME UP PRETTY SOON.

AND AS SOON AS YOU TURN IT OFF, YOU'LL NOTICE IT'S GOING TO GO OFF.

SO, THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH RESIDUAL HEAT.

YOU SEE THAT?

NOT A TRICK.

IN TERMS OF COST, THERE ARE TWO PARTS.

ONE IS THE ACQUISITION COST OF THE EQUIPMENT, AND SECOND IS THE USAGE COST.

BUT THEN, YOU LOOK AT INDUCTION, IT'S ABOUT 80 TO 90% EFFICIENT.

SO, EVEN IF THE COST IS MORE, BUT YOU USE LESS.

- EACH DECK HERE IS AN INDEPENDENT OVEN THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROGRAM OUR RECIPES INTO ACTUALLY.

EACH KIND OF BREAD MIGHT REQUIRE A DIFFERENT HEAT SETTING OR AMOUNT OF STEAM THAT WE PUT IN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BAKE, A CERTAIN TIMING THAT GOES INTO THE BAKE.

SO, WE'RE ABLE TO SET THAT INTO OUR PREFERENCES.

MY NAME IS ZACH MARTINUCCI, AND I'M THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF REBEL BREAD.

THE OVENS BEHIND ME ARE JUST A FEW MONTHS OLD.

OUR DECK OVEN IN PARTICULAR THAT WE USE FOR MAKING BREAD IS A NEW ELECTRIC OVEN.

AND WE WERE IN THE MARKET FOR ONE JUST BECAUSE WE NEEDED A BIGGER OVEN THAN WHAT WE HAD BEFORE.

AND THE ELECTRIC OVENS WERE REALLY THE BEST FITS, QUITE LITERALLY, THAT FIT INSIDE OF OUR KITCHEN THAT WERE ACCESSIBLE FOR US TO EXPAND OUR CAPACITY.

THE BAKE IS MORE EVEN AS WELL AS IT JUST HOLDS THE HEAT SO MUCH BETTER THAN OUR PREVIOUS OVENS IN A WAY THAT WE CAN BAKE A LOT OF LOAVES AT ONCE, AND ALL OF THEM BAKE REALLY THOROUGHLY, AND EVENLY, AND WITH GREAT COLOR ON TOP.

AND THE ELECTRIC OVEN HAS SO MANY MORE SETTINGS THAT WE GET TO CUSTOMIZE THAN WE'VE SEEN WITH GAS OR SIMPLER MODELS.

SO, WE'RE JUST IN MUCH BETTER CONTROL OF OUR BREAD BAKE.

THE FOOTPRINT MADE A REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE.

SO, JUST THE FACT THAT WE HAD OPTIONS WITH ELECTRIC OVENS BUT WE DIDN'T WITH GAS IS A BIG SELLING POINT.

I'D SAY THAT THERE MIGHT JUST BE MORE AVAILABLE TO LOOK AT OR THAT ANOTHER OWNER MIGHT NOT EVEN REALIZE THAT A BIGGER COMMERCIAL OVEN IS AN OPTION FOR THEM IF THEY HADN'T BEEN EXPLORING OUT THE ELECTRIC OPTION BEFORE.

THEY'RE ALSO PRETTY SIMPLE TO SET UP IN THE SENSE THAT ONCE THE ELECTRICAL IS INSTALLED IN THE KITCHEN, IT REALLY IS JUST A MATTER OF PLUGGING IT IN AND GOING FROM THERE.

AND THEY'RE ALSO SIMPLE FOR US TO UNDERSTAND.

ALL OF OUR BAKERS HAVE HAD A REALLY EASY LEARNING CURVE WITH FIGURING OUT HOW TO USE THIS NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

THAT BEING SAID, WHEN IT'S TIME TO REPLACE A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, I THINK ELECTRIC'S THE WAY TO GO.

IT'S REALLY BEEN A BENEFIT TO HAVE THEM IN OUR KITCHEN.

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