3 24 16 boulderganic by Boulder Weekly

Spring/Summer

2016

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Spring/Summmer 2016 Wikimedia Commons

St af f Publisher, Stewart Sallo

The Boulderganic umbrella

Special Editions Editor, Caitlin Rockett Advertising Director, Jeff Cole Director of Operations/ Controller, Benecia Beyer Circulation Manager, Cal Winn

Ed i t o r i a l Editor, Joel Dyer Associate Editors, Angela K.Evans, Matt Cortina, Amanda Moutinho

Sa l e s Retail Sales Manager, Allen Carmichael Senior Account Executive, David Hasson Account Executive, Julian Bourke Market Development Manager, Kellie Robinson Inside Sales Representative, Jason Myers Marketing Coordinator, Laura Hofford Wilder Mrs. Boulder Weekly, Mari Nevar

Pr o d u c t i o n Production Manager, Dave Kirby Art Director, Susan France Graphic Designer, Mark Goodman

General & Ad m i n i s t r a t i v e Assistant to the Publisher, Julia Sallo

pringtime and Boulderganic magazine; it’s a perfect match. Both represent renewal, new growth, beauty, even a sense of optimism about the future. We are occasionally asked to define the term Boulderganic — to describe the subjects that fall under the Boulderganic umbrella. It’s generally pretty easy to explain to residents of Boulder County and darn near impossible to impart to outsiders. That’s because Boulderganic is a lifestyle more than it is a collection of topics. It’s what we put in our bodies and everything that encompasses. Sure it’s about nutrition, but it’s also about understanding the importance of knowing where your food comes from. And we’re not just talking about whether or not it’s GMOs or organic produce. That’s important, but

Office Manager, Andrea Neville

so is developing a relationship with the farmer growing your food. Boulderganic is about farmers’ markets and making the decision to economically support a local food operation because doing so amplifies the power of each dollar we spend. Don’t think food, think food community. Boulderganic is about green businesses, the real ones not the green-washed kind. When the business community operates in a fashion that supports the environment we all win. That’s why we like to take the time to give a shout out to such folks from time to time. Boulderganic is also about environmental justice. Fighting against polluters and their bad practices that cause harm to people and the planet is something that just seems to come naturally to most folks in these parts. Maybe it’s the view — it’s hard to look around this state without

wanting to protect all that we see. But Boulderganic is more than just an environmental concept. The term also implies social justice. It’s about people, organizations and businesses lending a hand to those less fortunate or working to solve a problem for the greater good. When we say “Boulderganic,” we are also talking about a lifestyle that cherishes all things outdoors: recreation, wildlife and natural beauty. People in these parts understand what we’re talking about. All of these things just go hand in hand in Boulder County and that’s why we coined a term that puts it all under the same umbrella. We hope you enjoy this issue of Boulderganic magazine, and don’t forget to check out the Boulderganic section in Boulder Weekly every week. Happy Spring.

Circulation Team, Dave Hastie, Dan Hill, George LaRoe, Jeffrey Lohrius, Elizabeth Ouslie, Rick Slama 16-Year-Old, Mia Rose Sallo

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food & garden

Hanging out in the kitchen Boulder’s Food Lab offers adults, kids and businesses a place to cook up some fun

Courtesy Boulder Food Lab

by Betsy Welch

lthough some might have a bone to pick with Boulder’s claim to “foodiest” city, calling the East End of Pearl Street one of the “foodiest” ’hoods in Boulder is less of a stretch. The soil at the East End of Pearl Street is fertile for growing culinary endeavors, and chef Casey Eaton’s Food Lab is the latest to sprout out of the bricks. “Our mission at Food Lab is to help enhance the community’s level of culinary skills and food and wine knowledge in a fun, entertaining and informative way,” Eaton says. The Lab is a place for accomplished local chefs to showcase unique recipes and menu ideas, and for curious consumers to learn from their expertise. The Food Lab opened its doors Dec. 15 of last year, although the idea had been percolating for years. “The idea for Food Lab was born five-and-a-half years ago, around the same time my second child was born,” Eaton says. “It took a lot of planning, traveling to different cooking schools across the country, determination, fear, passion and time... that was all before I even signed the lease.” Eaton’s food roots extend deeper than that; she became a vegetarian at age 7, moved to Boulder to attend the School of Natural Cookery at 23, and worked as a personal chef for 15 years thereafter. Growing up in Phoenix in the ’80s, there might have been some Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Courtesy Boulder Food Lab

and Lucky Charms thrown in the mix, and Eaton isn’t afraid to include those early experiences in her lifelong food diary. The spirit of open-minded exploration is infused in the Food Lab — from its warm and inviting physical space, to the range of classes offered, to the libations on tap. Eaton wanted the space to feel like a home kitchen (albeit a very nice one), so students cook on residential appliances and can enjoy a glass of wine or a beer while chopping vegetables. Chef and Food Lab instructor Kelly Bailey Newlon thinks this is what makes the Food Lab unlike other cooking schools in the area. “The Food Lab totally fits into Boulder,” Newlon says. “It’s a cool, sexy space with unique classes. The wine, beer, bubbles on tap knock it out of the park. It really seems as though it has become a great way for parents especially to have a fun night out. I have noticed that the classes seem far more social and relaxed, fun. There is a lot more rock ‘n’ roll in the Food Lab than other similar businesses offering the same thing. This is important when you are taking a night out.”

Food Lab’s goal is to enhance culinary skills and knowledge in the community.

FOOD LAB continued on page 6 Kids at Food Lab learn the art of making sushi.

food & garden

FOOD LAB continued from page 5 Courtesy Boulder Food Lab

The sleek environment lends a nice backdrop to the night of food and learning.

THREE LEAF CONCEPTS FOOD • TEA • FARM

The 6-9 p.m. classes do lend themselves well to a night out, whether it’s date night, girls’ night or a chance to meet other foodminded folk. On the weekends there are often classes during the day; both evening and morning classes cost $75. Most lessons are hands-on (versus demonstrational) and run the gamut from beer can chicken to Mexico City street tacos. This diversity of offerings makes it fun for instructors and students alike. “I have had the opportunity to cook for holiday parties for local Boulder businesses, a holiday family get-together — the entire family came in and took a class together, it was super fun — a sushi class, and

a kid’s class,” Newlon says. Eaton says sushi, Mexican and pasta classes are always popular (most classes do sell out, check the website for availability); and, since this is Boulder, raw fish and seaweed aren’t just interesting to the mature palate. “Boulder kids love sushi!” Eaton says. “And a lot of them know what they are doing.” The Food Lab offers quite a few options for kids, from birthday parties to after-school classes to an eightweek program in which they learn knife skills and table manners in addition to how to make basic meals from scratch. At the end

••••••• The 6-9 p.m. classes do lend themselves well to a night out whether it’s date night, girls’ night, or a chance to meet other foodminded folk. •••••••

food and garden

of the program, they invite their parents to the Lab and cook a full meal for them. With kids and grown-up classes well covered, Eaton also extends the Food Lab’s offerings to groups. Boulder being Boulder, this could mean bachelorette parties, cycling teams, Google execs or the entire staff of a small business. Depending on the groups’ desires, this could also mean that classes are rowdy (within reason) wine tastings, strict gluten-/dairy-/ legume-free cooking, a sit-back-andrelax demonstration of regional French cooking or a full-on battle. “My favorite is the Iron Chef challenge for private groups or corporate team building events,” Eaton says. “Each team gets a different box of

food and has 15 minutes to write their menu and barter with other teams, then one-and-a-half hours to create two dishes. The winning team is picked on team effort, creativity and taste.” We’ve all seen it before: you’re at a party, the furniture in the living room has been rearranged so that there’s space to stand and mingle, and the sliding doors are open for spilling onto the back porch. But where is everybody actually hanging out? The kitchen. The Food Lab captures our propensity for gathering in the warm glow of smells and sounds that emanate from our favorite room in the house and invites you to stay for as long as you’d like. Respond: info@boulderganic.com

Courtesy Boulder Food Lab

••••••• “My favorite is the Iron Chef challenge for private groups or corporate team building events.” — Casey Eaton •••••••

With a versatile space and plenty of equipment, Boulder Food Lab offers classes to fit myriad cooking class desires.

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food & garden

A growing industry What started as a project for sustaining human life on Mars became a sustainable way to grow crops on Earth by Alexa Friedman

ith a global population expected to reach 9 billion people by mid-century, a bioastronautics specialist in Lakewood has developed an out-of-thisworld system that could revolutionize the future of farming. Tommy Romano, CEO and founder of Infinite Harvest, Inc. is using space station technology to grow crops in a way that reduces the amount of space and water necessary for traditional farming. He and his team of business and engineering specialists at Infinite Harvest have also eliminated the

Photos coutesy of Infinite Harvest, Inc.

Founder and CEO of Infinite Harvest, Inc., Tommy Romano is utilizing space station technology to revolutionize farming techniques, by lessening the need for space and water.

use of pesticides, chemical runoff and even sunlight in their growing practice. “We mimic Mother Nature’s environment for the plants the way that the plants want to grow, instead of trying to modify the plants and combat Mother Nature outside, such as no GMOs are needed for [our method],” Romano says. “So we don’t have to worry about those types of crops anymore for us, which is a big part of our branding: no pesticides, no herbicides, no GMO.”

Romano began developing this technology while in graduate school at the University of Colorado Boulder, working on a project about sustaining human life on Mars. The crops at Infinite Harvest, such as arugula, kale and basil, are grown with an advanced hydroponic system that involves stacking crops vertically, which increases the crop yield and decreases the amount of space necessary. “The system’s fully automated as far as monitoring and reconditioning the nutrients and the water, so that the plants always are getting the right amount of water at the right time with the right amount of nutrients per their growth stage,” Romano says. “We also do the same thing with the artificial light.” Having complete control of the environmental factors involved in growing crops also means having control of the taste of those crops. “The biggest aspect is things taste differently in the nutrient content that’s in the soil or the environment that they’re grown in,” Romano says, adding that weather is another factor that affects taste. “Since we can control the environment, we can control the nutrients within the water that the plants are seeing at different stages of their growth cycle. We can make an arugula a bit more spicy, a little bit more peppery, a little bit more woody, depending on the sequence, or the recipe, of the growth period that we have for those plants.” Another benefit of this growing technology is the shortened amount of time needed to produce crops that are ready to eat. Since Infinite Harvest mainly sells its produce to restaurants, delivering high-quality food in a timely way is imperative. Luckily Infinite Harvest manages to grow its crops in a much shorter time period than is required by traditional farming methods. “The grow operation from seed to table literally is measured in hours, no longer days or weeks,” Romano

food and garden

says. “We’ll harvest in the morning and have the product at our client’s restaurants or stores within a matter of hours before lunch time, and their clients are eating that same produce for lunch. So the freshness aspect is un-compared to any other.” Romano plans to grow his business by offering more types of produce. He has been testing out cost efficient ways to grow lettuces and other crops. He also plans to upscale by getting a larger facility to accommodate the increasing demand for his product. “Our next facility, we’re looking at getting into different strains of tomatoes as well as very untraditional hydroponic crops,” Romano says. “Just to give you an example, we did a test, and we actually grew sweet corn within our system very successfully. Now cost-wise that doesn’t make sense for the business model, but that kind of gives you an idea of how far we could take this. Take a very commoditized crop and grow it without the need of the GMO corn and stuff like that.” Romano has balanced his scientific knowledge with his role as a businessman. He continues to make plans for the future of Infinite Harvest. “As we build a larger facility, our cost of goods and operation expenditures will scale down, making our product available for the price point at grocery stores and then eventually onto a place like public school systems,” Romano says. “As a starting business, you have to start with a certain market segment. You tackle that and you drive your operating cost down, which allows you to get into more and more markets and that is our plan.” Although Infinite Harvest is pesticide-free in its production, Romano says he is often asked if Infinite Harvest is certified organic, which it’s not. “Even if you’re organic, you still use organic pesticides. In high concentrations, those same organic pesticides are still toxic,” Romano says. “So there’s not a huge benefit for us for that extra cost [to obtain organic certification]. It’s

not needed. Our business model is that we grow local and we sell local. We won’t deliver anything over a 50-mile radius from our facility.” There are a handful of other facilities in the U.S. currently practicing similar types of farming. Romano says this new system of growing crops could, in the future, absolutely

replace other more traditional forms of farming that are more detrimental to the environment. “This will be a major part of future agriculture for sure,” Romano says. “As much as the technology, biotechnology, GMOs have been going on in the standard, traditional way of farming ... the increase in popu-

lation, the changing environment and just the social reception of GMOs and pesticides is going to force the industry to have to start looking at even more, higher technology ways of growing foods in a better manner without those negatives. And vertical farming is that way.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com

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A bird’s eye view of the forest

environmental issues

Surveyors track Colorado forest health from the air by Avery McGaha

rian Howell has seen every tree in Colorado. rado. Since 1996, the spruce beetle has affected more than As manager of the U.S. Forest Service’s 1.5 million acres of forest in the state, leaving countless aerial survey program, Howell spends dead trees in their wake. This year, spruce beetles invaded hundreds of hours each year in the air, ridabout 182,000 new acres of forest. ing shotgun in a bush plane. His pilot loops The invasion is bad for two reasons, West says. When around mountain ranges at dizzying proximity to granite beetles claim new territory, they land on the thickest and cliffs. Howell and his co-surveyor munch ginger snacks to oldest trees in the forest. Spruce beetles, of course, mainly ward off nausea, while trying to map areas of our forests attack spruce trees. But after an infestation, thousands of impacted by a complex range of pests and diseases. acres of forest are littered with dead and dying trees. In a “It’s spectacular,” he says. “But it’s not for the faint of heart.” Dan West/ Colorado State Forest Service This year’s survey, released in January, adds another year of meticulous observations about the pests and diseases in Colorado’s forests. Monitoring is the foundation of forest management, and spotting diseased areas from a plane is the cheapest and most efficient way to lay this foundation. But, Faraway satellites produce low quality images, and computer programs have a hard time catching the tell-tale signs of one type of pest or disease over another. And that’s why Howell sat in a propeller plane — named “Sparky” for the time it clipped a powerline and lived to tell the tale — for much of the 318 hours it took to map forests in Colorado, Wyoming and parts of South Dakota. For much of that time in the air, Dan West sat on the opposite side of the cockpit, peering down into the forest below, helping to expertly diagnose tree diseases state that’s constantly on guard for wildfires, these dead from the air. West is an entomologist with the Colorado stands can increase the risk that a fire would burn out of State Forest Service. Like Howell, he is tall and goodcontrol, burning hotter and claiming more forest. In some humored. But he gets slightly more excited when talking places, the risk of more intense fires is already heightened, about bugs — even if they have wrecked huge swaths of thanks to a century of putting out forest-cleansing fires in a forest. landscape where naturally occurring wildfire is an imporOne of Howell and West’s major observations this year tant part of the ecosystem. is bad news. Spruce beetle, an insect that wriggles beneath “We’ve allowed some of our forest stands to become the bark of spruce trees to feed and raise its young, exoverstocked, and so it’s kind of like a buffet for these inpanded its already massive territory across southern Colo-

FOREST HEALTH continued on page 12

By taking to the skies, the U.S. Forest Service is able to track developments of pests and diseases in Colorado’s forests.

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sects to move through,” West says. Spruce and other bark beetles, as well as other diseases, also impact Colorado’s tourism. Dead trees are dangerous to campers and hikers. Dead or defoliated trees, too, are unsightly. Every fall, tourists line up on the sides of Rocky Mountain highways to glimpse aspens erupting yellow. A leaf disease, called Marssonina leaf blight, might not kill trees, but after a particularly wet year the fungus can eat up entire stands of aspen leaves. This year, the survey detected aspen defolating diseases on about 81,000 acres, a slight increase from last year. But West emphasizes all of the major tree diseases actually belong in

Colorado’s forests. In fact, pests and diseases have an important function in small numbers. “They serve the role of sanitizers of the forest,” West says. “That’s an important thing to remember, that they serve a purpose in our forests when they’re in background levels.” This year, however, spruce beetles are emphatically not in the background. West explains that the outbreak has continued to spread in more recent years largely thanks to a drought that’s plagued the southern half of Colorado, while the north has seen a recent reprieve. Because trees have evolved along with these pests, West says, the trees have developed powerful defenses against

••••••• This year, the survey detected aspen defolating diseases on about 81,000 acres, a slight increase from last year. •••••••

environmental issues

them. It’s only when a prolonged drought creeps into an area that these defenses weaken. Unless southern Colorado catches a break from the drought, West expects that spruce beetles will continue to claim more forest in the next year. This year’s aerial survey did reveal some good news, however. The area of forest affected by mountain pine beetle, a bark beetle that typically infests pine trees, shrank again for the seventh year in a row. Since that epidemic began in 1996, the insects have affected about 3.4 million acres of forest in Colorado. This year, only about 5,000 acres were newly infested. West says this decline happened for a few reasons. Along the northern Front Range, where most of the mountain pine beetle outbreaks occurred, the pests had steadily eaten the best trees. That impact leaves only smaller and less desirable trees each season. Scarce food combined with a few wet years, which hardened trees’ defenses against bark beetles, could explain the decline. Today, West says, mountain pine beetle populations are back to typical levels. He expects them to stay that way at least for the next year. Instead, state and federal agencies will be focused on the spruce beetle, as well as the Douglas-fir beetle, which added 10,000 new acres to its 2,000-acre domain this year, and a variety of other diseases. Taking a step back, it’s unclear if any trends in these diseases have emerged because of human-caused climate change. West says pests and diseases are always in a kind of dance with local weather — some spreading in dry years and others in wet years. It’s also not clear what those trends might look like as forests warm and precipitation patterns change. In a 2014 report, U.S. Forest Service scientists wrote that because there are thousands of bark beetle species living in a range of environments, the impacts of climate change will likely be quite different across those populations. Some hints are emerging that warmer and drier

Federal agencies are focused on stopping the destruction wrought by the spruce beetle.

Wikimedia Commons

weather could expand some species’ range, and make their host trees more susceptible to attack, among other impacts. To know for sure, however, Howell, West and their colleagues will have to keep a close watch. Respond: info@boulderganic.com

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sustainability

Power to the people An alternative energy company provides sustainability and economic security to some of Colorado’s rural areas by Max Heidt

ective energy solu cost-eff tions for lo

na tiv es G

Courte sy G RID Alte r

winc

om lies that qualify as low to moderate ec om income, which is here defined m

as earning 80 percent or below of the area’s median income. According to Sickles, average income households spend about 4 percent of their annual income on energy costs. Taking a look at their low-tomoderate income counterparts, those expenditures rise up to 10 and 12 percent. “What we are attempting to do is make that expenditure more equitable across households,” she says. Sickles sees Colorado as the legislative and developmental birthplace of community solar projects. GRID has historical roots as a company installing individual rooftop solar arrays on homes in California. But here in Colorado, she says, the scope of sustainability has reached beyond rooftops — and beyond individual households. About 75 percent of the country couldn’t use rooftop solar if they wanted to; they either rent their homes or don’t have a viable rooftop for solar. GRID’s community solar model utilizes offsite solar arrays that power the entirety of the communities they service. Individual solar panels on the array are designated to specific households, and power is wired from the array to those homes. “There’s a lot of development right now in community solar focusing on making sure individual households have access to renewable energy whether or not they have a rooftop and a property that is appropriate for solar access,” says Sickles. The prospect of sustainable energy is attractive — clean, renewable power that weans our society from our reliance on diminishing fossil fuel resources. But expensive . es it i

o witness the charac- w s ter of the western RID i G United States is to observe its rural communities. The West’s beauty is defined by its sprawling expanse, and that vastness gives home to some remote living circumstances. The seclusion is part of the area’s charm, to be sure. But that same seclusion can create difficulties in providing rural residents with utilities such as electricity. The situation is exacerbated when some of these residents live on limited incomes, and can spend up to 12 percent of their annual earnings just to power their homes. To combat this pricey cost-of-living expense, an alternative energy solutions company, GRID Alternatives (GRID), is working to build solar arrays that will provide sustainable power to five low-income communities throughout rural Colorado. The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) provided GRID with a $1.2 million grant in August 2015. CEO has been working with rural Colorado energy co-ops and municipal utilities to work toward Colorado’s new renewable energy standards under senate bills 13-252 and 15-254, which require investor-owned utilities such as Xcel energy to garner 30 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020, and for energy cooperatives to garner 20 percent. As it stands, low-income communities are often the last to see new technology as it becomes available. “Across the country there is a very specific demographic that tends to be left out of access. And that’s the population that we’re working with,” says Kristina Sickles, development director of GRID’s Colorado project. GRID is working with affordable housing agencies like Habitat for Humanity to reach out to individuals and fami-

de rovi to p g in ork

RURAL SOLAR continued on page 16

••••••• “If we’re going to be successful in a clean energy transition, which affects everyone and affects underserved, disadvantaged communities the most, we need to include everyone in the transition to be successful.” — Tom Figel •••••••

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installation costs have kept many who would be willing to switch to solar from doing so. Tom Figel, the policy and regulatory manager for GRID’s community solar project, sees the fact that the Courtesy GRID Altnernatives brunt of efforts toward sustainability have been targeted toward the affluent as an economic justice issue. “If we’re going to be successful in a clean energy transition, which affects everyone and affects underserved, disadvantaged communities the most, we need to include everyone in the transition to be successful,” he says. Wally Shaw is a Grand Valley resident who is participating in GRID’s community solar program. In cooperation with GRID, the Grand Valley Power electric utility company installed a solar array that began to provide Wally’s community with power in summer 2015. The community was offered the opportunity to chip in on the project as well as wire into the new source of clean energy. “They had a big work day down there at Grand Valley Power, where all the ones that were getting the solar could help install the solar panels and get a hands-on experience on how the whole process worked,” Shaw says. Community solar is not the only sustainable energy solution available to communities like Shaw’s in Grand Valley. But it is the only affordable one. “A lot of the rural areas don’t have access to the low-cost solar because it was only available here through Xcel energy,” Shaw says. “I first had checked into that, getting solar panels, and I couldn’t afford the price.” Xcel was estimating a cost of $17,000 to install solar panels on Shaw’s property — a high number was not justifiable by the tax credit that the panels would provide. Many rural residents like Shaw don’t have the means to dish out so much money for the marginal return on their investment.

Tom Figel of GRID Alternatives brings solar power to rural communities.

GRID’s program is designed to help Coloradans like Shaw and their communities transition to clean energy solutions without requiring a bottom line of disposable income. Shaw says his connection to the community solar array can save him 45 percent on his electrical bill some months. Many of the rural communities GRID is operating within are transitioning coal economies, according to Figel. As the state of Colorado increasingly converts to renewable energy solutions, jobs provided by the coal industry dwindle. A part of GRID’s mission is to provide access to job training for the underserved communities they work in, which can help to combat job loss in communities that can least afford it. Their barn-raising installation model engages the community and its businesses in the construction of the solar arrays, and Shaw says that in Grand Valley, local businesses chipped in to help build the array that powers his community. With Colorado paving the way for sustainable energy on both the legislative and commercial fronts, community solar is an effort to include everyone in a conversation about technology that would previously be fiscally impossible for many folks. “Programs like these start to broaden access for everyone, and again I think that’s just essential to achieving a clean energy transition,” Figel says. Expanding access to the benefits of sustainable innovation is one of many steps in an ongoing process toward environmental equity in Colorado. Respond: info@boulderganic.com

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business

Pedaling through barriers Pedal to Properties gets real estate customers to slow down by cruising around neighborhoods on bikes by Alexandria Kade

iking has started to make a comeback in the U.S., in ways you might not imagine. Take, for instance, Pedal to Properties, a full-service real estate company that gets customers on bikes to check out not just properties, but the neighborhoods around them. Matt Kolb founded Pedal to Properties in 2006 after a potential client went out for a bike ride and found a property he liked, swinging a deal with the owner and cutting Kolb out. The business was founded on the idea of slowing down and taking in the scenery, to connect with a neighborhood and get a feel for the community before buying in. “In the backseat of the car, you tend to be driving faster, you’re not really taking in the area as much,” says Tim Shea, who took over the business in 2013. “It’s just a different perspective. And for somebody who hasn’t been here before, [biking] gives a much better sense of the area.” Agent John Farley joined the team at Pedal to Properties in 2010 after realizing the potential bikes bring to a real estate transaction. While using a bike may not always be feasible, the model to him revolves around breaking down barriers between communities and the environment. While cars separate the agent from the client and the client from the neighborhood, bikes give a feel of the location before arriving at the actual property. “Barriers came down immediately around the bike. The reason for that is you’re not in an automobile. You’re able to either get on a bike together and ride and talk to one another, or the barrier comes down for me as a realtor to go and list a property because I bike over, and I pull up to the property, and I’m able to experience it,” Farley says. The new perspective allows Farley to sell the house based on the unique qualities of both the neighborhood and the home. Biking also brings people together, as showing up to homes on bikes often brings out inquisitive neighbors. Once, neighbors saw Farley bike up to a home and later brought their friends who wanted to move into the neighborhood to the open house. “The neighbors all were congregating and I think if I pulled up in a car that would not have happened,” Farley says. “And the reason I think that is they probably wouldn’t have identified me as even being a realtor, maybe just a friend coming by to say hello. But they saw the bike with the signage.” Another time, he and his clients took the bikes out after they had a house under contract. By doing so, the buyers

knew a majority of their neighbors before they moved in. Back at the office, bikes morphed into a symbol of achieving sustainability. From sponsoring the summer and winter bike to work days in Boulder to trying for a zerowaste office to buying homes that are net-zero, Pedal to Properties encourages healthy lifestyles. “It’s not one big thing that the company’s doing as it is the individual people who work here trying to ‘walk the walk,’” Shea says. The office has also worked to go completely paperless. Real estate transactions can create a lot of paperwork, but Pedal to Properties uses PDFs and cloud secure document sharing to work with other brokerages and keep the paperwork paperless. Several members of the team are also certified EcoBrokers, which allows them to talk more freely on the newest sustainable features homes can offer and how to obtain these features. Brian Yates, a client of Shea’s who has purchased seven properties with Pedal to Properties and is an avid cyclist, chose the company because of its sustainable practices. “I think in theory it’s a sustainable form of transportation. So just in Courtesy of Pedal to Properties terms of driving around town a lot, if you’re driving on a bike it has a great environmental impact; it also has a great societal impact,” Yates says. Because the housing market is currently a seller’s paradise, Pedal to Properties does fewer bike tours with clients these days. Sometimes homebuyers only have several hours from when the house goes on a market to get there and put in a bid. Farley explains houses right now go on the market Wednesday with the intent that multiple offers will come through by Monday night and the seller will have his pick. This causes the logistics of buying a home to feel rushed. However, sometimes a bike ride provides a new perspective — slowing down the fast-paced real estate market and contributing to a sustainable lifestyle. Respond: info@boulderganic.com

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education

Studying the seven seas From summer camps to book series, there’s an ocean education movement afoot in Boulder and across the nation by Chelsea Abdullah

ou might be surprised to know that Boulder, hosting their own Ocean Guardian, but it hopefully will not Colorado — 800-plus miles from the nearest be the last. ocean — has the highest number of SCUBA The Watershed School’s project is focused on waste divers in the United States. Boulder is also reduction and reducing single-use plastics. Their proposal home to the National Oceanic and Atmolists a goal of reducing school waste by 30 percent, as well spheric Administration (NOAA), the Oceanic Preservation as a cleanup of Boulder Creek. The Watershed School is Society and a handful of marine biology and oceanography collaborating with both the Colorado Ocean Coalition and courses at University of Colorado Boulder. Journeys, a local preschool. We may love the mountains, but it seems we don’t The Ocean Guardian School program, now a national ignore the environment we can’t see every day, and righteffort, continues to expand and instills both an inspiration fully so: oceans affect weather patterns the world over. As and a hope in the younger generation. It is also an uplifta warming climate heats up ocean temperatures, the result ing experience for the teachers and the organizers who get is stronger tropical storms, the loss of important coral reef to watch the children help the environment with their own environments and rising sea levels that threaten to eradicate hands. island nations and low-lying cities. “The work that I have seen happen in schools and in But while Boulder’s adults are working to save the the community has continued to amaze me,” Pallock says. oceans, there has been a recent movement afoot to help the “It really fills me, constantly, with a lot of hope that change next generation get involved in ocean education, whether it is possible, that there is a growing awareness among these be through a summer camp, a school program or an educastudents of the value and importance of keeping our watertional book series. sheds and oceans healthy.” Some school programs are ongoing throughout the Other programs are summer-specific. University of year. The NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries office has Colorado’s Science Discovery program offers a summer a program crafted just for kids and their Ocean Guardian camp called Ocean Discovery. The summer camp is for program provides funding for individual school projects OCEAN EDUCATION continued on page 22 that advocate environmental restoration and cleanup. Courtesy of NOAA Naomi Pallock, the Ocean Guardian School program coordinator, says the program’s primary goal is to provide support for ocean stewardship projects suggested by schools. The Ocean Guardian program mostly provides financial support in addition to curriculum materials and activities that teachers in the program are allowed to pull from. “It’s really the schools, the students, the teachers, and the administrators who do the hard work, the heavy lifting,” Pallock says. “They’re the ones that are implementing the projects, are participating, are affecting change either on the school campus or out in the communities. They’re the stars of the program. We just try to make it possible for them by giving them money and support when needed,” Pallock says. Kids at Pacific Grove Middle School, in Pacific Grove, The Watershed School is currently the California, rally at a community event. only school in Boulder and all of Colorado

••••••• “It really fills me, constantly, with a lot of hope that change is possible, that there is a growing awareness among these students of the value and importance of keeping our watersheds and oceans healthy.” — Naomi Pallock •••••••

education

OCEAN EDUCATION continued from page 21

5- to 6-year-old kids. For a $200 fee, changes that they can make to alter parents get the chance to enroll their their lifestyle and in the process, help children in a program that teaches the environment. them about the ocean ecosystem. The institute will also be hosting The camp explores the underwater its own summer camp with schools; network, with lessons focusing on an effort that will be focused on the natural mechanics behind waves, creating underwater remotely operbioluminescence and deep-sea ecoated underwater vehicles, or ROVs. systems. One of the program’s goals Students get to put together ROVs is to have children create a detailed from scratch and then use them in ocean mural that the kids will get to the Ocean First pool. The ROVs add to everyday. Even Courtesy of NOAA more complicated topics will be simplified to give kids a better opportunity for learning. Another summer camp running is Ocean First Swim’s Marine science and swim mini camp. This camp is a combination of knowledge-based and practical education where kids will learn about the ocean ecosystem and how undersea animals are affected by the things that people do to the ocean. This part of the program is accomplished through arts and crafts, storytelling and games. While the first half of the program focuses on raising kids’ interest of the water, the second part gets them into the water. Swim instructors help raise traverse obstacle courses and explore kids’ confidence in and awareness of the deepest depths of the pool. The the water, as well as water safety. program teaches them new innovative Ocean First’s nonprofit, Ocean ways to explore the ocean. First Institute, also leads other educaThe organization also does tional ocean programs for kids, and expeditions and will take kids with the nonprofit has different outreach them under certain circumstances to programs across Colorado to bring showcase the beauty of things under awareness of alternative lifestyles that the ocean. could help the environment. But even kids in a landlocked Lauren Riegler, the community state can learn about the ocean and outreach and volunteer coordinator different ways to explore it. The for Ocean First Institute, says one reason the program’s outreach exists of the goals of their programs is to is to plant the seeds for curiosity in make the kids aware of very simple potential future marine biologists and 22

ocean explorers. “A big part of conservation is outreach and education,” Riegler says. “People are going to protect the things that they care about and they’re not going to care about things until we teach them about it. ... We want to encourage them to explore and be curious about this other kind of world that might not be across the street from us, but we can still sort of

systems of the ocean through beautiful color photographs and a simple narrative. “The idea in the series, and the whole goal of the project, is to instill and inspire in the youngest of minds an appreciation and a value for all things on our planet, so that internally, we instill a spirit of stewardship at an early age,” Flach says. Encouraging children to appreciate the environment is important, but the book’s scope isn’t limited to kids. Flach says the book is meant to be an experience for the whole family. The hope is that parents will share the books with their children and the kids will be inspired to find out more about ocean life. Ocean Friends is part of a book series called KUBU, which is the Botswanan word for hippopotamus. “The hippo is one of the fiercest and strongest animals in the animal kingdom ... this magnificent, strong, powerful creature reminds all of Students from Sir Francis Drake High us that we ourselves School in San Anselmo, California, gather are strong and powermarine debris along the coast. ful as individuals. And together we can take on challenges respectfully and positiveexplore it, even here in Colorado.” ly,” Flach says. While there are a number of proThe book series will strive to cregrams right here in Boulder, the ocean ate a positive relationship between the education movement is happening reader and the nature around them. around the nation, even outside of “If you don’t have a relationship, classroom-type experiences. Take a positive relationship, how are you Ocean Friends, published by Hathergoing to really want to do something leigh Press, for example. This newly to protect [nature] and care for it?” published book is the first in a series Flach asks. “We are so disconnected that will highlight environmental as a world, from the natural environadvocacy and appreciation. Andrew Flach, the publisher, says ment, in so many ways.” As the first book in the series, the book is meant for kids somewhere Ocean Friends will hopefully proin between preschool and the second vide a foundation for that progresgrade. Ocean Friends illustrates eco-

education

Courtesy of NOAA

Kids from Lincoln Middle School in Alameda, California, removing invasive plants from the shorline.

sive relationship. Oceans are an integral part of every environment, even when you can’t look outside the window and see an ocean right out in your backyard. Flach stresses that even in landlocked places like Colorado, ocean conservation is important. “Every action we have has a consequence or a reaction. While you may be a thousand miles from the ocean, water is a finite resource. Keeping the water sources clean and pure is really important,” Flach says. Ocean Friends, and the KUBU series, is a recent endeavor to market more environmental topics to kids. Flach says what separates Ocean Friends from other books that have a similar concept is the company’s intentions. Not only does Ocean Friends take a more unique approach to the ocean by using photographs rather than illustrations, it also endeavors to do something else: inspire. “As we develop things further into the series and evolve our vision, it’s not really about educa-

tion, it’s about inspiration,” Flach says. “We’re not providing materials for science class or science studies. Our goal is to provide experiences that captivate the emotion and the spirit and bring about a change that way.” At the end of the day, advocating and educating kids about the ocean is essential, especially in our ever-changing environmental atmosphere. Though everyone has an impact on the environment, it is the youngest generation that will eventually spearhead movements to save it. It is a responsibility, but if it can be made enjoyable, then it can also be fun. “Every environmental issue and the state of our world certainly falls on the younger generation... to keep the world as healthy as we can,” Pallock says. “The ocean is no exception and we have certainly seen over the years, that the ocean has been impacted by a lot of our actions on land.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com

••••••• “Every environmental issue and the state of our world certainly falls on the younger generation.” — Naomi Pallock •••••••

education

Get rid of the ceiling to reach for the stars A Front Range forest school removes barriers to early childhood education by Sarah Haas

Top: After three hours of unstructured play, forest school participants build a small structure out of deadwood. Bottom: Forest school students stop to sketch a tree that caught their attention.

n a cold January day, with temperatures hovering just around freezing, a group of 20 kids, 18 months to five years old, and a handful of their parents gathered for a day of kindergarten in Denver City Park. Bundled in warm, waterproof clothes, no one complained of the cold. After all, they signed up for this: to learn how to be comfortable playing Photos courtesy of Worldmind outside, even in Nature Immersion School inclement weather. The group circled around Megan Patterson, director of Worldmind Nature Immersion School, reading aloud a story about animal tracking. Just as she began to read about the fox, the faces of the onlookers filled with looks of surprise and awe. One after another, they pointed behind Patterson to a fox that came to sit just out of her reach. She says they stayed like that, the group studying the fox and the fox the group, for a good five minutes until he casually walked into a cluster of shrubs. After he left, the parents stood by as the children tracked the trail that brought the fox into their lesson. This sort of fortuity happens all the time, Patterson says, but she doesn’t brush it off as coincidence. Worldmind Nature Immersion School is a forest school, founded on the idea that education isn’t about teaching children, but about creating opportunities for them to learn under their own self-direction outdoors. These schools remove the walls from early childhood education, trading them in for trees, rocks and streams.

A report published by the National Wildlife Federation in 2010 states that children in the U.S. are only spending about four to seven minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play. Patterson and other forest educators worry about the negative health effects of this shift indoors, and they hope forest programs can turn the tide by increasing the amount of time children spend outdoors. But as forest kindergartens grow in popularity around the world, such schools in the U.S. are struggling to get off the ground. Despite a strong grassroots network of educators and parents seeking nature-based early childhood education, government lags behind. In large part, this is due to regulatory issues preventing forest schools from getting licenses. Patterson’s school isn’t eligible for a license because it doesn’t operate with an indoor facility. Without the option to license, many programs are forced to operate around the system. For Patterson, this means requiring parents to accompany their children for the duration of each three-hour session. Arguably one of the most successful forest programs in the U.S., Cedarsong on Vashon Island in Washington, is also unlicensed. The school’s founder and director, Erin Kenny, is considered by forest educators as the mother of the American movement, in part because she offers a teacher training program that has helped to inspire the establishment of more than 80 (mostly unlicensed) forest schools in Washington state alone. Since Kenny lives on a small island, it is very easy to track the progress of graduates as they go through primary education. “Teachers report that all of these kids do very well academically because they are the ones whose problem solving and critical thinking have been left in tact,” Kenny says. “Because of the programming, they are also the kids more willing to take risks, to raise their hands and risk being wrong.” While Kenny’s evidence is anecdotal, she’s beginning to get some research on her side, though much of it comes from the other side of the pond. In 2006, UK-based think tank New Economics Foundation evaluated two forest schools — one in England, one in Wales — and found participants gained confidence, social skills, language development, fine motor skills and longer attention spans. FOREST SCHOOL continued on page 25

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Parents and kids in Worldmind Nature Immersion School watch as a herd of deer pass by.

Here in the States, Kenny is growing increasingly frustrated by the obstacles forest schools face in becoming licensed “There is a serious disconnect between regulators and educators,” Kenny says. “The movement is happening and people are finding ways around the regulations, but what really needs to happen now is that we have to have some change at the government level. [Regulators] seem to agree that children need more outdoor time and yet they are not allowing for that with all of the onerous regulations and restrictions that are placed on outdoor education preschool programs like forest kindergarten.” Patterson generally agrees with Kenny and is doing her part to push change, but her first priority is as an educator and business owner. And, as an emergent educator ought to be, she is happy enough to get creative and work around the rules. After all, the regulations exist for a reason — to ensure that young children are safe — but Patterson worries

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we will insulate our children to the point where we strip away all risk of any kind. “There is a reason why there are strict childcare licensing regulations,” Patterson says. “They are there to keep kids safe, but I think we have gone to the extreme with them. I mean, everything is regulated and that kind of ties your hands when you want to work with kids.” As she forges ahead, Patterson is offering a different kind of benefit than she set out to, but she is able to see the positives — and parents are, too. Less than a year after opening for business, her five class offerings around the Front Range are filling up and earning glowing reviews. “In a way, I am really glad that we switched models,” Patterson says. “The parents themselves haven’t taken the time to explore just one small area where they are hiking and they are beginning to realize the same benefits as the kids. Now they just want to stop and play and care less about getting to a destination.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com

••••••• A report published by the National Wildlife Federation in 2010 states that children in the U.S. are only spending about four to seven minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play. •••••••

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Real athlete diets RAD food for rad people by Betsy Welch

aying attention to how your body feels after 3) You have a food allergy and aren’t sure what to do eating is an exercise worth pursuing. Adjusting about it your diet accordingly is the way to honor what It’s easier than ever to buy gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, it’s telling you. etc. products, but if you’re interested in real food versus Kelly and Morgan Newlon founded Real packaged food, RAD is the way to go. Many of RAD’s Athlete Diets (RAD) with that principle in mind. They menu items are allergen-free by nature, but Chef Kelly isn’t believe that if you eat well you will feel well, and if you challenged by the unique food needs that clients present to happen to be an athlete (which isn’t a prerequisite for eating her. RAD food) you will perform well, too. Kelly Newlon RAD creates performance-oriented food and brings it to you, making it easy to eat the kind of food that makes your body happy. They know using the best ingredients matters and use locally grown, organic produce and protein whenever possible. They specialize in individual meal delivery, catering and athlete camps, but their love for feeding people knows no bounds — if you live in Boulder and fit into at least one of these categories, here are five good reasons to let RAD cook your next meal. 1) You spend a lot of time at work/in the office. Having RAD cater your mid-day meal is a sure way to avoid the afternoon slump that follows inhaling the sandwich/chips/cookie trifecta that characterizes so many “lunch is provided” situations. The chorizo chickpea ragout and Thai peanut chicken salad are staple items on the RAD menu and have become favorites at local law offices, outdoor industry retailers and other conscientous businesses. If group meals aren’t in the budget for the whole office, RAD will deliver your food to one of two pick-up locations, and you can bring it back to work (warning: your co-workers will be jealous). 2) You’ve got responsibilities (family/work/home) and you really like to exercise every day All of these are noble pursuits, and they probably mean you have good intentions to eat well also, but sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the day to give every responsibility 100 percent. Having a RAD meal ready-to-eat helps prevent reaching for whatever is in the cupboards or going out to eat for dinner — again — when you’re home late after work or a work-out. How does cruciferous turkey meatballs with smashed potatoes and a giant massaged kale salad with toasted hazelnuts, parm, lemon dressing and dried cherries sound? Order the dark chocolate espresso brownies, too — you worked out today.

If you’re a busy person who still wants to eat healthy, let RAD cater your meals.

Kelly Newlon

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, she knows her way around the kitchen, and, perhaps more importantly, has spent many years in a mentoring role. “Our approach is about working one-on-one as a team with the client,” Newlon says, “with a common goal of becoming more comfortable with food as it pertains to the individual and most importantly as a life skill.” 4) You’re a pro The folks at RAD work with athletes who have speRAD continued on page 28

health & fitness RAD continued from page 27 Kelly Newlon

Kelly Newlon

RAD owner Morgan Newlon.

RAD offers a variety of gluten-free, dairy-free and paleo food options.

••••••• “Our approach is about working one-on-one as a team with the client.” — Kelly Newlon •••••••

cific goals. Current clients include Olympian cyclists, climbers bound for Everest and ultrarunning legends. Chef Kelly works with athletes (and their coaches) who recognize food is as important a training tool as daily workouts. The RAD team has traveled with athletes who are participating in multi-day events or training camps, and if the destination is outside of their service area (in, 28

say Tibet), they’ve been known to work with clients so they can best navigate the local food scene while sticking closely to their prescribed dietary plan.

5) You’re hosting an event Recently, RAD catered lunch for a three-day barista class at Ozo Coffee Roasters. It was a small affair — for about 15 people — but for Kelly and Morgan of RAD, it was a great

health & fitness Kelly Newlon

••••••• “We like to work with companies we believe in,” —Morgan Newlon •••••••

RAD meals use locally grown, organic produce and protein whenever possible.

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opportunity to work alongside a local business whose ethos and values are in line with their own. “We like to work with companies we believe in,” Morgan says. “And one of the great things about Boulder business culture is that the things that are important to owners are often shared across companies.” That said, nothing speaks to the soul like good food and good coffee, and the Ozo participants were as psyched for lunch as Morgan was for his to-go bag of freshly-roasted beans. Whatever category you fit into, or perhaps you perfer to remain outside of the box, rest assured the food you receive from RAD is held to high standards — from its timely delivery to artful presentation to thoughtful recipes and well-rounded flavors. And, if you let your body make the final assessment, there’s a good chance that RAD could become a part of your daily mealtime rotation. Respond: info@boulderganic.com

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Healthy alternatives Infrared saunas and sound baths: a look at two trends in alternative medicine by Tommy Wood

’m sitting in a wooden box, about 5 feet tall, 3 feet deep and 4 feet wide, lined by five infrared heaters that are pushing the temperature past 100 degrees. There’s a mineral drink in my hand to prevent potassium deficiency as I sweat, which causes side effects like nausea, fainting and heart palpitations. This is an infrared sauna, which, like traditional or wet saunas, increases core body temperature, inducing sweating and increasing heart rate. While wet saunas rely on hot steam to do this, infrared saunas use light to warm the body directly without warming the surrounding air. This means an infrared sauna runs cooler than a wet sauna, while still providing that sweaty experience people seek. “A wet sauna, which is typical, makes you think that you’re sweating more than you actually are,” says Donna Sigmund of East-West Wellness in Boulder, which houses an infrared sauna. “It’s the moisture that is beading up on you.” Sigmund has operated her infrared sauna since 2009, after she discovered them through the Fellowship of AntiAging and Functional Medicine. She says the infrared heat, rather than simply warming the surface of your body, penetrates three to four inches deep to extract toxins from fat that a wet sauna can’t. Toxin release is just one of the health benefits touted by proponents of infrared saunas — weight loss, increased circulation, decreased inflammation and good old-fashioned relaxation are also purported benefits. Some of the claimed benefits are largely anecdotal. The studies that have been done on infrared saunas have tended to be small and short-term, using dozens, not thousands, of participants. Much of the research has centered around people with existing conditions, which has limited the knowledge about how infrared saunas effect relatively healthy folks. A 2015 Japanese study examined 49 people with congestive heart failure and did find that infrared sauna treatments increased blood flow to the heart. Another Japanese study of 21 people with arterial blockages found daily infrared sessions for six weeks reduced leg pain and blockage of arteries. Sean Mullen, director of the exercise, technology, and cognition laboratory at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, told Yahoo Health in January 2016 that “plenty of research suggests that saunas — dry, wet, or infrared — have

beneficial effects on lowering blood pressure.” “The sauna has an oxidative effect,” Mullen said. “Blood is going out to your extremities; your pores open, allowing you to sweat; and heart rate increases in an attempt to cool your body down.” As to the detoxifying effects of an infrared sauna, not everyone agrees. Roger Clemens, an expert in food toxicology and an adjunct professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Southern California, spoke about infrared saunas with Scientific American in October 2005. Clemens told journalist Gary Stix that the most efficient system for detoxification is internal, not external — the kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract and immune system. “Except when one of the major organs breaks down, there isn’t a medical device or any diet that can accelerate the body’s natural process of detoxification,” he said. Still, that’s not to say these hot boxes don’t offer substantive health benefits, including relaxation. When I get into the sauna at East-West Wellness, it’s set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. I sweated more in that 20-minute session than I ever have in hot yoga. After a couple minutes, I was drenched, my towels were soaked and my tank top stuck

••••••• While wet saunas rely on hot steam to heat the body’s core temperature, infrared saunas use light without warming the surrounding air. That means an infrared sauna runs cooler than a wet sauna while still providing a sweaty experience. •••••••

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to my chest. It was all I could do not to sweat all over my notebook. Despite that — and I’m normally very uncomfortable when I sweat a lot — the sauna was completely relaxing. My muscles felt loose and relaxed, like I’d just come from the ALTERNATIVE HEALTH continued on page 32

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health & fitness ALTERNATIVE HEALTH continued from page 31

chiropractor, and I felt more mentally and emotionally upbeat when I left than when I entered. Infrared saunas may not replace traditional medical care, but in my time in one it felt like a good supplemental treatment, or even a preventative one. It’s worth a try, even for only a few minutes, to see if it’s a viable stress relief for you, as it was for me. There are a number of places around Boulder County to seek infrared treatments, such as New Life Wellness Center, Holistica, Stillwater Healing Arts Clinic, Firiel Skin Care and Boulder Sports Acupuncture. You may also find stress relief from sonic healing practices. On another winter day in Boulder, I’m with Ray Stewart, who operates Boulder Sound Therapy out of his home. Here he practices acutonics, or the practice of healing through sound and vibrations. This practice is also known as sonopuncture or sonic healing. Stewart’s been interested in healing since he was a corpsman in the Vietnam War, and in alternative medicine since he started practicing out of the service. First it was alchemy. Then, since a friend convinced him that it wasn’t “new-age Boulder stuff,” acutonics. Stewart’s workspace is in a room on the side of his house, off of his entryway and past a floor-toceiling photo mural. One wall is lined with books about spirituality, world religions and healing techniques. Opposite the bookshelf is a desk, where a computer is playing a video of Royal Raymond Rife, a somewhat controversial pioneer of alternative medicine. There’s a table at the far end of the room with all manner of drums and metal bowls lying around it. These are a part of Stewart’s treatment process, as are the dozens of tuning forks that hang from the door. The treatment — at least, the physical part — works like this: I lay on the table, and Stewart taps the tuning fork

on a drum. It emits a high-pitched ding, then a low, vibrating hum, and Stewart puts it on a nerve center on my shoulder. The tuning forks go on acupuncture points all over your body, with the goal of relaxing you and easing you into a meditative state. Before clients get on the table, Stewart asks them about themselves; about their job, their sleep patterns, their digestion, their stress level. They vocalize how they feel before treatment, then how they want to feel after. “Your thoughts affect your mind, and your mind shapes your experience,” Stewart says. “My intention is to guide the client into a region of thought whereby he or she can perceive a healing vibration.” That mental aspect is the other part of Stewart’s practice — the subconscious is so powerful, he says, that letting it take over can allow it to help ease physical or emotional pain. His clients include people with back pain, depression and terminal cancer. The latter don’t come for a cure — rather Stewart says the meditative aspect can help them mentally cope with the dying process. In that way, Stewart says, his practice is complementary to traditional medicine, which he calls “chemicals, surgery and magic pills.” Those, obviously, have a medical utility that sound and vibrations simply don’t. Stewart, then, fills in the gaps with a personal touch, and attention to the mental and emotional needs of the patient, that he feels traditional medicine often lacks. He calls this combined approach “integrative medicine.” “I’m a health aid,” Stewart says. “We work together with Western medicine, but this is more about helping the patient help himself.” There are a number of options for a sonic healing experience in Boulder County, such as jlounge Day Spa, Vital Vibration, Solstice Health, Hands of the Heart, Musical Hands and Divine Rebellion. Respond: info@boulderganic.com

••••••• “[T]his is more about helping the patient help himself.”— Ray Stewart, Boulder Sound Therapy •••••••

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