The Rifle-based nonprofit serves over five counties and hundreds of animals on the Western Slope, despite funding losses. This story is part of our “On the Ground” radio series that highlights solutions to local and global issues from Roaring Fork and Colorado River valley organizations.

The Orchard Church plans to build staff homes on the lot where the bilingual, bicultural community garden sits. Now gardeners, the church and the town are searching for a place where the Good Seed can go next.

During this year’s open enrollment period, seniors in the Roaring Fork Valley are facing changes to their Medicare plans. They’re left with fewer, and more expensive, options.

Garfield County is a hotbed for wildfires, and it needs to find reliable funding for fire mitigation. The solution could lie in creating a Forest Improvement Special District — a locally led, tax-funded authority that leads mitigation efforts across county and private land.

Supporters say doulas could help bridge care gaps. They aren’t medically trained, but they provide emotional support and information before, during and after childbirth.

As wildfires threaten more communities across the West, new research suggests some basic changes to how homes are built could make them safer without significantly increasing the price tag.

One ski area was already factoring in higher fuel costs because it started transitioning its fleet of groomers and vehicles to a lower-emission source.

A late spring frost and record dry conditions this summer have led to low natural food supply for bears, resulting in a large increase in human-bear conflict. Now, a wildlife rehab center is seeing more orphaned bear cubs than in previous years.

The syndrome can make people feel like a "hibernating bear," says Dr. Norman Rosenthal, who published the first research on SAD. He explains how to identify the symptoms and what to do to feel better.

In October, 2025, the remnants of a typhoon seriously damaged Alaska Native villages in the far western part of the state. A year later, one of the hardest hit communities is still recovering.

As editors turn to imperfect AI detection tools to weed out machine-generated submissions, writers who say they were falsely accused of using AI are left wondering what triggered a positive result.

Residents are fighting back against plans for a project that would span thousands of acres near the Monongahela National Forest and popular outdoor recreation, ski areas and dark sky sites.