In The NoCo

KUNC
  • 4.8 (40)
  • Daily News
  • Updated Weekly

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.

  1. 22h ago

    Research shows aspen trees often slow the spread of wildfire. Should more mountain towns plant aspen groves?

    Could planting aspen groves slow the spread of wildfires in Colorado’s forests?  It’s an idea that could help some mountain communities seeing increased threats from wildfires. And it’s backed up by several recent studies, including one that looked at 20 years of data from more than 300 wildfires in Western states. It found that large aspen groves often slowed the spread of forest fires. That’s partly because aspen contain more moisture than other trees in mountain forests.   So, should mountain communities across Colorado plant aspens on the outskirts of town?   To find out, Erin O’Toole talked last year with Camille Stevens-Rumann. She’s a professor of forest and rangeland stewardship at Colorado State University and was the principal investigator on the 2025 study. We’re listening back to that conversation today.  For more on aspen trees, listen to this episode about why aspens rarely thrive when planted in yards.   * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

  2. 2d ago

    Colorado gave women the right to vote before the rest of the nation did. A new exhibit explores that history

    On Nov. 7, 1893, men in Colorado did something extraordinary for the time: They granted women the right to vote – which made Colorado the first state to do that not by legislative action or executive order, but by a vote of the people.   It was a moment of triumph for activists who fought for women's suffrage for decades. It meant women in Colorado could vote 27 years before that right was granted to all women, with the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920.  And they used that victory as a springboard to get things done – from electing women to political office in the state, to helping women secure more economic power.  A new History Colorado exhibit, Votes and Dreams: At the Ballot and Beyond, highlights those accomplishments. It’s on display now at the Center for Colorado Women’s History in Denver.    Exhibit developer Margaux Miller joined Erin O'Toole to share more about it. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

  3. 6d ago

    How filmmaker Warren Miller channeled his love for alpine skiing into a new genre of sports film

    For decades, Warren Miller was synonymous with a very Colorado genre of film.  In Miller’s films, skiers glide across pristine winter terrain and hurtle down near-vertical slopes. Over the decades, Miller and his film crews turned those images into dozens of feature-length documentaries that celebrated the thrill of a day on the mountain – and also captured the poetry of skiing.   Miller died in 2018 at the age of 93. Now, his work and legacy are the subject of a new exhibit at the Colorado Snowsports Museum in Vail.   The museum’s executive director, Jen Mason, spoke earlier this year with Erin O’Toole about how Miller's movies defined an entire genre of sports documentary known as the “stoke” film. We’re listening back to that conversation today.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

  4. Aug 13

    With 'Fat Marmot Week,' scientists hope to turn important marmot research into serious fun

    Every summer in Colorado’s high country, yellow-bellied marmots race to gain enough weight to make it through months of hibernation. But this year’s meager snowpack and early spring have put that survival strategy under new pressure.   Scientists with the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory near Crested Butte have studied individual marmots in the wild for more than six decades. And they say that understanding what's happening with these mammals reveals a lot about the overall health of high-alpine ecosystems.  This month, the RMBL Marmot Project is set to turn serious science into a fun public competition with the launch of the first-ever Fat Marmot Week – a bracket-style tournament that invites the public to vote for the marmot who’s most ready for winter.  Dan Blumstein co-leads the Marmot Project. He's a biologist and UCLA professor who has spent many years studying different species of marmots. He joined Erin O'Toole to talk about their research into these chunky, ground-dwelling mammals.  The RMBL team is introducing new marmots to the competition on Mondays and Fridays. Voting runs from Aug. 24 – Aug. 29.   The team recently launched an OnlyFans account to help raise money. Blumstein says it provides "uncensored – but G-rated – marmot content."  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

  5. Aug 12

    How Colorado artist R. Alan Brooks explores culture and politics using comics and graphic novels

    If you read the Colorado Sun, you might be familiar with the comic strip called ‘What’d I Miss?’ It follows conversations between Ossie, a young Black man, and Myra, an older white woman who has awakened from a long coma.    Together they struggle to understand modern day politics and culture. Ossie and Myra talk about issues like artificial intelligence, disinformation on social media and more recently, the rise of the ultra-rich in America.  ‘What’d I Miss?’ is written by Denver-based artist R. Alan Brooks. He also writes graphic novels and teaches graphic novel writing at Regis University. This weekend, he will be a featured guest at Fort Collins Comic Con.   Erin O’Toole spoke with Brooks in 2024 about his work and how he uses comics and graphic novels to unpack current events and culture. We're listening back to that conversation today.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

  6. Aug 11

    Long ago, Mexican workers helped build Colorado’s railroad. A unique exhibit highlights that work

    Railroads transformed the American West – and immigrant labor made the railroads possible. But many of those immigrants’ stories haven’t been well documented - including those of the Mexican railroad workers known as traqueros.  Beginning in the late 1800s, railroad companies recruited thousands of Mexican and Mexican-American workers to build and maintain the tracks.  At one time, Mexican workers made up more than two-thirds of the railway labor force in the U.S.  Many traqueros brought their families with them to settle in Colorado and other parts of the country.  These workers played a key role in the railroads’ expansion well into the mid 20th century, including during World War II, when another initiative was used to bring in Mexican laborers to build tracks.  An exhibit at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden highlights the legacy of the traqueros. Jasmine Robertson, Curator of Exhibits at the museum, spoke with Erin O'Toole about this often-overlooked piece of American history and culture.   Traqueros: Mexican Trackworkers and the American Railroad is open through the end of August.   * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

  7. Aug 7

    How soldiers from Colorado's Camp Hale transformed outdoor recreation – from gear innovations to ski resorts

    The soldiers who trained in Colorado for alpine combat in World War II helped turn the tide of the war. And later, many of them changed outdoor recreation in Colorado as we know it.   The U.S. Army built Camp Hale in the high country near Leadville. Thousands of soldiers there trained for skiing, rock climbing and other elements of high-altitude combat.   But the story of Camp Hale and the 10th Mountain Division didn’t end there. After the war, many of those veterans became trailblazers in the outdoor sports world. Some became athletes; others started ski resorts or recreation companies, while others helped invent or redesign outdoor gear.    A History Colorado exhibit on display in Leadville highlights the legacy of Camp Hale, and the post-war contributions that the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division made to Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy and culture.  Sydney Mauck is History Colorado's Anschutz Military Collections specialist.  She spoke with Erin O’Toole about Camp Hale’s enduring legacy. As Colorado marks its150th birthday this month, this is the first of several conversations about the state's history we'll reshare in the days ahead.  If you enjoyed this conversation, check out Part 1 of the discussion about the soldiers who trained at Camp Hale.  This story has been lightly edited for clarity. A previous version stated that a 10th Mountain Division soldier had started the Sierra Club. The soldier mentioned served as the organization's first professional full-time executive director, but was not a founder. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

  8. Aug 6

    Soldiers who trained at Colorado's Camp Hale played a key role in World War II. A new exhibit explores their impact

    During World War II, the U.S. Army built a unique training ground in the mountains outside Leadville.    At Camp Hale, soldiers in what would become the 10th Mountain Division trained for combat in extreme alpine conditions. And that led to key victories for Allied forces in the mountains of Europe. After the war, some of the soldiers returned to Colorado and helped launch the state’s ski industry.   A new History Colorado exhibit called Winter Warriors explores the legacy of Camp Hale and its impact on surrounding communities. It’s on display at the Healey House Museum in Leadville.    With Colorado celebrating 150 years of statehood this year, we wanted to learn more about this fascinating piece of the state’s history. So, we reached out to Sydney Mauck, History Colorado's Anschutz Military Collections specialist.   She talked with Erin O'Toole earlier this year about the U.S. Army’s first, and only, winter warfare division – and the pivotal role of these "soldiers on skis" in World War II. It's one of several fascinating chapters of Colorado's history we'll reshare in the coming days.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

See All (954)

Trailer

4.8
out of 5
40 Ratings

About

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.

Information

  • Creator
    KUNC
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    954
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 KUNC
  • Show Website
    In The NoCo

You Might Also Like