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A stolen idea for a novel, an angry social media post – and an online backlash that engulfs the main characters. These are the elements of an intriguing novel by Colorado author R.L. Maizes.    The writer says it draws on some of her own experiences. And the novel raises thorny questions about who gets to own an idea, who has the right to tell a particular story, and the tension of writing a novel in an age of social media tirades.   A Complete Fiction was released in November, and recently won the 2026 Colorado Book Award for fiction. Maizes, who lives near Boulder, joined Erin O’Toole to share the real-life challenges of being a writer in our chronically online society. 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: [email protected] 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.

It’s an ambitious — and expensive — project to reduce collisions between motorists and wildlife on one of Colorado’s busiest highways.   The state’s newest wildlife overpass stretches 200 feet across Interstate 25 near Castle Rock. The project funnels elk, deer, coyotes and other critters over the highway. It cost $15 dollars, according to our partners at The Colorado Sun. It opened 10 months ago.   And if you ask transportation and wildlife officials, it's working.   So, what makes a wildlife overpass a success? Michelle Cowardin is a wildlife movement coordinator with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. She’s worked on several wildlife overpasses. Host Erin O'Toole spoke with her to get an expert’s report card on the I-25 overpass. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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.

It's finally starting to feel like fall on the Front Range. And along with those glorious fall colors – comes the dreaded task of raking up all those fallen leaves.   Now, if you're one of those people who shuffles them into piles, rakes them into giant leaf bags, and then sets them out at the curb for the garbage, consider this: Those leaves could instead be doing valuable work to help make your lawn healthier.  That’s according to Alison O'Connor, a horticulture specialist with Colorado State University Extension. She says fallen leaves can help return nutrients to the soil and give pollinators a home over the winter. But this doesn't mean you can just ignore all those leaves in the yard, either.  Alison talked with Erin O'Toole to share tips to help you skip the leaf bagging this year – and the science behind why this approach can be beneficial for your yard.  For more on how to prepare your lawn and garden for winter, check out these tips from CSU Extension. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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.

If you pay attention to your local elections office this time of year, you often see recruiting ads for seasonal election workers. These folks might manage a polling place or help process ballots after votes are cast.  This year in Boulder County, the elections office is recruiting for a different kind of role, which they call an Election Champion.   They've invited the public to attend trainings that touch on the nuances of how elections are run in Colorado, and try to dispel misinformation about mail ballots or voter fraud – both of which are talked about frequently by the Trump administration. So far, more than 100 people have signed up for the training.   Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Molly Fitzpatrick talked with Erin O'Toole to explain more about the training, and why Election Champions are needed this year.   One last training session before the midterm election is set for Oct. 27 in Louisville.   Find your nearest mail ballot drop box location here.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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.

Wolf & Wren Press in Longmont has built its reputation by designing cards that capture an emotion. Their offerings include a sympathy card for someone who’s lost a pet dog. Or a Mother’s Day card for a woman who’s been like a mother to you.  Wolf & Wren has won four Louie Awards, which honor outstanding greeting cards. The company takes its name from its co-founders, Liz Wolf and Lauren Stapleton. (Lauren is the Wren in the name.)  Erin O’Toole spoke with Liz and Lauren about how they built a thriving printing press in the 21st century, and the art of designing a great card.   * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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.

A day on the slopes. A horseback ride along a mountain trail. An afternoon in an escape room, or at the pickleball court.   Those activities are how some homeschool students have spent their days, under the banner of enrichment. And Colorado taxpayers have funded many of these outings – to the  the tune of tens of millions of dollars last year.   If these activities sound a bit more extravagant than the school field trips you remember, some lawmakers agree.   Colorado legislators have taken steps to rein in some of the swankier outings for homeschool students – especially when the same activities aren’t funded for public school students. And the State Board of Education this week is set to consider permanent rulesto govern publicly funded homeschool enrichment programs going forward.  So, how did nearly $100 million get spent on these activities? And how have lawmakers worked to stop this from continuing?   Education reporter Ann Schimke has been covering this story for Chalkbeat Colorado. She talked with Erin O'Toole about how we got here, and how education officials are responding.   * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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.

Colorado recently reached a new clean energy milestone: In the first six months of this year, the majority of its electricity – 53.5 percent– came from renewable sources, like wind, solar and geothermal.    That's according to a recent article from the energy news website Big Pivots. And it marks a significant step toward Colorado's goal of getting to 100% emission-free electricity by the year 2050.   But despite hitting this threshold, energy officials say the most challenging part of the transition may still lie ahead — and big questions remain about how to keep the grid reliable while keeping costs down.    To learn more, we spoke with Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, who has led the state’s clean energy strategy since 2019.   He talked with Erin O’Toole in July about how Colorado reached this point — and what it will take to get all the way to 100% renewable energy. 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: [email protected] 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.

Jeff Kagan and Paige Doughty have been wearing rainbow-colored socks while performing songs about nature and science in front of kids in Boulder for more than 20 years.   Their performances get kids rolling, crawling, and acting out animal moves while they sing fun, catchy lyrics about scientific concepts.    The duo, who perform under the name Jeff and Paige, recently created a TV show called Rainbow Socks. It airs at 8 a.m. Sundays on Rocky Mountain PBS and is available to stream at PBS.org.   Early during the filming of the show, Jeff and Paige spoke to Erin O'Toole to talk about what they hope to bring to TV. 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: [email protected] 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.

Table settings that reveal a deeper understanding of what life was like for Black women in Colorado throughout different periods of history.   That concept is the core of a traveling History Colorado exhibit on display in Leadville, called 12 Tablecloths. Artist and historian Chloé Duplessis, who specializes in fabrics and textiles, created the show, which has traveled to several cities around the state.   The exhibit tells the stories of Black women who worked as domestic servants at a military outpost in Fort Garland or in a wealthy Denver household, as well as the story of Jessie Barton Randolph, the first Black child born in Leadville.    And Chloé, who is legally blind, incorporates non-visual aspects that people can touch, like garments and tablecloths. Chloé joined Erin O'Toole to share stories of some of the women who inspired her art.  12 Tablecloths is on display at the Healy House Museum in Leadville through Oct. 24. This is the show's final appearance in Colorado. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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.

Nearly one in five new moms experiences anxiety or depression during pregnancy or after giving birth. These conditions can lead to difficulty bonding with a newborn, or a higher risk of suicide, if left untreated.    But a new experimental treatment is giving some researchers hope. It's a psychoactive substance derived from mushrooms called luvesilocin.  In a recent set of FDA trials, a single dose of luvesilocin turned out to be highly effective – and worked more quickly – in improving patients' postpartum depression and anxiety.   Dr. Camille Hoffmanis an OB-GYN and Professor of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz. She helped oversee an early clinical study of luvesilocin, and wrote about it for The Conversation.   Hoffman spoke with Erin O'Toole earlier this year about what researchers found, and why luvesilocin may be a promising alternative to psychotherapy or prescription drugs that are often used to treat postpartum depression. We're listening back to the conversation today. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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.

If you ask a wildlife official – moose are relatively new arrivals to Colorado.  In the late 1970s, wildlife managers released two dozen moose captured in other states into Routt National Forest near Walden. Before that, moose may have occasionally wandered in and out of Colorado, but didn’t have a permanent home here, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s official moose webpage.  But a researcher at the University of Colorado says that history is all wrong – and that moose have been part of Colorado’s ecosystem for centuries.   William Taylor is an archeologist and associate professor of Anthropology at CU Boulder. He studied moose remains, along with Indigenous and historical records, that suggest moose roamed Colorado long before their reintroduction in the ‘70s. The research was recently published in the Journal of Biogeography.  William joined Erin O’Toole earlier this year to talk about the research and the questions it raises about the right way to treat the roughly 3,500 moose in Colorado now. We’re listening back to that conversation today.   If this conversation left you wanting to learn more about moose, check out a new documentary by our friends at Rocky Mountain PBS called Managing Moose: Colorado's Most Dangerous Animal.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials made a major announcement last week: They will no longer kill wolves believed to have repeatedly preyed on livestock.  It's a shift in how Colorado has managed its fledgling wolf population. Previously, officials tried to strike a balance between Colorado voters’ desire to reintroduce wolves – and the concerns of ranchers who say the animals kill and harass their livestock.  But for now, using lethal methods to manage wolves is off the table. So, what's behind this no-kill directive from Colorado Parks and Wildlife?  Tracy Ross follows this story for The Colorado Sun. She talked with Erin O’Toole about what this new policy says about the state of wolf reintroduction in Colorado.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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.

Across Colorado, public schools are serving more students with autism.   The increases over the past five years are striking: In Denver Public Schools, the state's largest district, there's been a nearly 75% increase in the number of students with an autism diagnosis who seek help from special education services. And while the exact increase varies from district to district, those figures are higher across Colorado, according to data from the state's Department of Education.  Students on the autism spectrum often require extra support from a teacher. Or a more calming classroom setting. So how do Colorado schools support those students -- and where do they find the resources to serve more of them?  Melanie Asmar is an education reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado. She recently spent time in some Denver classrooms and reported on the numbers. She joined Erin O'Toole for a look at how this trend is shaping the state's public schools.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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.

It’s fall in Colorado – which means mountain roads have been filled with people enjoying the sight of all those red, orange and gold aspen leaves that cover the hillsides.  And you can bet that quite a few of those tourists will look at those vibrant aspen trees and wonder why they can't just plant one in their own yard.   John Murgel, a horticulture specialist with Colorado State University Extension, says they frequently field questions from the public about whether they can plant an aspen tree at home.   "I think aspens have a special way of evoking strong memories of going to the mountains and looking at leaves,” he said. “So it's a way to bring those experiences and those memories closer to home.”  Unfortunately, Murgel says that although the aspen is a uniquely beautiful tree, it may be a lousy choice for your landscape. He joined Erin O’Toole in 2024 to discuss the science behind that. We’re revisiting that conversation today.  If you’re looking to plant a tree this fall or in the spring, Murgel mentioned several alternatives to aspen – including the American Hornbeam and the Rocky Mountain maple. Here are a few more suggested varieties and a helpful guide to planting from the horticulture desk at CSU Extension.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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.

A library that’s focused on encouraging people to get outside might feel a bit odd – especially in a state like Colorado with a multitude of ways to hike or camp or spend time outdoors.   But getting out into nature isn't always within reach for everyone. For example, a camping trip can require expensive gear like tents, backpacks and sleeping bags.  The new Anythink Nature Library in Thornton opened in August with an unusual mission: to remove some barriers to getting outside. In addition to books, patrons can check out rentable outdoor gear – or hike on a trail at the open space just outside the library branch.  Mark Fink is the executive director of Anythink Libraries, which is the library district for Adams County. He talked with Erin O’Toole about the idea behind a nature library, and how the response has been.  If this conversation makes you realize you’re overdue to get out and enjoy autumn in Colorado, these recent In The NoCo interviews might help: Check out a guide to the restorative practice of forest bathing, how you can help prepare your drought-stressed lawn for next year, or why you probably shouldn’t plant an aspen tree in your yard.   * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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.