We are the Air... We are the Water...  We are the Land....    

      I met Bill Semple at the International Green Build Expo in Toronto, Ontario. Bill, a guest speaker for the Rural Affordable Housing Symposium, immediately stood out. That's because when Bill says rural, even the good ole' country boy on the open range can't quite grasp his meaning. Bill works in rural affordable housing design for the vast open space of the Arctic Circle.

    Denver Colorado, star date 2011. Intelligence and rational thought discovered. Among the bricks of a preserved historic warehouse lies a collaboration of socially and environmentally responsible organizations all working to advance sustainability throughout Colorado.... and beyond.

        I met Tom Prugh on the fourth floor of the Alliance Center in downtown Denver. Tom is a Senior Researcher at the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado, a non-profit whose mission is to advance sustainability through collaboration among non-profits, business, government and education. The Center Building itself was renovated to not only inspire collaboration between the 33 non-profit tenants but also as a high performance, LEED Certified structure. As Tom explained, much thought was put into the design of the community spaces where members from all the various organizations interact on a daily basis in hopes of inspiring productive initiatives that embrace sustainability.

  I recently read this statement made by Tim DeChristopher who was arrested after protesting an illegitimate lease auction being handled by the Bureau of Land Management. It's worth reading, particularly after what we have recently seen by our elected leaders.   Tim DeChristopher

      I held back a tear as I watched a man and his daughter dance to the spirited tunes of "10 Foot Tall and 80 Proof" at the Red Ants Pants music festival in White Sulfur Springs, Montana. The couple had both donned bright white cowboy hats which caught the hot afternoon sun and spotlighted their swinging motion. The little girl looked up at her daddy with a beaming smile as he twirled her to the music, lettering her take the lead before lifting her in the air much to her delight. The love was transparent. The scene embodied the spirit of the day. Community. From the opening remarks to the mutual respect of the attendees, it was clear the highest valued commodity here is a strong, caring community dedicated to each other and to the good of Montana.