VIDEOS & WEBINARS

Join PPAN and the BoCo Climate Justice Hive for an inspiring climate justice webinar: Transcend Nonprofit Industry Toward Collaboration for Collective Impact. Participants will delve into the realm of climate justice, identifying organizing obstacles and exploring strategies to coordinate and collaborate across sectors and communities. Together, we'll navigate the complexities of achieving collective impact on climate justice, fostering collaboration, and creating a sustainable future for all.

Don't have time to read a 300+ page study report?! Join PPAN as we explore the recently released Colorado Native Pollinating Insects Health Study with Dr. Adrian Carper and Steve Armstead, experts in entomology and conservation. This Study has broad implications for Colorado's protection and conservation of native pollinating insects, and the recommendations will also serve as a model for municipal and private lands. Our webinar will highlight the Study's key scientific findings and present valuable land management and policy recommendations.

Join us as we delve into the heart of the legislative session, where pivotal decisions are being made that will shape the landscape of pesticide policy and its profound effects on public health. Our expert speakers, Bret Turner and Melissa Ordelheide, will guide you through the basics of the legislative process and PPAN’s policy goals for 2024. We will also explore the gaps in Colorado’s pesticide regulations through the public health and health equity lenses, and recommend exploratory paths for the future of pesticide regulation in Colorado. Key Topics Include: - Legislative Advocacy 101 - Public Health & Pesticide Use - PPAN 2024 Policy Goals - Local Control of Pesticide Use bill - Policy in Action - Q&A with Bret and Melissa Bret Turner is a member of the board for the People and Pollinators Action Network and works full time at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus as a Hazardous Materials Specialist in the Environmental Health and Safety Department. Bret graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Resource Management from Penn State University, and recently in 2023 graduated with a Master of Public Health degree with a focus on Environmental and Occupational Health. He is passionate about the intersection between human health and wellness and environmental science/conservation, and in his spare time loves to spend time in nature searching for native plants and birds. Melissa Ordelheide joined the Siegel Long Public Affairs team in 2021. Prior to SLPA, with a keen interest in understanding the intersection of state politics and social change, she worked at the legislature as the legislative aide to Representative Dominique Jackson for over two years. In that role she gained a wealth of knowledge about the inner workings of the state legislature. Melissa has a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology from Metropolitan State University of Denver. In her time away from the Capitol she enjoys spending time with her husband and their four children at the lake, in the mountains or enjoying a relaxing weekend at home.

In light of ongoing concerns about invasive cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), we're welcoming Tim Seastedt to share his in-depth knowledge of plant ecology and invasive species on Colorado's Front Range. Cheatgrass has been presented as an indeterminate threat requiring expensive, pesticide-intensive actions. This approach to plant species management is often under-informed and insufficient, given the complexities of the climate crisis. Professor Seastedt will summarize over a decade of his research on cheatgrass to help clarify the impacts of this invasive on biodiversity and ecosystem services. This webinar for your viewing only and not to be shared in other forms.

The City of Longmont, CO has successfully transitioned the turf management in two of its premier parks to organic practices, setting a remarkable example of sustainable land management. Ben Gratton, Longmont’s Park Supervisor, has led the effort and generously shared his depth of experience during this webinar on Thursday, November 9th, 2023. This webinar is tailored for municipal staff, leaders, and land management professionals interested in learning more about Longmont’s turf management process. Join the City of Longmont, People & Pollinators Action Network, Beyond Pesticides, and Osborne Organics as we explore sound approaches to park and turf management with insights and strategies you can apply in your own communities. You will leave the webinar with the next steps for getting started in an organic transition, including funding and implementation support.

The term, ‘conservation’, is tossed around a lot, and often without adequate appreciation of its meaning or interpretation. Simply put, to ‘conserve’ something is to preserve or protect something which you value from things which would harm it. Sounds reasonable enough. However, in reality, people value different things and in different ways, impacting their ideas of what conservation is and means or what conservation action should be. ​Colorado’s pollinators have become increasingly of conservation concern through the years, and yet, just as our pollinators are exceptionally diverse, so too are the people that value them, their perspectives, and their ideas surrounding pollinator conservation. ​Join us as Dr. Adrian Carper, a community ecologist focused primarily on pollinators, creates a conversation around how we collectively acknowledge the complex issue of objectivity in our own conservation initiatives: to 1) be open to the science, data, and current understanding of pollinator communities, 2) think critically about how pollinators impact humans and we, in turn, impact them, and 3) how we can collectively work to understand the complex ecological and societal implications of pollinator conservation policy and practice.

Keystone species in nature are the pillars upon which entire ecosystems rely and have a beneficial impact on insect populations and diversity. ​Incorporating keystone tree species—such as oak, cherry, and willow—into our landscapes is critical in supporting pollinator habitat. These species not only provide sustenance for invertebrates like caterpillars, but also pupation sites for those caterpillars to become pollinating butterflies and moths! ​Join Ryan Bartlett, tree and Colorado native bee expert, to learn about all the different organisms that rely upon trees to survive!

Sharon Selvaggio, a staff member in The Xerces Society’s Pesticide Program, studies the risks of pesticides and helps people move away from pesticide reliance toward prevention-based pest management. In her discussion, she shares the strategies that the Xerces Society is using to source pollinator-safe plants for monarch and pollinator restoration and to identify ways to work with your local green industry to shift growing and buying practices.

The most important action you can take is to call your legislator TODAY - both your senator and your representative. They are currently voting on a bill (SB23-192), that if left as it now stands, will deny local governments and their communities the ability to limit where and how pesticides are used, blocking us from choosing how best to protect our families, pollinators, birds and our environment. A phone call is the most effective means to communicate with legislators. Leave a voicemail if a staff member doesn’t answer. Say that you are their constituent and ask that they ensure that control for pesticide use is returned to local governments where it belongs. You can find your legislator here: https://leg.colorado.gov/FindMyLegislator Click on the link for each legislator’s webpage to get their phone number. A second action is to join hundreds of others by signing an open letter as an organization, business, and/or individual at https://forms.gle/VFHvkZ9MgyKYY5mU8 Learn more at ReclaimLocalControl.org