Spring is coming - join us as a community scientist

After the cold and wet winter we’ve been experiencing in Denver, I know everyone is looking forward to spring. As the days grow longer and warmer, we all start looking for the telltale signs that spring is arriving — birds chirping, trees lea ng out, lilac buds, bulbs emerging out of the damp soil. As you observe nature around you, why not start taking pictures, recording your observations and contributing to large projects as a community scientist? April is the perfect month to join community science e orts across the globe.

At the Denver Botanic Gardens, we seek to connect people with plants. Our scientists are particularly interested in studying patterns and processes of biodiversity. One way we do this is through community science (also known as citizen science) initiatives such as the Denver EcoFlora project. ese initiatives allow participants to connect with plants by making observations of biodiversity patterns in their environment. EcoFlora is based on the traditional ora concept, a list or inventory of plants in a given area or period of time. e eco in EcoFlora represents going beyond a traditional ora and encompassing the study of urban ecosystems. We run the Denver EcoFlora project on the iNaturalist platform where we engage the community in documenting plants living in the Denver metro area. Our goal is to document all plants living in the seven county metro area (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broom eld, Denver, Douglas and Je erson counties) using the iNaturalist app. Why? You may ask.

Well, understanding the ora of an area is the best way to protect it.

As part of the EcoFlora project, we send out monthly challenges called EcoQuests to engage participants in documenting a speci c species, group of plants or theme.

April’s EcoQuest has two parts: the rst is focused on some of the rst owers to emerge in spring, the pasque owers (Pulsatilla nutalliana). en, starting April 28, a global competition begins with the start of the City Nature Challenge

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CHRISTY STEADMAN Editor csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

- a challenge to document the most biodiversity within cities. Using the iNaturalist app, you can make observations of any wild organism: plant, bird, insect, fungi. Observations made between April 28 and May 1 count towards the competition. Last year, we had nearly 400 participants observe more than 600 species. Our goal is to surpass those numbers this year. And, if the wet winter unfolds into a sunny spring, we just might be able to do it. Many local partners are organizing hikes or bioblitzes during the City Nature Challenge. Check our website (botanicgardens. org/science-research/citizen-science-programs/ city-nature-challenge) for details on events and how to register.

You can contribute to scienti c studies by downloading the iNaturalist app and using it to take photos of the nature around you. We encourage you to get outside, feel the sun on your face and contribute to science while you’re out there.

Denver Botanic Gardens Citizen Science projects: botanicgardens.org/science-research/ citizen-science-programs

Denver EcoFlora project: inaturalist.org/projects/denver-eco ora-project

Denver Botanic Gardens City Nature Challenge information: Denver-Boulder Metro City Nature Challenge: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/ city-nature-challenge-2023-denver-bouldermetro

Jennifer Neale is the director of research and conservation for the Denver Botanic Gardens now sure ing untie. changes while all dad a voir.

Today, things. alone.

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone. Email letters to csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline 5 p.m. on the 20th of each month for the following month’s paper.

Falls the like somewhere acre parents falls enough talization weeks nursing my he mountains.” try could again.

Día del Niño, or Children’s Day, is a celebration that originated in Mexico. Today, it is also celebrated in many communities across the U.S.

“This day recognizes children, pays homage to their importance in society and endorses their wellbeing,” states a news release from the Mexican Cultural Center.

The Mexican Cultural Center is putting on its ninth annual Día del Niño this year, with opportunities to celebrate through activities and Science and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) Free Days throughout April. Some of these organizations include the Clyfford Still Museum, Colorado Symphony, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Denver Public Library and Denver Zoo.

A highlighted event is Día del Niño at Denver Museum of Nature and Science, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 30. This day will offer free entry and a variety of family-friendly activities. Another is the Día del Niño Celebration at the Denver Art Museum, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 30. This event will include free entry, a variety of live entertainment and performances, and the Denver Preschool Program will be bringing guest readers to read the book, “How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?” by Jane Yolen, in both English and Spanish.

“We are delighted to honor one of Mexico’s traditional holidays celebrating Day of Children,” said Jesse Martinez, executive director of the Mexican Cultural Center. “These activities are a great way for the community to come together to celebrate and honor children, and where parents to be a kid too.” now I am conscious about making sure there’s not too much tape securing the paper or too many ribbons to untie.

To learn more about this year’s Día del Niño events, visit mccdenver.org/diadel-nino.

Parkinson’s is weird because some changes in my dad happened slowly while others seemed to come about all of a sudden.

For instance, ve years ago, my dad could still take the family out for a day of boating on Chat eld Reservoir. And, just one year ago, he was driving his truck with no problems. Today, my dad cannot do those things. He cannot walk up stairs alone.

Falling is one of the more serious complications of the disease. Falls can be fatal if they happen at the wrong time in the wrong place, like on a staircase or slipping on ice somewhere on the ve-and-a-half acre property in Bailey where my parents live.

He did experience a couple of falls this winter. Both were serious enough that they required hospitalization and surgery, followed by weeks of rehab in a nursing home.

During one of our visits in the nursing home, in the metro area, my dad said he’s doing OK. en he said, “I want to be closer to the mountains.” I told him he needs to try to remember not to fall so he could be at home in the mountains again.

Now he has a walker, but his Parkinson’s makes him forget that he needs to use it. e dementia seems to be coming faster. So, it’s a cycle: he tries to get up out of his chair and walk somewhere and somebody, usually my mother, has to stop him or he likely falls again. Falling is now part of my dad’s life – and our family’s.

It is still unknown why or how people develop Parkinson’s. Research on the causes and e orts to lessen the severity are making progress. According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, “scientists believe a combination of genetic and environmental factors” are to blame. Still, there is no cure for Parkinson’s. I like to think that someday there will be one. Science is already going in the right direction, with rst-of-its-kind surgeries already developed and being perfected, and new movement-based therapies that directly target the parts of the brain that help people with Parkinson’s gain control of their movement.

If a big breakthrough on Parkinson’s comes, it probably will not be in time for my dad, maybe not even for me if I ever develop the disease. I hold hope for the possibility for big improvements, or even a cure, in the lifetimes of my nieces or their children.

Awareness months o er us all a time for re ection. ey give people hope and motivate them and, perhaps most importantly, create the opportunity to share knowledge and personal stories, like mine and my dad’s.

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. It also happens that it is the month of my dad’s birthday. We’ll all get together, I’m sure. In my mom and dad’s mountain home.

Mile High Happenings is a monthly column featuring community events throughout Denver, highlighting events that take place in the central and central-south neighborhoods covered by the Washington Park Pro le and Life on Capitol Hill newspapers.

Event submissions from community members and organizations are welcome. Submissions should include brief details about the event and a photo

April 7-30

Time: Varies.

Location: RPO Framing & Gallery, 1588 S. Pearl St., Denver.

Cost: Free.

e “Memories from the Backseat” gallery exhibit, hosted by South Pearl Street’s RPO Framing & Gallery, will feature the work of local artist Kyle Banister. It is running in conjunction with “Oil and Aerosol,” featuring the work of Ian Rumley and Dane Olsen, at Hazel art bar, 1581 S Pearl St. For the First Friday exhibit opening, the GoGo Beat Girls will be performing several times from 6-9 p.m. April 7 at RPO Framing.

More information/reservations: Bob Platz, owner of RPO Framing & Gallery: 303-715-3828; bobplatz@yahoo. com

Courtesy Image

April 8

Denver Philharmonic Orchestra: Wild Wild West e Denver Philharmonic Orchestra welcomes Principal Guest Conductor Mark Mast for a Wild Wild West collection to include performances of Cecil E nger’s “Variations on a Cowboy Tune,” Tom Taylor’s “Big Basin Breakdown” and Johannes Brahms’ “Symphony No. 1.” Attendees are invited to the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra’s More than Music Pre-Concert Chat from 6:30-7 p.m. and post-concert reception with the musicians.

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Antonia Brico Stage at Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman St., Denver.

Cost: Varies.

More information/reservations: denverphilharmonic. org or event logo.

Image courtesy of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra’s website.

Deadline is the 20th of each month for the event to be listed the following month. Cycle for the column’s listings will typically begin on the rst weekend of the month, depending on publication dates.

Submissions can be emailed to Christy Steadman at csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

April 7-9; April 14-15

Time: Varies.

Location: Buntport Theater, 717 Lipan St., Denver.

Cost: Name-your-own-price. is original show by Grapefruit Lab is an early-pandemic love story based on actual events. “Strange Bird, Queer Bird” tells the story of two queer people who manage to connect after only one face-to-face date before the world shuts down because of COVI-19. It denotes a hopeful tone in the personal and profound connections still happening between people despite forest res, uprisings in the streets, uncertainty and massive death.

April 8

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Elaine Wolf Theatre at the StaenbergLoup Jewish Community Center (JCC Denver), 350 S. Dahlia St.

Cost: Varies. Performed to Stravinsky’s score, “Firebird” is the timeless tale of a prince and his princess and the beautiful rebird that rescues them from the torments of an evil magician and his nefarious goblins. Ballet Ariel’s production is

April 12-16

Time: Varies.

Location: Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St., Denver.

Cost: $16 adults, $8 children age 6-12, 5 and younger are free. Discounted tickets are o ered to seniors on April 12, active-duty military and veterans receive half-price tickets on April 13.

Getting its start in 1903, the Denver Auto Show is the third oldest show in the nation, following shows held in New York in 1900 and Chicago in 1901. is year’s event will feature more than 20 exhibits from premier automotive brands, as well as lifestyle vehicles such as custom camper van conversions, and will highlight electric vehicles. It will include an indoor test track and an outdoor rideand-drive event.

More information/reservations: denverautoshow.com Courtesy logo.

e April 9 performance is a fundraiser event for the Denver Actors Fund and has a suggested donation of $20.

More information/reservations: grapefruitlab.com/ shows/queer-bird (Cash and credit is also accepted at the door.)

Image courtesy of Grapefruit Lab.

an intriguing fusion of Michel Fokine’s original choreography and Artistic Director Ilena Norton’s reimagining of this ancient Slavic fairytale set in an enchanted, shadowy forest. More information/reservations: balletariel.org/ firebird

Image courtesy of Ballet Ariel.

April 13

Time: 5:30 p.m. doors and cocktail hour, 7:30 p.m. runway show.

Location: Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 N. Clarkson St., Denver.

Cost: Tickets start at $25. Denver’s annual Paper Fashion Show features haute couture fashions made entirely from paper by Colorado-area designers. is year, more than 45 design teams will be featured on the runway. e event features a cocktail hour, the runway show, DJ Simone Says, and Ya Girl Cedes will emcee the event. It is a fundraiser for e ONE Club for Creativity, which is a multi-disciplinary nonpro t that promotes collaborative creative culture throughout Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Region. is year, 20% of the proceeds will bene t Downtown Aurora Visual Arts.

More information/reservations: paperfashionshow.com

Last year’s second place winner is a fashion titled Savoir Faire on Air, by designer/artist Julie Fletcher.

Photo by Blu Hartkopp.

April 13-16

Time: Varies.

Location: Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave., Denver.

Cost: Festival passes: $75 for Denver Film members/$85 non-member; Individual film tickets: $15 for Denver Film members/$18 non-member.

e Women+Film Festival showcases documentaries, narratives, and short lms celebrating the best in women-centric programming. Additional festival events include receptions on opening night and closing night; a marketplace from noon to 5 p.m. April 15 that features local, womanowned businesses; and live Q&As with lmmakers.

More information/reservations: denverfilm.org.

“Judy Blume Forever” is one of the lms being shown at Denver Film’s Women+Film Festival. Courtesy of Prime Video.

April 15

April 22

April 13-16

Time: Varies.

Location: Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Dr., Denver.

April 14

CSI: Regis Universitythe Toy Box Killer e Regis University Crime Scene Investigation Conference is presenting Jim Yontz,

Time: 6-9 p.m.

Location: Mountain View Room in St. Peter Claver, S.J. Hall at Regis University, 3333 Regis Blvd., Denver. Free parking is available in Lot 4 (enter via Lowell Boulevard between 52nd and 53rd avenues).

Cost: Free.

Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Location: CSU Spur, 4817 National Western Dr., Denver. Free parking is available in Lot N at CSU Spur.

Cost: Free.

DSST Public Schools is a network of public, free charter schools serving middle and high school students in Denver and Aurora. is event is open to the public and will showcase the work of DSST students in STEM and Creative Core programs. e event will run open-house style. Attendees will be welcome to explore CSU Spur’s other attractions at their leisure.

More information/reservations: tinyurl. com/DSST-Showcase; audrey.holmes@ scienceandtech.org; greggory.cannady@ scienceandtech.org

Image courtesy of the event’s Facebook page.

May 6-7

Time: All day.

Cost: Varies.

e Xicano Independent Filmmakers Festival (the XicanIndie Film Fest) is an annual four-day festival that highlights the artistry and experiences of the Latinx community in four areas: the Chicano Independent Filmmakers, Latino World Cinema, El Epoca de Oro (the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema) and Cine Mejicano.

More information/reservations: s uteatro.org; Teatro@suteatro.org; 303-296-0219 former deputy district attorney for New Mexico’s Sierra County. Yontz, who now works as a family law attorney in southern Colorado, will discuss his role prosecuting serial rapist and suspected serial killer David Parker Ray, aka the Toy Box Killer. is event is for mature audiences only. Its content will be explicit and is not suitable for children.

More information/reservations: regis.edu/signature-events/csi-regis Image courtesy of the CSI Regis program.

Time: Noon-2:00 p.m.

Location: City Park Greenhouse, 2500 E. 23rd Ave., Denver; and Sloan’s Lake Park, 5055 W. 17th Ave., Denver.

Cost: Tree prices range $50-$100. e Earth Day Tree Sale is a fundraiser sale to help support

April 26

Time: 8:30 p.m. concert; dinner specials begin at 5:30 p.m.

Location: Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th St., Denver.

Cost: Concert tickets cost $25 general admission and $50 reserved; dinner separate.

Nate’s Night is a dinner and concert event that supports musical education for Colorado youth. All proceeds from dinner specials and concert tickets directly fund Nathan Yip Foundation projects. Proceeds have previously supported instrument donations in conjunction with the Future Arts Foundation, Swallow Hill’s summer music camp, and Inside the Orchestra. is year’s concert features Salmon Mountain, a collaboration of Adam Aijala e Park People’s e orts to equitably build the urban forest. e Park People is a nonpro t that works with Denver communities to plant trees and improve parks for a healthy, resilient future. Its Denver Digs Trees program has provided more than 60,000 free and a ordable trees to Denver residents.

More information/reservations: TheParkPeople.org, 303722-6262, info@TheParkPeople.org

April 29

Capitol Hill Concerts: Edward W. Hardy

Time: 7 pm and Ben Kaufman of Yonder Mountain String Band; Andy orn of Leftover Salmon; and special guest Bonnie Sims of Big Richard. is annual community event is put on by NEWSED Community Development Corporation, a Denver-based nonpro t. is year’s event will feature three stages of

Location: First Unitarian Society of Denver, 1400 N. Lafayette St.

More information/reservations: Concert tickets: nathanyipfoundation.org; dinner reservations: opheliasdenver.com or 303-9938023 Courtesy logo.

Location: Civic Center Park, 101 W. 14th Ave., Denver.

Cost: Free.

Cost: $20-$25 general admission. e Capitol Hill Concerts’ season nale will be a multi-genre concert (including classical, pop and original work) by composer/violinist Edward W. Hardy. Capitol Hill Concerts has a mission to o er high-caliber, musically-diverse, family-friendly concerts, while also supporting local nonpro ts. A portion of the proceeds from this show will bene t El Sistema Colorado. e concert will be livestreamed on YouTube for free but a donation is suggested.

More information/reservations: capitolhillconcerts.com a variety of live music, entertainment and dance; a parade; chihuahua races; taco eating contests; a lowrider car show; arts-andcrafts and food vendors; and more.

Photo courtesy of the Capitol Hill Concerts’ website.

More information/reservations: cincodemayodenver.com Courtesy photo.

BY KIRSTEN DAHL COLLINS SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Kal, a 380-pound African gorilla at the Denver Zoo, grasped his oppy banana leaf the way some people hold a cone of caramel swirl ice cream. Slowly and deliberately, he savored every bite.

Over at the zoo’s Tropical Discovery building, Rex, a rhinoceros iguana native to the Caribbean, munched his way through a special breed of spineless prickly pear cactus. Nearby, a shy, 40-pound capybara named Rebecca — a rodent native to Central and South America — couldn’t resist a fresh pile of water lettuce.

It was snack time at the Denver Zoo, courtesy of Production Manager Patrick Crowell and his two sta ers, Marcelle Condevaux and Keith Goode. Smiling, the three horticulturalists watched the animals polish o their greens. Crowell and his sta had grown these tropical plants in several designated City Park greenhouses, which serve as kitchen gardens for many of the zoo’s 3,000 animals. Whether it’s cardamom and ginger leaves, banana trees or hibiscus owers, the greenhouse sta enables zoo animals to eat local — even if they crave ora from across the globe. e gardeners also grow landscaping plants for animal enclosures, from tall stands of euphorbia cactus to sweet gum trees.

“We’re trying to grow as much as we can locally,” Crowell said, adding that “growing exotics can take quite a bit of research.” e greenhouse specialties are grown without pesticides, using recycled water. All of this saves money the zoo would otherwise spend importing tropical plants from Florida. e production sta works closely with the zoo’s battery of veterinarians and nutritionists. Animal diets have come a long way since 1896 when the Denver Zoo began with a single caged bear cub, named Billy Bryan, in City Park. Although history does not record what Billy ate, it would probably make today’s zoo nutritionists shudder. ese days, animal diets are strictly controlled in order to keep them healthy. Often, that means adding the right vegetation.

One greenhouse holds a grove of banana trees, which are especially useful, since every part of the plant can be used. Crowell said the fruit is fed to fruit bats while the oppy leaves are popular snacks for many animals, including sloths and smaller reptiles — as well as great apes. Elephants and rhinos chew the banana stalks, which increases their ber intake and acts as a natural toothbrush.

“We get calls if an animal is ill,” Crowell said.

Many of the plants in the zoo greenhouses have medicinal qualities. Crowell said that leaves from the ginger and cardamon plants help prevent heart problems in great apes. Colorful blue, green and yellow lorikeets — a small parrot from Australia — keep their feathers healthy by pecking at hibiscus owers. According to Crowell, the pollen and nectar of these owers supply the birds with