RIVER

this indicates good water quality. Dissolved oxygen is just one important aspect of overall water quality,” Harman said.

Harman said these macroinvertebrates tell them what they do and a lot about water quality. If certain kinds of bugs are present, the water quality can sustain these macroinvertebrates, and they’re also an essential part of the food chain for the sh that consume these bugs.

“We amended that agreement and since then we built four di erent drop structure locations along the river to improve habitat and will select a fth spot to construct by fall. en when complete, we will go into phase six and continue ongoing monitoring of aquatic life forever at all these locations,” Dorsch said.

Dorsch said to improve the water quality, stirring it and building miniature waterfalls to put the oxygen back in the river over time, so it starts to get better. In addition, they will place large rocks that will provide protective cover for sh, create pools close to the bank of the fast-moving water—trees will be plants and shrubs for aquatic shade and creates a riparian zone, which is a vegetation area between land and river.

e Metro Water Recovery scientists will stock the river with Colorado native species, primarily minnows, they said.

youth.”

Another important lm screening is “Reclaiming Denver’s Chinatown,” a documentary about the racism Chinese residents faced in the Mile High City. And, for the rst time, the festival will wrap up at the Denver Botanic Gardens, with a screening of

“I Am What I Am,” an animated lm about a teenage boy who wants to learn the art of traditional Chinese lion dancing.

As is so often the case with lm festivals, some of the most exciting events are the extracurricular activities that enhance the movies.

Of note are two community conversations the festival is hosting: at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 11, “Celebrating the Stories of Our LGBTQ+ Asian American Paci c Islander Community,” will be held and at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 12, audiences can participate in “Celebrating the Stories of our Multiracial AAPI Community.”

“ ese topics come from listening to the community, which provides us with so many options,” Moore said. “Over the last three years we’ve seen huge increases in hate, racism and intolerance and we’re trying to ght this in many ways. Community conversations are great ways to help, because they give people the opportunity to hear stories and make these issues less unknown.”

In addition to live Q&As with lmmakers following some screenings, there will also be an Asian marketplace and culinary experience available to those who attend with an appetite. No matter how audiences want to engage with the festival, Moore hopes they’ll come with questions and a willingness to learn.

“ e beauty of the event is bringing people together every year to show that the stories we all share have so many similarities,” she said. “People can come together and feel a real sense of warmth and acceptance, and that’s really my goal for the festival.”

For information, individual tickets and passes, visit www.cd lm.org.

Find space for Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson at the Paramount

Even those who don’t really nd space all that interesting (I’m told that’s a thing) can nd something fascinating about exploration of the unknown when Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson speaks about it.

Tyson will be stopping by the Paramount eatre, 1621 Glenarm Place in Denver, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8. e topic for the evening’s discussion will be Cosmic Collisions, which has all kinds of potential to be properly mind blowing.

Purchase tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.

Watch the Oscars with fellow film lovers at Sie FilmCenter e Oscars are back to honor some of the year’s best lms (though I am personally outraged that “Babylon” didn’t receive a best picture nomination). As has become tradition, Denver Film is celebrating the year in movies with a big party (just like the one in “Babylon”). e Brightest Night in Hollywood begins at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 12 at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver. Attendees are encouraged to either get fully decked out or come in their com est pajamas and enjoy a live screening on all three of the center’s screens, with drink specials at the bar and food specials also available. e event is free, so visit https:// denver lm.eventive.org/ lms to RSVP for a spot.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Nathaniel Rateli plays Nilsson with the Colorado Symphony at Boettcher Concert Hall love our native species and want to protect them every chance we can,”

Singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson is one of those musicians who doesn’t receive the recognition they so rightly deserve. His music has been the inspiration for so many legendary artists, including Denver’s Nathaniel Rateli . To mark the 50th anniversary of “A Little Touch of Schmilsson,” Nilsson’s tribute to the Great American Songbook, Rateli is teaming up with the Colorado Symphony to tackle the seminal album.

Nathaniel Rateli plays Nilsson with the Colorado Symphony will be held at the Boettcher Concert Hall, 1000 14th St., No. 15, in Denver, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4. Visit https:// coloradosymphony.org/ for tickets and information.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.

Dorsch said. “We also target Johnny Darters and Iowa Darter which are the most sensitive species of minnows in the South Platte River.”

While Metro is working on the Platte River project, Dorsch said shing will still be allowed even when constructing ri es which are fast-moving sections of stream and other habitat improvements farther down the river. e scientist will continue to monitor the water qual- going on and what’s gone wrong. If there are problems, we will correct it,” Dorsch. e Metro Water Recovery scientists’ work didn’t go unnoticed in saving the aquatic life on the river — they received the National Environmental Achievement Award from the National Associations of

Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) for Habitat Improvements Projects, ac- conference in Sonoma, CA.

“We love getting awards, (but) like most biologists — we come in do our job,” Dorsch said.

“It’s nice to get the award,” Harman added. “People aren’t aware of the work we do, so it’s kind of nice to get some recognition and people realize we’re out here in the river.”