In The NOCO

A unique legal argument [https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25950709-20250519-camping-ban-appeal-opening-brief/] caught our attention recently here at In The NoCo [https://www.kunc.org/podcast/inthenoco]. It’s about rules banning people experiencing homelessness from sleeping in public places in Boulder.    The recent court filing by the ACLU of Colorado argues that camping is so fundamental to the culture and history of Colorado that cities should not be allowed to punish people who camp in public.    The ACLU of Colorado [https://www.aclu-co.org/] filed that brief to fight a recent ruling that said the city of Boulder can ticket or arrest people for sleeping outdoors. So-called “camping bans” like the one in Boulder are used by cities across the country. And they’ve been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.  So how did the ACLU of Colorado decide to build an argument around the state’s camping culture, and how likely is it to win?  Host Erin O’Toole spoke with  Tim Macdonald [https://www.aclu-co.org/en/biographies/tim-macdonald-legal-director-hehim], legal director of the ACLU of Colorado, to talk about why the group wants to end camping bans.  For more coverage on the recent filing read the Boulder Reporting Lab’s coverage [https://boulderreportinglab.org/2025/05/22/aclu-files-opening-brief-in-boulder-camping-ban-appeal-arguing-it-violates-colorado-constitution/]. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org [http://kunc.org/] Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org [NOCO@KUNC.org] 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 Producer: Ariel Lavery 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.

Commercial airline travel is one of the safest ways to get around.  In 2024, around five billion passengers worldwide flew on 40 million flights, according to the International Air Transport Association [https://www.iata.org/]. In that year there was less than one aircraft-related accident for every million flights in the air.  In other words, the odds are in your favor when you buy a plane ticket.  And yet, fear of flying is one of the most common phobias people struggle with. Researchers estimate about 25 million adults [https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22431-aerophobia-fear-of-flying] in the U.S. suffer from aerophobia, or fear of flying.   Randi Smith is a professor of psychology at Metropolitan State University of Denver [https://www.msudenver.edu/psychological-sciences/]. She studies why air travel provokes such an intense reaction in so many people.   With the summer travel season about to get underway, she joined Erin O’Toole to share some science-backed strategies [https://red.msudenver.edu/2025/fear-is-flying-high/] to help you, or a loved one, overcome a fear of flying.    * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org [http://kunc.org/] Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org [NOCO@KUNC.org] 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 Producer: Ariel Lavery 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.

Picture this: It’s a warm summer evening. You’ve got burgers and sweet corn roasting on the grill. And for dessert, homemade cobbler with fresh peaches – picked right off your very own peach tree.   If you live along the Front Range, you might think the only place you can get sweet, juicy Palisade peaches is at your local farmer's market. But it is possible to grow a peach tree outside of western Colorado, although it’s a bit more challenging than you might expect.  Jeff Pieper [https://tra.extension.colostate.edu/gardening-hort/about-gardening/] is a horticulture specialist with Colorado State University Extension in Mesa County, on the Western Slope. He’s been on the show before, to discuss the science behind why Palisade peaches taste [https://www.kunc.org/news/2024-09-06/what-makes-western-colorados-peaches-so-good] so incredible.   He joined Erin O’Toole to walk through some of the pros – and pitfalls – of growing your own peach tree.   Jeff mentioned lots of other fruit options that are more suited for the Front Range, including apple trees [https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/gardening-resources/online-garden-publications/tree-fruits/] as well as small fruits like strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries and currants [https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/currants-gooseberries-and-jostaberries-7-005/?_gl=1*6ioqr1*_gcl_au*Nzc5NjY2NjkyLjE3NDY4MjkxMDQ.*_ga*ODg0ODk3MzI4LjE3Mzc1NjU5NzA.*_ga_ZZ27K7HW51*czE3NDg0NDM5MTgkbzkkZzEkdDE3NDg0NDQ1MjckajQ2JGwwJGgw*_ga_2HV0QS6SKP*czE3NDg0NDM5MTgkbzkkZzEkdDE3NDg0NDQ1MjckajQ2JGwwJGgw].    Find more info and advice from CSU Extension on growing fruit trees [https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/backyard-orchard-stone-fruits-2-804/] and berries [https://growgive.extension.colostate.edu/grow/fruit-crops/].     * * * * *   Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org [http://kunc.org/] Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org [NOCO@KUNC.org] 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 Producer: Ariel Lavery 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.

Fear. Anxiety. Shame. And a horde of colorful, crocheted monsters.  It’s all part of a new exhibit at the Denver Art Museum that asks visitors to confront some uncomfortable emotions.  Denver artist Sadie Young has created cuddly and soft monsters with vivid colors and big eyes. And they’re all crocheted out of thousands of yards of yarn. Some are large enough for visitors to step inside.   The exhibit, called The Tangled Self [https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/exhibitions/tangled-self], draws on both her artistic experience and her educational background in psychology, particularly the concept of the shadow self [https://www.thesap.org.uk/articles-on-jungian-psychology-2/about-analysis-and-therapy/the-shadow/].  Sadie is also the founder and creative director of Spectra Art Space [https://spectraartspace.com/], which specializes in immersive installations. She joined Erin O’Toole to talk about her new exhibit at the DAM, the inspiration behind the creatures, and how she got started with crocheting.    * * * * *   Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org [http://kunc.org/] Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org [NOCO@KUNC.org] 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 Producer: Ariel Lavery 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.

The goo and gunk you find in your dishwasher, or in the drip tray underneath your refrigerator, could hold secrets to fighting climate change or reducing pollution.  That’s according to James Henrickson [https://microbiomenetwork.colostate.edu/james-henriksen/], a research scientist from Colorado State University. He says your hot water heater, washing machine, and shower are similar to hot springs or volcanic vents on the ocean floor. James studies creatures that can survive in these harsh environments.   James has traveled the world in search of these organisms, which scientists call extremophiles. Extremophiles can survive by consuming carbon dioxide or toxic chemicals.   So, James is on a search for new extremophiles that might make the planet healthier. He started a campaign [https://warnercnr.source.colostate.edu/extremophile-campaign-climate-change-solutions/] with CitSci, [https://citsci.org/projects/the-extremophile-campaign-in-your-home/forum/715] an organization that lets citizen scientists upload their observations and share them with researchers.   James joined Erin O’Toole to talk about how the public might be able to help in the search and why he sees potential in these creatures. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org [http://kunc.org/] Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org [NOCO@KUNC.org] 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 Producer: Ariel Lavery 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.