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By Zaylah Pearson-GoodPhotography by Cary Aloia  Scattered throughout vast agricultural fields, shrublands, grasslands, and meadows, are some of the San Luis Valley’s (SLV) most vulnerable and vital ecosystems. Wetlands, the transition ecosystems between upland and aquatic areas, filter pollutants and sediments from water and soils, acting like the kidneys of our planet.  These soggy, vibrant ecosystems also protect against major flooding events by absorbing excess water, slowing its velocity, storing it, and slowly releasing it back to the land.  Wetlands make our Valley more resilient against climate change by retaining carbon, creating buffers during wildfires, recharging the aquifer, and mitigating the impacts of...

By Amelia Stern Behavioral health issues, especially anxiety, alcohol use, and substance use disorders, rose dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts predict the numbers will only continue to rise — specifically in the San Luis Valley, where there are serious barriers to accessing much needed mental health care services. According to the most recently published Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS) conducted by the Colorado Health Institute (CHI), more than 24 percent of residents living in Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache Counties reported poor mental health, but only 16 percent talked to a mental...