Non-Profit in the Spotlight

The mission for Huts for Vets is simple: to help veterans adjust to and enjoy civilian life by gaining tools for enhancing mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health. The organization takes groups of veterans up to the 10th Mountain Division Huts for three days of hiking, discussion, and reflection. Guests on this show include Paul Anderson, Executive Director, Dr. Jerry Alpern, board member and psychologist, and Adam McCabe, retired combat veteran, instructor, and board member.

Huts for Vets is a new non-profit, founded in January 2013. The organization lead two programs last summer, introducing 15 veterans to the serenity and calm of the wilderness - almost all of whom said the experience changed their life. Paul Anderson is the Executive Director of Huts for Vets and shares about the mission and programs of the non-profit organization. Dr. Jerry Alpern is a psychologist and a member of the board, he shares about the value of Huts for Vets. 

Learn more about Huts for Vets and Huts for Vets programs on their website: www.hutsforvets.org

Sustainable Agriculture - it's one of the new frontiers ACES, or Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, is taking on. Rock Bottom Ranch is one of the properties ACES manages - of the 113 acres, 40 acres are in agriculture production, the rest is kept as wildlands. Jason Smith is the Director of Rock Bottom Ranch and shares the summer programs, kids camps, vegetable gardens, livestock, and restoration projects happening at the ranch.

Jamie Cundiff is the Forest Programs Director at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES). In 2012, For the Forest merged with ACES to create a powerful voice for more than just the trees of the Roaring Fork Valley, but also for those in Colorado and the West. Cundiff explains the actions ACES is taking to ensure the health of the forests in the valley, as well as large-scale projects designed to predict the future of forests and tree species based on different carbon out-puts in the coming decades.

The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) has been an advocate for environmental education for over 45 years. Arin Trook is the Education Director, and is in charge of the in-school ACES programs in schools between between Aspen and Rifle. Trook explains the importance of environmental education and his  goals for future expansion.