Telluride

Before Telluride, Colorado, became known for its upscale ski resort and second homes, it was a hippy enclave where sharing and repurposing were part of daily life. This spirit led to the creation of the Free Box, a spot for exchanging items. When neglect and the pandemic threatened its closure, the town government stepped in to save it.

In 2022, the Telluride Town Council passed an ordinance banning single-use plastics, effective July 1, 2024. The ban includes Styrofoam containers, plastic straws, cutlery, and water bottles under one gallon.

A group of birdwatchers gathered in Telluride recently to find out what’s flying around by the San Miguel River.

Chef Iliana Regan came up through the Chicago food scene, eventually opening her own restaurant in Lincoln Square, which earned her a Michelin star. Regan now runs a bed and breakfast, the Milkweed Inn, in the nether-regions of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The inn shutters in winter, allowing Regan to focus on her writing, and her teaching, which for the last two winters, has brought her to Telluride’s Ah Haa School.

Colorado is known for its summer music scene, and for its culture of outdoor festivities in general. The remote town of Telluride has long embodied that festival culture, and a new exhibit takes a deep dive into the town's festival history.

Sixteen years ago, Telluride residents made a commitment to preserve a vast meadow and marshland west of town known as the Valley Floor. This February, the town of Telluride made its final payment on the bond to acquire and protect the open space, placing it securely in the hands of the community. Recently, some of Telluride's youngest students visited the Valley Floor for a day of learning in both natural science and community spirit.

On housing and the growing gap between the rich and the rest of us.

The Telluride Foundation is trying to develop a scalable model to build affordable housing in rural Colorado.

Many Telluride residents say the town’s ongoing housing and labor debates are taking center stage and casting a considerable shadow on the town’s livability and affordability.

Several Colorado mountain communities are trying to limit the growth of short term rentals--as long-running housing crunches become a full-on crisis.