Chicago’s famous bridges in the middle of town over the Chicago River Check out the Lionel Trains  “O” gauge on Amazon. The World’s Most Famous Railcar! Passing through the foothills that back Boulder, snaking up in altitude, and offering views of Gross Reservoir that are beyond compare, this journey reveals the less-seen back sides of familiar scenes to the north. It’s thrilling. With my face plastered to the window—hard enough to leave flat spots on my face and a dent in the glass—I spend the 6 hours (or more) on the AMTRAK trip from Union Station, Denver,... Read More

For the next issue of the EmpowerGen Column, I invited Rachel DeStigter to write an article about something she’s passionate about. Rachel is a young leader and dedicated international studies graduate who is seeking to earn a Ph.D. in sociology and perform innovative research on the sociology of neurodiversity. Rachel worked closely with me at Dream Tank as a NextGen Innovation Fellow in our Development department in 2021.   I am delighted to publish Rachel’s article this week.  Enjoy! With great hope and love for water, Heidi ************* “Why You Should Be Thinking More About... Read More

One of the largest agricultural producing regions of the United States is under grave danger from water shortages.  According to Mercury News, “The Central Valley, home to the world’s largest swath of ultra-fertile Class 1 soil, is the backbone of California’s $36.9 billion a year, high-tech agricultural industry. Its 6.3 million acres of farmland produce more 350 crops, from fruits and vegetables to nuts and cotton, representing 25 percent of the food on the nation’s table”.  This modern day bread basket of the United States produces a quarter of the food that... Read More