Local Bioneers of the Year honored

Durango's first annual Bioneers conference, April 2-3, is being called a success. As event organizers are looking toward a second annual, they are also celebrating the group of local biological pioneers who were given Bioneers of the Year awards.

Bioneers is a national movement that was founded in 1990 with a mission of encouraging environmental restoration and traditional farming practices and rescuing biological and cultural diversity. Since that time, Bioneers has developed a strong social justice component as well as an international reputation. The Durango event featured video coverage from the greater conference as well as workshops and panel discussion. At the core of Bioneers in Durango was the fact that there are numerous "biological pioneers" currently doing good work in the local community and now they have been recognized.

"For me, the purpose of the Bioneer of the Year award is to acknowledge, honor and celebrate people who are doing extraordinary work in the fields of environmental restoration and social justice in our region," said Will Hays, who organized the event with Kate Grace MacElveen. "We want to get the word out about the positive things people are doing."

The Animas Valley Bioneers of the Year are:

•Alex Arribau and Mark Thompson, of Phoenix Recycling LLC and Phoenix Data Protection,who hope to boost recycling in La Plata County with their conscientious curbside recycling and trash collection.

•Katrina Blair, of Turtle Lake Refuge, which works "to celebrate the connection between personal health and wild lands" through promoting and practicing sustainable practices.

•Kent Ford, of Durango Green Business Roundtable, who came up with the idea as a way for local businesses with similar interests in the environment to network while learning green business practices.

•David and Kay James, of James Ranch Grass-finished Beef, who work to raise their cattle naturally and traditionally, and actively work to preserve open space in the north Animas Valley.

•Bill Manning, of Kiva Orchard and High Desert Foods, who works to support the rich ecological and cultural diversity of his organic farm and orchard near Hovenweep in a sustainable manner.

•Ron Margolis, of People of Conscience, a group working to regain a voice within a culture dominated by big business and working to encourage other independent groups to take action.

•Charles and John Shaw, and Lisa Bodwalk, of the Smiley Building, who converted Durango's abandoned Smiley Junior High into a community arts center that showcases numerous environmental technologies.

•Tom Riesing and Christie Berven, of Oakhaven: A Permaculture Center, a La Plata Canyon farm and education center that focuses on encouraging sustainable growing practices and self-sufficiency.

•Jeremy Rivera, of Quest Energy Group LLC, a team of architectural and mechanical engineers focused on providing energy-efficient design solutions to the regional and national building industry.

Hays and MacElveen expressed their gratitude to everyone who helped make Bioneers in Durango a reality and said that a second conference will be held next year.

"Now that the conference has happened, it seems like a lot fewer people are asking, What's a Bioneer?' and a lot more are asking what they can do to make this a sustainable community," Hays said.