Weaselskin Institute

05/08/2026

04/26/2026

Celebrating Earth Day with a focus on regeneration and community felt like the perfect way to honor the land we call home. Rather than just a single day of observation, our celebration was a testament to the hands-on work of agroforestry and the deep connections built across a "Longer Table."

A massive thank you to everyone who joined us for our dinner celebration. It’s the people who show up, share a meal, and commit to the soil who make this vision possible.

We also want to extend our deepest gratitude to the sponsors and partners whose support fuels our mission to bridge the gap between climate investment and agricultural resilience:

Dryland Agroecology Research

Mad Agriculture

Momentum Tree Services
Ballantine Family
Fort Lewis College

Whether you helped plant trees, supported the fundraiser, or simply shared your wisdom over dinner, you are a vital part of this growing ecosystem. Here’s to many more seasons of tending to our worries and amending our soils.

At Project Weaselskin, we celebrated Earth Day in the traditional way: by planting trees, 5000 of them. What made this truly special was the involvement of our college and high school interns. They weren't just there for the manual labor; they were integral to the entire process—from the initial p...

04/17/2026

This is exactly how my week has been!

04/16/2026

02/16/2026

Help spread the word about our annual youth art showcase and fundraiser, Unchain My HeART! There will be food, mocktails, and music! Next Friday is the day...IYKYK 🎉

01/07/2026

Want a service position that means something, helps you build skills and make new friends all while making unforgettable memories?
Team Up AmeriCorps lets you serve locally in Southwest Colorado while building real-world experience.
You’ll earn a living stipend and can score an education award after your term—so your future wins too.
Apply today at teamupsw.org/service.

11/20/2025

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly, it's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!
3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.
8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert, Labor Day?
9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate and wine in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming " WOO HOO what a ride!" MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Hunter S Thompson is said to be original author.

10/08/2025

Do you or someone you know want to be apart of an awesome team of like minded individuals who do incredible environmental work? We are hiring for our Executive Director position! We are seeking an Executive Director to serve as the chief executive officer of MSI, responsible for overall leadership, strategic direction, and organizational management. If this sounds up your alley, you can view the full job posting and application at mountainstudies.org/careers. Application closes October 24th.

08/08/2025

https://open.substack.com/pub/landdesk/p/open-letter-to-the-people-80c?r=a9wsw&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

The Sacred and the Revolution (by Ian M. Thompson, 1975)

08/08/2025

DSM Land's business model has been recognized by the International Business Times

DSM Land, LLC, a land-holding company based in Durango, Colorado, is proud to announce the launch of a funding campaign aimed at scaling its innovative and globally replicable investment model that proves business can be a true force for good.

07/18/2025

We are opening our doors to host workshops, fundraisers, retreats and social gatherings. Contact for more information and schedule your event today.