Category: Archived Articles

Meet Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand; City Park’s Lily Pond; May 16

A woman standing on the side of a stone wall.


Next Tuesday, May 16, the City Park Friends and Neighbors (CPFAN) Board of Directors and interested CPFAN members will meet with Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand at the Lily Pond, located southwest of the Museum of Nature and Science to brainstorm ideas for a Land Acknowledgement installation in the area.  Kristina is a Sicangu Lakota and Cherokee artist who is a co-chair of the Denver Indian Commission and a Creative and Public Engagement Fellow at the Denver Art Museum. She has also created several Land Acknowledgement art installations in the Denver area. One of the most recent is a Living Land Acknowledgement in Five Points, funded through a “P.S. You Are Here†grant administered by Denver Arts and Venues (DAV).  The sponsor is Redline Contemporary Art Center. The Land Acknowledgement is a garden surrounding a topiary sculpture featuring indigenous plants “that thrive in Colorado’s arid climate and reconnect gardeners to native plants and promote environmental sustainability,” according to the grant.

On May 12, Kristina has an art show opening at the Dairy in Boulder. Works on display will include illustrations, graphic design, portraits, a small animatic and two mini land acknowledgment prototypes. For more information, go to https://thedairy.org/all-my-relations/?fbclid=IwAR22UffxqWIFFNI3kk8F-mRxQq763mdFLtCIUn6oBesMSw8QUTkVRBhzdck .

What would a Land Acknowledgement look like at City Park’s Lily Pond? Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and join us at the Lily Pond to share your ideas. Participants’ input will guide CPFAN and Kristina as we explore the idea of applying for a P.S. You Are Here grant for a Land Acknowledgement at City Park’s Lily Pond. These neighborhood grants are for short-term projects and could help inform the more long-term Land Acknowledgement that Denver Parks and Recreation is planning.

We encourage you to walk or bike to the Lily Pond. The closest parking is accessible by entering the park at Montview Blvd and traveling south until you reach the roundabout near 17th Avenue. The Lily Pond will be to the north. If you have questions, email us at info@cpfan.org.

Plant Medicine Workshop with Brooke Badon-Voigt

A basket with leaves and flowers on it.


Brooke Badon, CPFAN Board member and Adopt-A-Flowerbed volunteer, will present a workshop on Herbal Medicine for our February 7 program at 6:30 pm. The CPFAN Board meeting will precede the program at 5:30 pm and we welcome you to join us for that as well. The meeting and program will take place in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Carla Madison Recreation Center, 2401 East Colfax Avenue. There is parking behind the center that can be accessed from 16th Avenue and York St.

Having recovered in a short time from COVID, Brooke will present specific insights into herbs and plants that aided in her healing in addition to an introduction to the basics of Plant Medicine and how to make your own infusions. Brooke became interested in plants as a child growing up on a small farm with her Mom and next door to her grandparents. As an adult, she found herself attracted to outdoor recreational and environmental education. She started her career path with CityWILD, a Denver nonprofit that connects youth with nature “to develop their full potential and achieve their wildest dreams.” When Sam and Suchil Coffman from The Human Path offered programs on Wilderness and Herbal First Aid/First Responder courses at cityWILD, Brooke’s early interest in plants was revived and she jumped right in. The Human Path and Herbal Medics Academy are non-profits that provide “a hands-on learning experience that pushes the boundaries of herbal medicine in austere and post-disaster environments.” Sam Coffman is the author of Herbal Medic: A Green Beret’s Guide to Emergency Medical Preparedness and Natural First Aid.
Wilderness First Responder Course, Sedalia, 2019
Photo: Brooke Badon-Voigt

Brooke now serves as My Outdoor Colorado (MOC) Coalition Coordinator. MOC is a visionary approach to connecting youth with the outdoors through strategic partnerships that provide access to nature education, recreation and skill-building opportunities. Access to the outdoors fosters a greater appreciation of the natural environment, provides opportunities to build an ethic of stewardship, and helps youth experience potential careers in the outdoors. As MOC Coordinator, Brooke oversees the work of eleven partner organizations.

Always eager to serve the community, Brooke is also a member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. And she participates on committees of the Denver Park Trust, whose mission is to raise funds to improve and add to Denver’s parks “where they are needed most†in partnership with Denver Parks and Recreation.

CPFAN is proud to host this program by the vibrant and energetic, Brooke Badon-Voigt. Come join us to see why Brooke swears by the potency of herbs to heal and enhance peoples’ lives. There will be interactive activities where participants can learn which herbs do what and what herbal combinations work best and why. This will be an interesting and fun program!  Please come! This is an in-person event. Let us know if you plan to attend at cpfan.org. Herbal tea will be served!

Brooke Badon’s Plant Medicine Workshop

A shelf with many jars and bowls on it


Brooke Badon, CPFAN Board member and Adopt-A-Flowerbed volunteer, will present a workshop on Plant Medicine for our January 3 program at 6:30 pm following our 5:30 pm board meeting. The meeting and program will take place in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Carla Madison Recreation Center, 2401 East Colfax Avenue.

Brooke has studied and applied plant and herbal medicine for years as an extracurricular activity. She has provided workshops with local enthusiasts like Beverly Grant, the founder of Mo’ Betta Green, an urban farm and education and wellness platform. Grant’s Seeds of Power Unity Farm has sites spreading across Central Denver.

Professionally, Brooke serves as My Outdoor Colorado (MOC) Coalition Coordinator. MOC is a visionary approach to connecting youth with the outdoors through strategic partnerships that provide access to nature education, recreation and skill-building opportunities. Access to the outdoors fosters a greater appreciation of the natural environment, provides opportunities to build an ethic of stewardship, and helps youth experience potential careers in the outdoors. As MOC Coordinator, Brooke oversees the work of eleven partner organizations.

Always eager to serve the community, Brooke is also a member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. And she participates on committees of the Denver Park Trust whose mission is to raise funds to improve and add to Denver’s parks “where they are needed most†in partnership with Denver Parks and Recreation.

CPFAN is proud to host this program by the vibrant and energetic, Brooke Badon. Come join us to see why Brooke swears by the potency of plants and herbs to heal and enhance peoples’ lives. There will be interactive activities where participants can learn which herbs do what and what herbal combinations work best and why. Start your New Year off right with this fresh perspective on healthy living!

 Please RSVP to info@cpfan.org if you plan to attend.
Brooke Badon & Mushrooms in City Park

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