Local artist Shanda Akin brings her newest collection to Four Leaves Winery for a free evening of art and conversation, the Durango Arts Center opens Trey Parker's Cannibal: The Musical for a limited run, and the Southwestern Water Conservation District hosts its 42nd Annual Water Seminar at Sky Ute Casino Resort in Ignacio. Here's everything you need to know. This story is sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts and RMW Tafoya Barrett & Associates

Durango wasn't always the tree-lined community it is today — in the late 19th century, the landscape was largely barren — but now, climate change and rapid development are threatening the 12,000-plus trees that define it. The DurangoScape 2026 Climate Conference, hosted by the Durango Botanic Gardens brought together local and regional experts to help residents understand how to protect their community forest through smarter planting, root system awareness, and early action. This story is sponsored by Payroll Department and Durango Gelato, Coffee & Tea

What happens when one woman's curiosity about disappearing birds grows into a global movement? For Kelly Miller, founder of Follow the Birds, a simple question about winter silence along the Animas River trails became a three-day gathering connecting scientists, artists and storytellers from across the world. The Bird Migration Gathering — held each March and October — drew participants from 16 countries at its inaugural October event, exploring migration through ornithology, conservation, art, storytelling and technology. Past contributors include celebrated naturalist Scott Weidensaul, wildlife advocate Craig Foster of Cape Town, South Africa, and bird language expert Jon Young. The next gathering takes place online March 13-15, 2026. This story is sponsored by Kroegers Ace Hardware and Dunkin’ Donuts

This week in Durango, Rocky Mountain PBS brings its Mini-Film Fest to Fort Lewis College, the Friends of the Library kicks off its annual Spring Book Sale, and hip-hop artist Grieves brings his Out Cold Tour 4 to Animas City Theatre. Here's everything you need to know. This story is sponsored by Happy Pappy’s Pizza and Wings and the FLC Center for Innovation

West Coast Swing is more than a dance style — it's a lifestyle for members of West Slope Westies, Durango's nonprofit swing dance community. Known for its fluid, elastic movement and ability to complement almost any genre of music, West Coast Swing has drawn a growing and passionate local following. When the group began outgrowing their rented rooms at the Smiley Building, leadership made a bold decision: find a bigger home and trust the community to fill it. That leap of faith led to the creation of The Durango Collective, a downtown studio that now serves as a shared hub for multiple local dance communities all under one roof. As the group's president describes it, the space was built for people to connect, create and celebrate — and for anyone willing to push through that first moment of vulnerability on the dance floor, joy is waiting on the other side.