Category: Trail Projects

The NMVFO‘s first project of 2020 was planting saltgrass at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, with refuge staff and a couple of other groups.

Unlike last year’s project that harvested native inland saltgrass from Bernardo, plantings this year were started at a nursery and shipped in long narrow conical plastic containers. Refuge staff will compare the growth of native versus nursery plantings.

The plugs of grass were planted about two or three feet apart. This species is rhizomatic, and will spread. Here was my first planting, named Albert:

By noon we had planted over a thousand plugs of grass, helped by warm weather, low wind, good company, and nature vistas.

New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors has recently posted their projects for 2020, and the selection looks impressive, with several summer backpacking trips.

I made a map of most of these projects, inspired by a map at Heart of the Gila for their projects.

Direct link to map

Jennifer Sublett from the Santa Fe National Forest and Stephanie McGovern with the Gila National Forest presented a 3-day (!) first-aid course for 19 members of the New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors, Socorro Search and Rescue, and the Northwest Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico, November 22-24 at the Open Space Visitor Center in Albuquerque.

Challenging scenarios helped prepare us for unexpected situations, stretching our brains. Later scenarios showed us that as humans we are imperfect, and are prone to overlook fundamentals in an emergency, like responder safety, or comforting a patient with conversation and eye contact.

The course was phenomenal . Thanks so much to the organizers and venue.

On the second day a couple of class members were lying down outside on the lawn, getting ready for a scenario as victims. When two visitors to the nature center went past, they let them know what was happening. “Don’t worry, we are part of a first aid class.” The visitors replied, “Oh, I thought it was just Albuquerque.”