Arroyo Hondo: Land and Community Stewardship
EWI is always actively engaging members of the community to become informed and participate in restoration and wildlife projects. Most of our work is performed in specific communities in Santa Fe County where the impacts of such work either directly or indirectly impact residents of the area. In the spirit of community stewardship, we often hold an informational meeting to recruit community members to inform them of the project details and invite them to participate in the maintenance after the initial work is performed. In the case of wetland restoration, newly planted trees need water and care, and invasive species such as tamarisk and Russian olive need to be removed continuously.
Thriving willows in the Arroyo Hondo wetland
In December, Kina Murphy, EWI’s Water and Land Health Coordinator held a meeting with members of the Arroyo Hondo community to discuss restoration work that began the week of January 25. The success of restoration work often largely depends on the participation of community members and willingness to learn about their environment. During the meeting, we discussed specific roles for people in the community to adopt, and maintenance tasks in which they would be interested. We also brainstormed ideas about wildlife habitat maintenance and the recruitment of students from area schools to participate in restoration maintenance. Not only would the land benefit, but the students would be educated on the fragile ecology of a wetland.
We were pleased with how many people attended the Arroyo Hondo Community Stewardship Team meeting, and how interested everyone was in taking on the variety of restoration maintenance tasks. It was an opportunity to meet neighbors, and to discuss ideas about land use, wildlife, and conservation. In northern New Mexico, we recognize that our land needs special care and the Arroyo Hondo community is ready to accept the challenge!
EWI strives to reach as many individuals as possible to inform them of our hard work and dedication to the health of the land and community in northern New Mexico. In future newsletters we will feature additional Water & Land Health projects beginning as the weather warms – stay tuned!
