Guarding the Wild Earth: Valles Caldera National Preserve

Laura was a history teacher, and she can quote you chapter and verse on how the mainly European immigrants to the United States of America have cut down, destroyed, murdered and eaten a huge percentage of the native fauna and flora .

There are those who would save the last, almost wild places, restore them to wilderness, save the few animals and plants in a habitat almost free from humans so that they can survive for us to enjoy.

One such organization is WildEarth Guardians . We discovered them here in New Mexico when we moved to Santa Fe and were looking for volunteer opportunities. We were already members and contributors to National Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club among others, because of our extreme love for wildlife.

However, WildEarth Guardians was more regional, and offered volunteer opportunities that got us out in nature with hands on projects.

This weekend, we attended their Gala and learned of their 20 year history and accomplishments, as well as a future vision and challenges. We closed the party down and danced late, as usual.

Saturday morning we traveled up into the Jemez Mountains to Valles Caldera National Preserve, one of the newest and most challenged. At a purchase price of $200 million dollars, you know this is a special place.

We had driven past this over the years in both summer and winter, when it was still a 94,000 or so acre private ranch. Earlier, it had been a Spanish Land Grant. Even earlier, native Americans were the only humans there, and they still hold the area as sacred ground, though they get permits to take Golden Eagles for ceremonies to this day!

Over the years, whenever we stopped for a quick photo of the "private land." We were always awed by the magic of the huge strange grass valley amongst the high ponderosa pine forests of mountainous northern New Mexico.

Little did we know that it was part of a huge, ancient, volcanic caldera. We were sooooo elated to find that it had been bought and was now a National Preserve.

All is not well in paradise, however. Even with the huge amount of public funds expended, $200 million, many compromises were made. Hunting is still allowed, cattle grazing for almost no cost is still allowed, and worst of all, it is almost not possible for the public owners, we taxpayers, to explore the area unguided unless you are a paid hunter or cattle grazer or on a guided van tour!


A couple of weeks ago we had attended a presentation on Valles Caldera National Preserve sponsored by the Audobon Society in Santa Fe, and learned of the rare flora and fauna in this island in the sky amidst the desert terrain of New Mexico.

Currently the Preserve is managed by a board of directors who have worked to come up with a use plan that would employ Americans and others in the area and expand access. However, the board is rotated out very often, and has accomplish little other than a visitor center, roads, elk hunt, and guided van tours. We signed a petition to change the current management from political appointees to the National Park Service.

This weekend, WildEarth Guardians afforded a rare volunteer opportunity to remove cattle fences that elk had been being caught and injured by. We were also able to experience one of the world's most special places. Here in this ancient caldera, which has swallowed volcanoes and is now habitat for elk, bear, wild turkey, and more, still, cattle, not to mention many rare plants and surprising birds and other animals not usually found at this altitude, in this island in the sky.

We have added more pictures and information about our experience Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico in our pages at http://www.traveljournals.net/stories/30506.html . Give us a couple of days.....


By the way, we have now had over one million, three hundred fifty thousand hits on that site! Thank you, all our friends, family, and Google visitors!