SIERRA CLUB, MAKING A DIFFERENCE

MCCULLY HOT SPRINGS BY SPENCE

    * double click on pics to enlarge
RUN, RUN, RUN, I  knew I could make it if I could catch a break. Thunderheads looming overhead I was searching my 3rd an final stop to find the elusive Spence Hot Springs.  Dashing out of the car and up the trail for a half mile hike, I could feel the beginning of what was soon to be a wild ride in a pool of water. When I finally reached the springs, perched on the edge of a cliff, everyone was leaving to beat the storm--yeah! At first the water drops were coming down...soft like a water light show, then getting bigger, and finally, gigantic ones! with my chin even with the water, the drops were bouncing off the surface as high as the top of my head--followed by some great hail, whacking me on my ears, and ever so often there was a thunder clap and some lightning off in the distance, and then suddenly..............*
This blog is about Volunteer Service projects u can do while traveling,  they provide a great opportunity to give back to nature and meet new an interesting people. 

MOUNTAIN LODGE

VALLES CALERA OUT THE WINDOW

I was here on my first Sierra Club Service project in the middle of May and the setting was stunning at the Calles Valdera Reserve in Northern New Mexico, about one and half hours north of Santa Fe. The 89,000 acre ranch was part of the original Mexico 1800s Land grants, and is situated in the middle of a volcanic caldera that collapsed 1 million years ago with a blast that was 500 times bigger than Mt. Saint Helens, along the way forming little streams through out the valley. We were staying in what used to be a classic Hunting lodge, with a giant fireplace and Elk mounting, overlooking the preserve. Purchased by the Federal Government in 2000, the congress worked a deal with Clinton so this was to become a Preserve and not a National Park, and be sustainable by 2015.

SUSAN AND PHYLLIS COOKING UP A STORM

HOSTS: On top of this setting we had the best hosts ever: Susan Estes and her side-kick Phyllis had been running Sierra club outings for the past 24 years.
Looking like they just got off a Rawhide T.V. set,  Phyllis fixed a mean breakfast that would hold u all day, and Susan would not admit it, but she was like a gourmet cook, and of course she brought her collection of fine wines from California to share. So Lodge experiences through the Sierra club are the way to go!

THE GROUP HEADING OUT TO THE SITE

THE GROUP: We had an interesting group of people from all around the country. There was Peter the bantering Environmental lawyer", Don, a refreshingly feisty retired biology teacher from New York, Jeff- we just called him "Jersey" with his youthful vigor, he would start his morning with mouthful of Red Man Chew, and end it with some kind of tasty concoction, Ann a housewife and economist from San Diego, Ruth the hard working editor from ABC news who loved Barbara Walters, and Mary and Nurse practitioner (and skin healer) from Seattle.
THE PROJECT: The area has recently suffered two major wildfires- the Las Coches fire in 2011, and the Thompson Ridge fire in 2013. Just prior to the 2013wildfire the Preserve was awarded a 40 million Federal Agriculture Grant to monitor the various wildlife populations, including bears, small mammals, fish etc.  and to maintain the biodiversity of the area.

SOME U OF O STUDENTS HELPING OUT

DON & JERSEY SWEEPING

 So each morning we piled into the van and off we went with our packed lunches. Once we arrived,  we would unpack the gear and walk out to the stream. We measured off 100 meters, use a GPS to do the same stretch as last year. And even though the streams were small, it didn't matter, we caught some big fish too. First job-stun the fish with the backpack and rod-- the shocker used about 300 volts attached to a motorcycle battery, then the 2 sweepers following scooping up any missed fish by the shockers net. Hand the full net to the person on the shore, put the fish in a bucket, hand it off to bucket runner who would take that over  to the the measuring station to ID, size and weigh,  & someone would record the data. We did this stretch of river 3 times, and this is called the "3 sweep depletion method"--we caught 1000s of fish over the week out of these little streams. The big tough non-naive fighting Brown trout, Rainbow, and the native Dace, Rio Grande Chub, and Rio Grande sucker fish

NICE BROWN TROUT

CHIEF JERRY-E-KEE

NIGHT TIME ENTERTAINMENT: Susan did a great job lining up guest from all over the state for post dinner time. We had Jackson Clark II, an expert on the fascinating  history of Navajo Weaving, Alan Osborne the ADDH  guy, who knew everything, including that President Nixon, was the first to sign the bill in 1970 that recognized religious freedom of native people in our country--he's a hero to Native Americans,
a dedicated couple in their 80s that brought in their Raptor collection of injured birds. And my favorite Albert the War Council Chief and Priscilla from the Santo Antonio Pueblo, who made jewelry and discussed how the government was taking away the water rights from their people who had lived in this particular area for over 900 years.

CHIEF ALBERT-GRINDING JEWELERY

FREE TIME:  Continued from the start * A blinding light, a lightning bolt had just shattered in the sky right in front of us.  I was pretty much petrified in the water, thinking over what I should I do- run for cover under a tree, get under rock.. I just decided to stay there with Mike, who seemed to be pretty loaded and enjoyed the whole light show, when the bright flash came the whole sky lit up in front of us with stunning electricity,  I had to shut my eyes, then oh boy, here it comes the loudest thunderclap I have ever heard, KABOOM! just behind my right ear. Enough to make me set u up and take notice. Soon the rain died down after a few more of the thunderclaps and we were finally able to leave the pool and scamper back down the trail to the car. Was that fun or what!
    CLIFF DWELLERS: On the way back to Santa Fe, I stopped at the Bandelier National Park to see the pueblo cliff dwellers, what an interesting and historical place.

CLIFF DWELLING HOMES

KIVA 140 STEPS UP WITH FIRE PIT

Lining the Frijoles Canyon, the homes were carved out of the "tuff" the volcanic debris laid down after the explosion, kind of like sandstone. The cliff dwellings were pretty small except for the giant "Kiva" where u had to climb up 140 steps on ladders nailed to the cliffs. What a view from here. I could just imagine smoke rising from the fire pit as they performed their rituals.

LIFE IS BALANCE

  SANTA FE: Described by travel show host: Samantha Brown, as her favorite American city, I had to stop. No doubt this is one of the Art capitals of the U.S..  Very cool place, to wander around, all the buildings have an adobe facade. The walk down Canyon Rd with all the sculptures lining the galleries, is worth the trip. Plus seeing the plaza area lined with native Americans selling their jewelry and wares from their local pueblos.
VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY: Learned this from "Jersey"- wikipedia says- people choose simple living for a variety of personal reasons, such as spirituality, health, increase in quality time for family and friends, work–life balance, personal taste, frugality, or reducing personal ecological footprint and stress. Simple living can also be a reaction to materialism and conspicuous consumption. Some cite socio-political goals aligned with the anti-consumerist or anti-war movements, including conservation, degrowth, social justice, ethnic diversity, tax resistance and sustainable development. I like it! If u get a chance to view this excellent TED talk video that my friend Judith sent me on the new topic called: "Consevation Reliance" it is excellent! 


 http://www.ted.com/talks/jon_mooallem_the_strange_story_of_the_teddy_bear_and_what_it_reveals_about_our_relationship_to_animals?utm_source=email&source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ios-share
CLIMATE CHANGE: Hard to believe climate change affects New Mexico, it does just like everywhere else.  The Federal Agricultural Grant study showed that the non-native trouts, the Brown and Rainbow had a significant drop (they were catching 102-120 per 100 meters, before the Thompson Ridge fire and 5-6 post fire), this is due to the elevated ammonia runoff= 11,000 ppm.  and the silt run-off  that changes the dynamics of the river and lowered the dissolved oxygen in the San Antonio and Jemez tributaries. In one day alone it killed nearly 35,000 fish. The interesting part is that the native Dulce and Rio Chub fish populations stayed pretty much the same- adaptation for sure!  But now climate change has taken on a new face. According to a front page article -5/21, in the Santa Fe Times, the recently conducted study by a Cambridge, Mass,- base nonprofit said that the Bandelier and Santa Clara Pueblos are 2 of the 30 at-risk sites archaeological sites due to climate change & fires.

LOS COCHES FIRE IN 2012

What happens is the the natural cycles are dyer now in this region and that in turn increases water evaporation from the water and soil, making it prime for forest fires. +no controlled burns. The whole fire picture has changed in the last 14 years. Between 1980-and 1989,  fires of 1,000 acres or more were about 150 in the Western U.S..  Between 2000- and 2012 that number jumped to 250 per year. And they are bigger and more severe, in 2000 the Cerro Grande fire burned 48,000 acres, &  the Las Conchas burned 156,000 acres in 2012, & the White Water-Baldy Complex fire in 2013 burnt 300,000 acres.  Wow, according to New Mexico's senator, Martin Heinrich, no longer is climate change an environmental, and economic concern, now we have to worry about our cultural and heritage sites. Solutions: Same old thing --less carbon emissions= hybrid & electric cars, car pooling, bring your own bags to the store etc., plus supporting Obama's latest strategy to reduce carbon emissions by 30% from coal burning plants.
TIPS:

EACH OF US CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

1. Service oriented organizations: Sierra club: Sierraclub.org  then just look up volunteer service trips. Another great organization is Earthwatch.org--We did one for the Giant Clams of Tonga and another for the Black Rhinos of Zimbawee--both were fantastic and challenging.
My buddy Jay did an International service project helping people with Aids in Rwanda through Global Volunteer Network: http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/
2. Cost of Sierra club trip $945, "Wild Trout Recovery in New Mexico" included food and lodging.
3. Difficulty level: 2 stars out of 5.
3. Santa Fe: Hotel--stay at Garrett's Desert Inn- $100 bucks through Booking.com right by the plaza and Canyon rd.. Great restaurant_ El Farol--great food, &  they had Flamenco dancers one night.
4. Recommendation: fly into Albuquerque international airport, rent a car,- a lot cheaper than flying into Santa Fe, just take 1 day of 2 days to see Santa Fe, and don't forget Taos.
P.S. Considered by many as one of the GREATEST environmental writers, after Thoreau, just passed away in April- Peter Matthiessen-- we all know him for the Snow Leopard--Men's journal- June issue- did a fantastic article on his amazing life.http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/the-many-lives-of-peter-matthiessen-20140523