Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition

Opening Remarks by Scott Cutler of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition at the 15th annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta at the Tom Mays Unit of the Franklin Mountains State Park. September 28, 2019 Thank you all for coming to the 15th annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta organized by the Franklin Mountains State Park – a wonderful opportunity toContinue reading "Cutler calls upon the community to get involved in efforts to conserve the Franklin Mountains"

One of the presentations at the Chihuahuan Desert Conference on November 7 will be entitled Borderland Jaguars – Why There Are Jaguars in Mexico, but Only a Few in the U. S. by Diana Hadley of the Northern Jaguar Project. Formed in 2003 by a small group of dedicated conservationists from the southwestern U.S. andContinue reading "Borderland Jaguars"

Heather Rivera, senior Education Specialist at the El Paso Zoo will present Houdini the Harris Hawk and Buckbeak the Swainson's Hawk on the Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta Stage on Saturday, September 28.   Nearly two dozen environmental groups will be on hand at the fiesta this year presenting family friendly interactive discovery opportunities about the Chihuahuan Desert.Continue reading "Fiesta will feature two native wildlife presentations by the El Paso Zoo"

Black Bears in Big Bend National Park especially relish the succulent base of Torrey yuccas and sotol plants.   Photo by Rick LoBello   The El Paso Sierra Club will kick off its 2019-2020 Kevin von Finger Speakers Series at the El Paso Zoo Wildlife Amphitheater on September 24 at 7:00 pm.  The illustrated lecture will be free andContinue reading "Tuesday night at the Zoo – Sierra Club lecture on Mexican black bears"

An important goal of the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition is to facilitate integration of learning about our desert into the school curriculum from kindergarten on. The Chihuahuan desert offers a wide variety of habitats that all have their own animal and plant communities, which again are interacting with each other in often wondrous ways thatContinue reading "Learning about the Chihuahuan Desert"

The Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta is the signature event of the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition and Franklin Mountains State Park.   Last year nearly 800 people attended and with the 15th Annual Fiesta just two months way,  we could break the 1000 mark. (See poster below) Behind the scenes, volunteers and park staff are making arrangements forContinue reading "Countdown to the Fiesta – 9.28.19"

What will El Paso do when there is no more land to develop? by Rick LoBello All over El Paso and the surrounding area developers are on the move building new roads, shopping centers and housing areas.  These projects are making life a little easier for those of us who drive back and forth toContinue reading "Local leaders must act"

Chisos Katydid, Big Bend National Park.       Photo copyright Rick LoBello We are working with educators at the El Paso Zoo on interactive educational materials about the Chihuahuan Desert.  So far we have come up with the following list of animals and plants that we believe live naturally only in the Chihuahuan Desert eco-region.Continue reading "Only in the Chihuahuan Desert?"

Every July, amateur and professional naturalists descend on the Chiricahua Desert Museum located on the border of New Mexico and Arizona. Their purpose: to observe and document as many living species in the area as possible over a 24-hour period. The annual Charlie W. Painter BioBlitz is an important tool to engage the public inContinue reading "Teaching Citizen Science in the Chihuahuan Desert"