WildernessProtection - New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

NMWA CALENDAR4th ANNUALWILDERNESSCONFERENCE!Register now – SEE PAGE 19.What to help protect wild placesacross New Mexico? Want to betterunderstand how the BLM or ForestService works? How about the historyof wilderness in New Mexicoand across the West. These andmany more topics surrounding theprotection of wildlands will be coveredin a fun and informative workshop,the forth held by the NewMexico Wilderness Alliance sinceour inception in 1997. It will beheld on Saturday September 25th,from 9:00a.m. to 4 p.m. at the historicLa Posada Hotel in downtownAlbuquerque.Our Keynote speaker will beOscar Moctezuma, Executive Directorof Naturalia, one of the leadingconservation organizationsin Mexico. Oscar’s presentationswill be about jaguars in northwestMexico. Recent sightings in NewMexico and Arizona show thesemagnifi cent creatures are makingtheir way back into the UnitedStates. Oscar will speak to the needfor efforts to protect wildlands onboth sides of the border.Dave Foreman will also bespeaking about the history of wildernessin New Mexico. Longtimewilderness historian and legislativearchitect Doug Scott will also begiving workshops on the history ofthe wilderness movement nationally.Other workshops will include:Media and Grassroots, Creating a CitizensToolbox for Activism, The Politicsof Wilderness, How Agencies Work,Broadening our Base and Diversifyingthe Outreach of the ConservationCommunity in New Mexico.Cost: $10, Which includes NewMexico style buffet with vegetarianoptions and snacks at breaks.If you are coming from out oftown we highly suggest staying atthe Historic La Posada Hotel. (505-242-9090) They have offered aspecial rate of $69 for those attendingthe workshop.SPECIAL! AttendBOTH the Conferenceand AbbeyEvent for Just $20!REMEMBERING ABBEYIN NEW MEXICOAn evening celebrating the famedsouthwest author Edward AbbeySaturday, September 25th, startingat 7:00pm at the historic KimoTheatre in downtown ABQ, jointhree of Edward Abbey’s closefriends as they remember himthrough personal stories, readings,songs, and fi lm. The event is a benefit for the New Mexico WildernessAlliance. The show was fi rst performedin Durango and by the evening’send the crowd was calling formore. It promises to be fun for thewhole family.Tickets will be $15 and are availablethrough TICKETMASTER.com,TICKETMASTER (505-883-7800),and all TICKETMASTER outlets.Like Abbey, all the evening’s presentersare fi rmly rooted in theenvironment and conserving it.Dave Foreman is a noted conservationistand author currently livingin Albuquerque. He recently cofoundedthe Rewilding Institute andwas a co-founder of the WildlandsProject as well as Earth First!Coming down from Durango,Bart Koehler was also a co-founderof Earth First! and performed withAbbey as a singer/songwriter underthe stage name of Johnny Sagebrush.Koehler is currently thedirector of the Wilderness Society’sWilderness Support Center.Jack Loeffl er authored Adventureswith Ed: A Portrait of Abbey.Of their friendship Taos writer JohnNichols commented, “Ed Abbeyand Jack Loeffl er were like DonQuijote and Sancho Panza.”Wildlands Painted! 2004Artists from Across the Southwest Partner toPreserve Wilderness Areas in New MexicoCelebrating its second year, WildlandsPainted! 2004 InvitationalShow partners Denver 10--emergingartists from Colorado--with guest artistsfrom Colorado and New Mexicoto help in the preservation of NewMexico’s wild landscapes. The artwork,totaling more than 80 paintings,will be exhibited and sold Friday,October 15 through Sunday, October17, 2004, at the 500 2nd Street PerformanceSpace in downtown Albuquerque.An opening reception isscheduled Friday night from 5-9 p.m.in conjunction with Albuquerque’sdowntown gallery walk, Arts Crawl.Wildlands Painted! was conceivedby Denver 10 artist Michelle Chrisman.Originally from New York, anda New Mexico resident, Chrisman,along with Denver-based artist E.Melinda Morrison, co-organized theexhibition and sale. “New Mexicohistorically has a unique relationshipwith artists from all over the country.We want to build on that relationshipand continue this distinctivepartnership between artist andthe environment. With each passingyear, our hope is that we can continuallyincrease public awareness aboutwilderness protection for the incrediblebeauty in New Mexico,” Morrisonsaid.Other participating artists fromDenver 10 include Jane Bunegar,Steve DeOrio, Sharon Holsapple,Evelyn Martinez, Marcy Nicholas, andPeggy Venable. Guest artists invitedto participate from Colorado andNew Mexico this year are Kim English,Libby Hart, William Hook, RodHubble, Phyllis Kapp, Louisa McElwaine,Mark Nelson, Rich Nichols,Randy Pijoan, Mary Silverwood, DonWard, Kevin Weckbach and DougWest.This year the artists will focus onthree areas: Columbine Hondo, ValleVidal and the Rio Chama. Any sales ofartwork on exhibit benefits the NewMexico Wilderness Alliance (NMWA)ad will help support the work neededto protect these wild landscapes.Stephen Capra, executive directorof the NMWA, says of the art project,“Art and wilderness both havethe ability to bring beauty to life andto stir our imagination. When broughttogether, the result can be both powerfuland inspiring. Wildlands Painted!highlights some of New Mexico’smost threatened and beautiful landscapesthrough a special collaborationof wilderness advocates andvisual artists. “For more information about theWildlands Painted! show and sale,contact Tisha Broska, WildlandsPainted! Event Coordinator, at 505-843-8696New Mexico WILD!Page 17