The SWNM Audubon chapter serves four counties, with Spanish as the home language for 14% (Catron), 27% (Grant), 36% (Hidalgo), and 49% (Luna) of the population; yet our current publications and offerings are English-only.

We’re excited to announce that the National Audubon Society has granted our chapter $1000 toward providing dual language newsletters, membership forms, event flyers, as well as a bilingual interpreter for one bird outing and educational program in the upcoming year.

We recognize that translation is just a first step; but bridging language barriers will move us closer to fully serving our community, while simultaneously building support for bird stewardship efforts.

At this time, we are seeking to identify local bilingual (Spanish-English) translators and interpreters to hire. Preference will be given to those with Spanish as their home language and those engaged or interested in birding or conservation efforts.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in being a part of this effort, please contact SWNMA Board member Heidi Erstad at swnmaudubon@gmail.com before March 31 for more information (tasks, timeline, application, compensation).

The San Vicente Cienega Trail is one of the top 10 eBird hotspots in Grant County, home to nearly 200 species. Here’s SWNMA members’ chance to be a part of a local project to improve this important river habitat.

With funding from the NM Environment Department River Stewardship Program, Gila Resources Information Project (GRIP) has partnered with the Town of Silver City, Stream Dynamics, Gila WoodNet, Lone Mountain Natives, and the Silver City Watershed Keepers to address water quality impairments and threats to riparian habitat in San Vicente Creek.

To protect legacy cottonwoods and other riparian native trees from fire risk, the project removed slash and non-native trees, such as Siberian elm, tamarisk, and Tree of Heaven. Now, grasses, wildflowers, and native trees and shrubs will be planted to restore the San Vicente Creek riparian corridor and stabilize stream banks.

To get involved….

• Attend a Zoom panel discussion with Van Clothier, Martha Egnal, and Mike Fugagli of Stream Dynamics, Mark Cantrell of Lone Mountain Natives and Allyson Siwik of Gila Resources Information Project on Thursday, March 23 at 6:30 PM. (Also streamed live on the Silver City Watershed Keepers Facebook page).
• Check out stream restoration work first-hand on a field trip along the creek on Saturday, March 25 from 10 AM – noon. Meet at the Murray Ryan Visitor Center at 9:30 am to caravan to the project site. Plan to wear sturdy walking shoes and a hat, and carry water.
• Join the Silver City Watershed Keepers, Stream Dynamics, Gila WoodNet and Lone Mountain Natives on Saturday, April 15^th from 9 AM – 1 PM to help restore native vegetation along San Vicente Creek at the site of the stream restoration project. We will plant additional willows, cottonwoods and native plants. Sign-up to volunteer at https://tinyurl.com/SanVicenteCreekRestoration.

For more information, contact the Silver City Watershed Keepers at silvercitywatershedkeepers@gmail.com or 575-538-8078.

Amigos Bravos, a non-profit dedicated to protecting and restoring NM waters, is working to identify “wetland jewels” in the Gila watershed. This effort will help prioritize wetlands for protection and restoration that serve as keystone areas in the health of the watershed.

As part of the project, Amigos Bravos is looking for local watershed users input on the wetland functions (i.e. habitat creation, groundwater recharge, streamflow maintenance, sediment retention, etc.) that matter most to them and their activities within the watershed. Once the top wetland functions are identified, the project team will utilize high-detailed mapping analysis to identify the areas that contribute the most to these watershed functions. A map will be created of the analysis and shared with stakeholders, land managers, and restoration professionals so these areas can be prioritized in future restoration activities and management plans.

  We encourage SWNMA members to complete this super-short survey so that our opinions can be incorporated into their analysis. For questions about the project, please visit the Amigos Bravos website or contact Policy & Project Specialist Steven Fry  sfry@amigosbravos.org.