2009 Valle Vidal Service Project

On July 17-19, 2009 The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (NMWA) and the Albuquerque Wildlife Federation (AWF) partnered to do a joint project around volunteer service work and youth education in the Valle Vidal – McCrystal Campground Area. NMWA headed the youth activities for the weekend that included groups from throughout northern New Mexico. The groups that participated in the event were the NMWA Wilderness Outdoor Connection Leadership Group from Mora and Questa, Rocky Mountain Youth Corp Group out of Taos, the northern New Mexico Sembrando Semilla Youth Group, New Mexico Acequia Association and the Fit in Taos Youth Leadership Group. In total there were 27 students that participated in the event.

Events included; Ecological Presentation by Fitness in Taos leadership, Wild Earth Llama Adventures Hike-Take a Llama to Lunch, Team Building and Group Activities for Youth presented by the Rocky Mountain Youth Corp and story telling around the campfire. On one of the evenings there were leave no trace ethics discussion around the camp fire that engage the students in talking about the environment and the importance around land and water conservation.

The highlight of the trip was the llama hike that the group took. It was a 3 mile hike up McCrystal Creek to the archeological site of the McCrystal Place, where the McCrystal family once lived and ranched in the Valle Vidal. The history and importance of watershed management of the area was shared with the students. There was discussion around why the Valle Vidal Coalition was put into place and the work that it did back in 2006 preventing oil and gas development in the area.

To learn more about our Wilderness Outdoor Connection Leadership Program, please contact John Olivas.