September 2011

FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS COALITION
http://www.franklinmountains.org/


NEWSLETTER
September 2011

CONTENTS:
Meeting Info
Message From Our President
I am the Franklin Mountains, by Raul F. Amaya
7th Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta
Program of Events for Fiesta
   Bird Blind
   Horseback rides
   Presentations
   Rummage Sale
   Chili Cook Off
Celebration of Our Mountains
Blog El Paso Naturally
Castner Range
Burrowing Owl Conservation
Borderland Mountain Bike Association
El Paso Museum of Archaeology Events
   Exhibits
   Zip Tours
   Family Workshop: Beginning Pottery-Making
   17th Biennial Jornada Mogollon Archaeology Conference
   Tom Lea Month Programs
   The Mystery of Our Mountains
Lone Star Legacy
FMWC Board



Next Meeting:
WEDNESDAY, September 21, 2011

MEETING LOCATION: Our meeting will be held at The Garden Center, Memorial Park, 3105 Grant St. from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Map:
http://www.cichlidpress.com/elpasocactusclub/graphics/gardencenter.jpg


MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT, SCOTT CUTLER:
YOUR Actions can make the difference in saving the Transmountain Scenic Corridor in NW El Paso. Here’s what to do:

1. Call and e-mail ALL City Officials listed below.

2. Attend City Council on Tue 20 Sep.

3. Participate in the Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta (details attached) where you can see, firsthand, the land that the current NW Master Plan will convert to commercial and residential development.

NOW is the time to preserve the Transmountain Scenic Corridor. No more stalling that leaves our mountains vulnerable. Urge our city officials to support the petition, without modifications. Your actions today determine the course of El Paso’s future.

City Officials:  Name, Title, Phone, E-mail

Ann Morgan Lilly, City Rep Dist 1, 541-4151, district#1@elpasotexas.gov

Susie Byrd, City Rep Dist 2, 541-4416, district#2@elpasotexas.gov

Emma Acosta, City Rep Dist 3, 541-4515, district#3@elpasotexas.gov

Carl Robinson, City Rep Dist 4,541-4140, district#4@elpasotexas.gov

Dr. Michiel Noe, City Rep Dist 5, 541-4701, district#5@elpasotexas.gov

Eddie Holguin, Jr., City Rep Dist 6, 541-4182, district#6@elpasotexas.gov

Steve Ortega, City Rep Dist 7, 541-4108, district#7@elpasotexas.gov

Cortney Niland, City Rep Dist 8, 541-4123, district#8@elpasotexas.gov

John Cook, Mayor, 541-4145, mayor@elpasotexas.gov

Joyce Wilson, City Manager, 541-4000, citymanager@elpasotexas.gov.

(Editor’s Note: NW Corridor update below.)


I am the Franklin Mountains, by Raul F. Amaya 8/9/11

I am the Franklin Mountains called by the conquistadors Las Sierras de los Mansos or Las Sierras de los Organos.

I am the outstanding geological feature in the town then city that I tower over & that grew up around me.

I was born about 50 to 70 million years ago from geologic & volcanic activity & have been growing & changing since then.

I am the Franklin Mountains.

I’ve seen many creatures come & go over my life span like dinosaurs as they migrated from Northern Mexico to Colorado, millions of years later Mammoths & giant sloths.

About 50,000 years ago I saw the formation of the Rio Grande below me, and eventually it cut a path, named by the Spaniards who came thousands of years later, El Paso del Norte, between me the Sierras de Juárez forming the Rio Grande Valley.

I am the Franklin Mountains.

Many kinds of plants & animals make their homes in me; plants like barrel cactus & Mexican poppies, & trees like cottonwood, hackberry, oak, and juniper; and animals like rodents, deer, mountain lions, foxes, lizards, snakes, hawks, & many other kids of birds.

About 10,000 to 7,000 BC the Paleo-Indians arrived although it wasn’t until four thousand years ago that I saw the first humans, the Manso, Suma, and Jumano tribes make their homes at my foothills in Keystone Park & up and down the Rio Grand Valley.

I am the Franklin Mountains.


TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE TO HOST
7TH ANNUAL CHIHUAHUAN DESERT FIESTA AT FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS STATE PARK

El Paso, Texas—Many people living in El Paso are not very familiar with the natural and cultural history of the Chihuahuan Desert including the Franklin Mountains in the heart of the city. At almost 26,000 acres, Franklin Mountains State Park protects prime Chihuahuan Desert habitats within an urban setting. The park is home to numerous species of plants and animals. On September 17, 2011, the park will host the 7th Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta at the Tom Mays Unit, located 3.5 miles east of I-10 on Trans Mountain Road. The main objective of this Fiesta is to get people outdoors and to help increase awareness of the uniqueness of our desert. This event will not only showcase the natural and cultural resources of the Chihuahuan Desert, but also the recreational and educational opportunities that exist within Franklin Mountains State Parks and other state parks within the region.

The FREE COMMUNITY event will run from 9AM-3PM and will offer various activities, presentations, and exhibits throughout the day. During this event park staff, members of the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition, and other environmental education groups will be on hand to offer free demonstrations, guided tours, guest speakers, and informational booths designed to introduce the curious to the wonders of our fascinating southwest desert. Drive thru the park where you will find different activities and groups providing information about their conservation efforts in our area. Vendors will be on site to sell food, snacks, and drinks. Visitors can check out the Wildlife Viewing Area and enjoy interpretive programs on plants and animals while spending time watching birds coming back and forth for water and food. Hay and horseback riding will also be available. Franklin Mountains State Park is also hosting a Chili Cook-off sanctioned by the Chili Appreciation Society International. Public tasting will be available around noon. Live music by local group Slackabilly. The entrance fee to the park is waived due to the Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta joining the celebration of the Franklin Mountains State Park Lone Star Legacy. Donations to Franklin Mountains State Park are accepted. So come and join us for a fun, exciting, and enjoyable outdoors experience and discover more about the Chihuahuan Desert.

Program of Events for the 7th Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta Sponsored by Franklin Mountains State Park, Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition & the El Paso Zoo

9 am to Noon - Audubon Society Members will host the Bird Blind at the nature walk trailhead. 9:30 am - Short guided 20-30 minute walks. Meet at Site 39 (end of loop).

Horseback rides by Serna Ranch Youth Leadership Program (all day)

Special Chihuahuan Desert Fifteen-Minute Presentations at the picnic area 41-42 on the left, right before the end of the loop road:

11:00 Mexican Wolves, Jason Burke, Southwest Environmental Center 11:15 Conservation Efforts on Trans Mountain, Jim Tolbert, El Paso Naturally

11:30 My Top Ten Plants of the Chihuahuan Desert, John White, UTEP Centennial Museum and Gardens

11:45 Cacti of the Franklin Mountains, Dr. Gertrud Konings, El Paso Community College

Noon Takota the Golden Eagle and Heather Rivera, El Paso Zoo

12:05 Chili Cookoff Public Tasting, See Schedule Below

12:30 Snakes of the Desert, Rick LoBello, El Paso Zoo

12:45 Preservation of our Poppy Fields, Judy Ackerman, Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition

1:00 EPCC Transmountain Arid Garden and Sculpture Park, Lisa Miller and Dr. Naomi Waissman, El Paso Community College

1:15 Chihuahaun Desert wildlife and geology at Pancho Villa State Park in Columbus, John Read, Heritage Educator Pancho Villa State Park


Fiesta Rummage Sale The El Paso Sunrise Hikers, Franklin Mountains State Park Volunteers, the El Paso Ridgewalkers and the El Paso Hiking Group are having a rummage sale at this year’s fiesta to benefit the Franklin Mountains State Park.


Chili Cook Off Schedule 9:30 till 12:00pm People’s choice chili cooks preparation. 12:00 Public tasting begins. 12:00 Salsa judges report to judging area.


Exhibitors and Event Partners: Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens (UTEP), Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition, Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue, Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI), El Paso Audubon Society, El Paso Cactus and Rocks Club, El Paso Native Plant Society, El Paso Museum of Archaeology, El Paso Community College, Office of El Paso County Attorney, El Paso Water Utilities, El Paso Zoo, Franklin Mountains State Park, Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition, Friends of the Rio Bosque, International Boundary and Water Commission, League of Women Voters, New Mexico State Parks Mesilla Valley Bosque and Pancho Villa State Park, Reintroduction of Mexican Wolves, Rio Grande Council of Governments, Serna Ranch Youth Leadership Program, Southwest Expeditions/Eco Tourism, Texas AgriLife Extension El Paso Master Gardeners, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Master Naturalist-Trans Pecos, Texas Parks & Wildlife /Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site, UTEP Environmental Advocates.


Learn more about our Chihuahuan Desert and get involved with others by joining the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition. Info: http://www.chihuahuandesert.org/  or call 915-217-4233.


Jim Tolbert: Celebration of Our Mountains
Sept. 17- Nov. 19, 2011

Hike the ridge of Mount Franklin, see dinosaur tracks, go deep inside an old tin mine, visit volcanoes . . . The 18th annual fall Celebration of Our Mountains festival hosts numerous events each week and weekend during a period of mild temperatures in the El Paso Southwest. You can also enjoy year-round educational and recreational opportunities. Just visit www.celebmtns.org for more information. New hikes and events are posted throughout the fall festival as well as throughout the year. Activities include hiking, biking, birding, an art show, climbing, photographing, sketching, studying and exploring the natural wonders and history of the Borderland. Theme hikes will include trips to old mining operations, sites of historic plane crashes, geological wonders, plants and wildlife of our region and family and beginners’ hikes.

Best environmental updates in town from Jim Tolbert at his blog El Paso Naturally. Bookmark, sign up for email notifications. You can catch up on the petitions for Transmountain Scenic Corridor NW and many other issues on his blog. Strongly recommend subscribing.

Please visit and bookmark http://www.elpasonaturally.blogspot.com/ .

Just for starters: Richarda Duffy Momsen, Municipal Clerk of the City of El Paso, Texas, has certified our petition to save the Scenic Transmountain Corridor! El Paso Times published predictable articles and editorials. Here’s Jim’s response:

http://elpasonaturally.blogspot.com/2011/08/dont-ease-up.html

September update:
http://elpasonaturally.blogspot.com/2011/09/where-we-are-on-petition-ordinance.html


REMEMBER: CITY COUNCIL, TUESDAY, SEPT. 20TH!



CASTNER RANGE CONSERVATION KEEPS A ROLLING ALONG!

Richard Teschner’s recent report to Castner Conservation Conveyance Committee, concerning his education efforts on the Hill and at the Pentagon, Aug. 1-2, 2011, in Washington DC, is full of positive news and feedback. Please attend the FMWC Meeting Wednesday, Sept. 21st, for updates on exciting developments on Castner Range.


WANTED!
Burrowing Owl Conservation
Have you seen any burrowing owls in El Paso County?

Texas Parks and Wildlife is conducting a long-term research project starting Sept. 2011 to examine the survival of adult and juvenile burrowing owls, determine their residency status, site fidelity, and compare breeding success of burrowing owls between natural and artificial burrows.

Please report all owl sightings and locations to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Urban Wildlife Biologist at
915-774-9603 or lois.balin@tpwd.state.tx.us Thanks,

Lois Balin, Urban Wildlife Biologist


Borderland Mountain Bike Association
Check out http://bmba.wordpress.com/  for the latest.



El Paso Museum of Archaeology
Sept/Oct Calendar

Settlement Legacy: Native Americans of the Pass of the North: Through October 9, 2011, Free Admission
The exhibit tells the dramatic story of the Manso, Suma, Piro, and Tigua Indians who, over four centuries ago, founded the missions and pueblos that evolved into today’s sister cities, El Paso-Ciudad Juárez.

We hope you’ll take some time to explore this accurate account of what happened to the Indians who were living here when the Spanish arrived (the Manso and Suma) along with what happened to the Indians who were brought here (the Tigua, Piro, and Tompiro) as a result of the Pueblo Revolt.

The exhibit was created by Guest Curator Nicholas P. Houser, who has conducted historical research for the Tigua Indians, created exhibits for museums and cultural centers, and has worked with over 36 Native American communities in the American Southwest and Latin America.

Nick Houser will give the final lecture for this exhibit in conjunction with Tom Lea Month on Sunday, October 9, at 2:00 pm, Free Admission, details below.

Zip Tour of the exhibit: Settlement Legacy: Native Americans of the Pass of the North September 24, 2011, 2:00 pm, Free Admission

This tour introduces the exhibit about the historic Indian occupation of the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez region to the public through a casual conversation during which those attending may ask questions and share their knowledge.

Family Workshop: Beginning Pottery-Making, Dates to be Announced. Enrollment limited, advance registration required, call the museum for dates, times, ages, materials, and fees: 915-755-4332; guidamr@elpasotexas.gov


The 17th Biennial Jornada Mogollon Archaeology Conference Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8, 2011 9:00 am – 5:00 pm each day

El Paso is at the geographic center of the prehistoric culture area archaeologists call the Jornada Mogollon. The public is welcome to hear archaeologists working in this area present their recent research during this conference being held at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. The conference is jointly hosted by the museum and the El Paso Archaeological Society; it is held in conjunction with Texas Archaeology Month

Cost: $30 Pre-registration - paid before September 16th
$40 Registration from Sept. 16 to Oct. 8
You can also register at the door, one or both days
$25 Student registration, with valid ID

The registration form is on the museum’s website www.elpasotexas.gov/arch_museum  or call (915) 755-4332 for a copy.

Geographically, the Jornada Mogollon extends from Carrizozo, New Mexico in the north to just south of Villa

Ahumada, Chihuahua, México in the south, and from east of Deming, New Mexico in the west to the Pecos River in the east.


TOM LEA MONTH PROGRAMS
Free Admission for All Programs

Sunday, October 2, 2011, 2:00 pm
Desert Plants in the Art of Tom Lea
by Artist and Master Gardener Jan Dreher

Tom Lea had a reverence for the world around him and used his skills as an artist to capture the “Almighty’s majestic handiwork” in “portrait likeness.” Jan Dreher will share slides of Lea’s paintings with details of a variety of high Chihuahuan Desert plants before taking visitors onto the slopes of Mount Franklin to discover them for themselves.

Sunday, October 9, 2011, 2:00 pm
Tom Lea and the Indian People of the Southwest
by Nick Houser, Anthropologist and Guest Curator

When Tom Lea first visited the Grand Canyon as a little boy, he was most fascinated with the Hopi House on its rim. Throughout his life, Lea studied the ways of Southwest Indians, resulting in paintings like Snake Dancers in the Santa Fe Museum of Fine Arts, Ghost at Noon Came Riding at the El Paso Museum of Art, Comancheros in the Seymour Texas Post Office and Sitting Bull in the Texas Capitol. While showing slides of Tom Lea’s work, Nick Houser will analyze their details and what they tell viewers about of the lives of Native Americans in the Southwest.


Saturday, October 15, 2011, 3:00 pm
The Mystery of Our Mountains:
How the Franklin and Sierra de Juarez Were Formed by Phil Goodell, Ph.D., UTEP Geologist

The Franklin Mountains and Sierra de Juarez stand silent and majestic against the sky. Our knowledge has developed from mystery to a reasonable understanding of a sequence of evolutionary events, from the catastrophic to the monotonous. Observations and interpretations of events will be discussed by UTEP professor and native El Pasoan Dr. Phil Goodell who has loved rocks from the time he was a little boy.


Sunday, October 16, 2011, 1:30 to 4:30 pm
Student Artists: In the Footsteps of Tom Lea
Chapin High School Student Presentations and Reception

Just as Tom Lea loved exploring the world around him, Chapin High School Student Artists do, too. Advanced art, studio advanced placement, and art history students will study the work of Tom Lea under the direction of art teacher Elisa Barton, creating works of their own. At a public reception, these students will present their winning creations at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology.


Sunday, October 23, 1:00 to 4:00 pm
Family Workshop: Tom Lea Landscapes
Free Admission with Pre-Registration
Attendance Limited


Families will be inspired to create their own landscapes just as Tom Lea did. The Franklin Mountains, with their dramatic canyons, jagged peaks, and ever-changing light are a stunning backdrop to the Museum of Archaeology. Participants can imagine the landscape as it was in prehistoric times - and how the ancients lived. With professional staff to help, participants will learn how to observe elements in the landscape - the place, time of day, and weather. They will also learn placement of figures in the foreground, middle ground and background, describing the expanse of space. Families will work as a group using a variety of materials to create a landscape collage populated with Chihuahuan Desert plants, animals and people. Families will share their landscapes with each other at the end. Maximum number of participants: 25

Ages: mixed, children and adults

Día de los Muertos Ofrenda/Display
By Artist Lizzie Ochoa

Zip Tours

Sunday, October 30, 2:00 pm, Free Admission

Sunday, November 6, 2:00 pm, Free Admission

Call the museum – 915-755-4332 – for dates of the display

~~~El Paso Museum of Archaeology
4301 Transmountain Road, El Paso Texas 79924;
915-755-4332; guidamr@elpasotexs.gov; www.elpasotexas.gov/arch_museum/
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm; Sunday, 12 to 5 pm
Closed Mondays and City Holiday


LONE STAR LEGACY

You can make a lasting contribution to the future of Franklin Mountains State Park with your tax-deductible donation to the Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund. Checks, payable to “Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation”, can be sent to: Lone Star Legacy Endowment Fund, c/o Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, P.O. Box 191207, Dallas, TX, 75219. Mark your donation to the endowment fund for Franklin Mountains State Park.


FMWC BOARD

President: Scott Cutler
Vice President: Jane Fowler
Secretary: Judy Ackerman
Treasurer: Pat White
At Large Members: Raul Amaya and Nick Havlik