0
DAYS
0
DAYS
0
HOURS
0
MINUTES
0
SECONDS
Join BHA Habitat Steward Coordinator Bard Edrington on the Taos Plateau for a weekend of fence modification, camping, live music and wildlife tracking. The Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument is an important wintering area for elk and mule deer and year-round habitat for pronghorn. The plateau is a multi-use area that has miles of fencing separating grazing allotments. Much of this fencing is not wildlife friendly and can cause direct mortality, injury and hair loss. Pronghorn are not capable of jumping and can become trapped behind fencing thus fragmenting their habitat and causing them stress. Deer and elk risk becoming entangled in the fencing when jumping over.
That is where we come in. We will be removing woven wire fencing and prepping the area for future wildlife friendly fencing. Your help will have a direct benefit to wildlife habitat and connectivity.
In eras past, hunters possessed exceptional skills in deciphering the evidence of not only the animals they hunted, but of all life forms present in healthy ecosystems. In the last century, however, the ability to accurately interpret a diverse array of wildlife tracks and signs has dwindled among the general population, as well as among hunters, wildlife managers, and field biologists.
We invite you to join Casey McFarland in an immersive, half-day training to examine the tracks and signs of all creatures found across the Taos Plateau, including those of mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates. Through this training, you will develop a more comprehensive understanding of this valuable skillset and how its practical application can heighten our hunting experience, enhance our appreciation and understanding for the wild places we explore, and serve as an important tool for the well-rounded conservationist!
Casey McFarland trains biologists, research teams, wildlife guides, and the general public to read and interpret the tracks and signs of wildlife. A Senior Tracker and International Evaluator for CyberTracker Conservation, he has given over 180 Tracker Certifications and various trainings around the globe to develop and support tracking skill and ecological knowledge. Casey has authored several books and is the Executive Director of Tracker Certification North America.
Visit https://www.caseymcfarland.net/ to learn more about Casey.
Important habitat work will be done, but we will also have a good time. Saturday night we will have a wild game potluck and live music around the fire. Bard will be joined by his band the Blackbirds. Fiddle, upright bass, drums and soulful three part harmonies. Bard is an accomplished songwriter and recording artist who tours with his band in the UK and Netherlands.
Songs, stories and tunes that capture the spirit of of the wild lands of New Mexico.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k8pO4nbQP8
Listen on Spotify
Big thanks to Santa Fe Brewing Company for providing us with free beer!
Friday: You can arrive at the designated camping spot anytime on Friday afternoon. There are no amenities at this location so be sure to bring everything you will need to camp. There is plenty of room for camper trailers. On Friday night you will be responsible for your own food.
Saturday: We will provide coffee and breakfast burritos before we do a safety talk and go over what we are doing for the day. Plan to bring a lunch as well as plenty of water. We will work until ~4 pm.
Saturday evening: We will have a wild game potluck, so bring your best or favorite wild game dish to share. Around the campfire we will have live music by Bard and his band The Blackbirds. www.bardedrington.com to listen to their music.
Sunday: BHA will provide coffee but you will be on your own for breakfast. Casey McFarland will lead us on a wildlife track and sign workshop.
Camping Location
36.85093, -106.08096 We will be camping north of Tres Piedras in the Carson NF near San Antonio Mountain. Forest Service road 87 off of Highway 285.
Take highway 285 north from Tres Piedras for 11 miles. Turn left (west) on Forest Service road 87. Take this dirt road 7.3 miles, where you will see a group of pine trees on your left (south side or road). There will be flagging for our camping spot. I can provide OnX waypoints for anyone who would like one. There is plenty of space for camper trailers.
Safety glasses (sunglasses work), water, sunscreen, hats, long sleeve shirts, boots and pants that you don't mind possible getting torn. Barbed wire has a way of doing that.
What we are providing:
Leather gloves and fencing tools and breakfast on Saturday.