2008 Arbor Day Grant Winner

Sierra Community Council – Rotary Park Tree Planting

Sierra Community Council planted a 33 tree windbreak of Arizona Cypress and Eastern Red Cedar at the southern end of Rotary Park, a new municipal park created by the Truth or Consequences Rotary Club. With technical guidance from the Sierra County Soil & Water Conservation District, two lines of trees were planted on the southern side of the park where they will be more effective in blocking the wind. The project was organized and carried out by the Sierra Community Council working with The Truth or Consequences Rotary, Sierra County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Truth of Consequences Keep American Beautiful project. The work of the Arbor Day Grants was done simultaneously by 24 volunteers and several cheerleaders. This project benefited both the volunteers who worked on it and will benefit the community for years to come. The planting took place on a beautiful morning with no wind but happy people, good breakfast sandwiches and a tangible sense of well-being. One volunteer’s email summed it up – ‘It was great fun on the river and we felt so accomplished planting things and cleaning up trash. Very New Mexican.’

KNMB Month Award of Excellence

Chamisa Elementary PTO – Plant A Promise

Chamisa Elementary School students planted red tulip bulbs and signed a promise that they will make healthy choices for their bodies. Then, in April – Keep New Mexico Beautiful Month- the tulips bloomed in a wonderful red mass reminding the children of their promise. April is alcohol awareness month, too. The Chamisa Pledge garden is located at the front entrance of the school, is very visible to the public and provides extreme curb appeal for the school. Nearly 270 students participated in planting premium bulbs purchased with KNMB funds.

Education Award of Excellence

Carlos Rey Elementary – School Campus Xeriscaping

Carlos Rey Elementary had just finished a major construction and renovation project. During this time, almost all of the trees on campus were taken down. They actually planned the building around the school’s oldest, largest tree, but most of the others were destroyed. While the construction was going on, the schoolyard was absolutely barren – no green anywhere – fences, dirt, equipment and noise everywhere.

Children in the Carlos Rey GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) class dedicated themselves to planning, planting, watering and weeding trees and shrubs on the elementary school campus. They learned to care for their gardens and teach others about the benefits of xeric gardening in a desert environment. (They were also instrumental in writing the KNMB grant proposal!) Five trees were planted and three areas xeriscaped with drought tolerant plants. Dusty Roadrunner visited Carlos Rey Elementary for their Earth Day celebration and helped the whole school plant trees!

Native Plant Award of Excellence

Angel Fire Garden Club - Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Angel Fire Garden Club created a serene, inviting entrance to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire. The project included replacing depleted soil with “Back to Earth” and goat manure, extending the irrigation system to service the entry gardens, planting high altitude plants, adding some annual “color” for Memorial Day and Independence Day, mulching, and keeping the area weeded, dead headed and well maintained throughout the year. Thirty five volunteers committed over 200 hours to this effort. When you visit Angel Fire, be sure to visit this beautiful tribute to America’s Vietnam Veterans.

Recycling Award of Excellence

Santa Fe Solid Waste Agency – Buckman Facility Virtual Tour

The Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Agency created a web based virtual tour of the Materials Recovery Facility at the Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station in November 2007. SFSWA - Buckman Facility Virtual Tour After the establishment of this online virtual tour a need arose from local municipalities and school groups to have a DVD format of this virtual tour. Creating a DVD was an important element in reaching out to the community about recycling. This DVD is an in depth tour of what happens to recycling once it leave the curbside or drop off center, how recyclables are processed, and how they are turned back into new products for our every day use.

The DVDs and recyclable DVD cases were developed and given to schools, community members, and local government agencies. The use of these DVDs has helped promote recycling awareness and has educated the public about recycling beyond collection. For example, the video shows viewers the lifecycle of a recyclable material that is recycLed and the lifecycle of a recyclable material that is disposed of in the trash. By presenting the facts about landfilling and recycling, the video proves to be an excellent educational tool.

Best Overall Award of Excellence

Pueblo of Santa Ana – Santa Ana Pond Restoration

This project receives the Best Overall award not only for its success at cleaning up and restoring Santa Ana Pond, but also for its educational outreach and materials. The Pueblo of Santa Ana Department of Natural Resources coordinated the event with the Santa Ana Youth Hands-on Hydrology Program through an invitation to all ages in the community to attend the event. The event was held on June 20, 2008 with the participation of 25 youth and 14 adults. Each participant also received educational materials which included basic information on the native plants that were to be planted, insects and a fun puzzle. In addition, this project stands out for the quality of its grant application, reporting and educational materials.