WIldlife Biologists Inspire Deming Students to Consider the Field

By Ben Neary

NMWF

Students from the Deming High School Student Council traveled to the Mimbres River Ranch Wildlife Management Area on May 4  and met with wildlife biologists to learn about employment opportunities in the field.

The New Mexico Department of Wildlife bought the ranch in 2014. It comprises more than 1,000 acres of riparian areas as well as Chihuahuan Desert grasslands. The ranch sits about 20 miles northeast of Deming, straddling the line between Luna and Grant counties.

Ray Trejo, the southern New Mexico outreach coordinator for the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, organized the event. Lucy Trejo, student council sponsor at the school and Ray Trejo’s daughter-in-law, brought all the elements together, including transportation and lunch.

The city of Deming nestles along I-10 on a windswept, desert plain in southwestern New Mexico. Several vacant buildings mark the main streets. To the south, the raw, jagged peaks of the Florida Mountains rise abruptly from the surrounding land. And farther south, some 30 miles from Deming, is the Mexican border.

Deming is the seat of Luna County, one of the poorest in the nation. Nearly 24 percent of the county’s roughly 25,000 residents live in poverty, according to recent Census data, while nearly 70 percent identify as Hispanic.

“As an educator and conservationist, I have always believed that our youth deserve meaningful opportunities to experience the outdoors and explore careers and futures in conservation,” said Trejo, an incumbent Luna County commissioner and former administrator with the Deming School District. “For many of our underprivileged students in Luna County, these opportunities are rare, which is why creating these experiences is so important to me.”

After disembarking from the school bus, the students stood together while the biologists introduced themselves. The following biologists volunteered for the event:

_ Jennifer D’Annibale: southwest habitat biologist with the New Mexico Department of Wildlife in Las Cruces. She specializes in the restoration and rehabilitation of dryland ecosystems and has a background in wildlife biology and watershed ecology.

_ Fernando Clemente: vice chair of the New Mexico Wildlife Commission. Clemente works as a consulting biologist to private landowners. His father was a pioneer in wildlife management in Mexico.

_ Maddy Kaleta: southwest wildlife biologist with the New Mexico Department of Wildlife. She specializes in wildlife research in southwestern New Mexico and has a background in wildlife biology with a focus on ornithology.

_ Caleb L. Loughran: an assistant professor at Western New Mexico University in SIlver City. He specializes in the study of snakes and reptiles. 

After introductions, the group walked down a slight hill to the Mimbres River – a thin flow that twists between immense, shady cottonwood trees that line both banks. Not far downstream from the entrance to the ranch, the river disappears under the desert sand.

Running water is scarce on this landscape. Several of the students said that although they had driven by the ranch property before, they hadn’t been aware that it’s owned by the state and that it provided access to the Mimbres River.

The group assembled again after crossing the river. Each of the wildlife biologists in turn told the students that their field offers real opportunities for young people regardless of their backgrounds. Students willing to make the commitment and put in the work will find professors and others in the field eager to help them build interesting and challenging careers, the biologists said. 

The students asked questions about getting into the field, about exotic animals and about what the jobs pay. The biologists responded that the way into the field centers on student internships and helping established professional biologists with research projects. Ultimately, their mentors will help them break into the profession, including possibly working through college and graduate degree programs.

Loughran told the group that he had gone to college in Arizona. He said he began as a volunteer, working on research projects fitting rattlesnakes with transmitters. He told the students that he hadn’t had the best grades as a student, and wasn’t terribly motivated until he discovered opportunities to get involved in biology.

“I just want you guys to know that you are not limited to where you went to school or what your background is,” Loughran said. “This is a field that’s available to anybody.” 

Kaleta told the students that she believes wildlife biologists have “the coolest job ever.”

“To help ourselves, you have to help the birds and the animals, too,” Kaleta said.

D’Annibale said she had started working in California, working with shorebirds on the coast at San Diego. “My whole day was walking on the beach,” she said. “When it got hot, we jumped in the ocean.”

The biologists emphasized that their work allowed them to move around and have adventures in various places. 

Clemente told the students that he was inspired to work in biology from seeing his father work as a pioneer in wildlife conservation in Mexico. He said he saw his father tell landowners and governments how to improve habitat and conserve wildlife. 

Clemente told the students that their home in New Mexico is part of the Chihuahuan Desert. He said he recalls being in a helicopter when he was eight years old with his father and taking a photograph of 100 pronghorn in Mexico. He said now there are only about 80 left.

“In my lifetime, I got to see a species go almost extinct,” Clemente said. “That’s when it clicked.”

Clemente told the students that conservation is the wise use of natural resources. “You have to think about how to use them, and leave them for our children,” he said. 

And Clemente asked the students about whether they knew the meaning of public lands. “This is the only country where the moment you’re born, you own land,” he said, pointing out that the millions of acres of public land in the country belong collectively to the students, as well as every other citizen. 

Loughran told the students that the collective ownership of public lands also carries with it responsibility.

 “There are forces in this country that don’t want this to be the case,” Loughran said. “There are forces that want to make more land owned by the wealthy.” He told the students that it was their responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen.  

The trip included time for the students to explore the river together. Some students took off their shoes and waded. One used a water bottle to catch a tiny fish from the schools that darted in the water and inspected it closely before releasing it. Others sat on rocks and dangled their toes in the stream. All of them relaxed and explored. There was no cellular phone service.

Lucy Trejo, her husband BJ Trejo – Ray Trejo’s son – and Ray Trejo cooked chicken fajitas for lunch. Several students came back for seconds.

 “This week was truly special,” Ray Trejo said. “Approximately thirty students spent time outdoors learning directly from New Mexico wildlife biologists. They were able to see conservation work firsthand, ask questions, learn about wildlife and habitat, and hear directly from professionals working in the conservation field.

“I wanted our students to not only learn about conservation, but to see themselves in it,” Trejo said, “to understand that these careers, experiences, and opportunities are possible for them too. As a school principal, I always told my teachers that some of the most powerful lessons happen outside the classroom walls. This week was a perfect example of that.”

In the days after the trip, Lucy Trejo asked the students to write statements about the experience. Here’s what they said:

_ "The trip to Mimbres was a fun educational experience that taught me about how important it is to take care of our environment and learn about how we can take care of it. The land is something very important and most importantly it is all of ours to care for.''  Chelsea Aguilera C/O 2029

 “I think that this trip was fun and full of memorable memories. The only thing is that, I think that the speaking part was too long at each stop.”  Delanie Amaya C/O 2028.

“The trip to Mimbres was fun and was very successful since there wasn't any problems and we sticked to the schedule. Also, we followed the schedule and still had extra time to enjoy the river. Another thing is that we came back with a lot of knowledge.” Athziri Blanco C/O 2028

“I really enjoyed the experience of being able to go out with these biologists and learn of their roles in a nature setting. Coming from a background where I was fortunate enough to have access to the outdoors, I loved to see the way my council interacted with the environment and had a very good time.” McKenzie Trejo Class of 2027.

"I had a great experience in the Mimbres field trip. I highly recommend to others if you want a good nature spot.” Areli Estrada Class of 2029.

“I loved the trip I felt so relaxed and connected. I loved to learn about the land and the possibilities. I hope we can go again and stay longer and maybe have like more to do and be more prepared.” Jaylene Jaquez Class of 2027.

"In my opinion, the field trip was fun and a very different experience, but the one thing I didn't like was that they talked too much about different things at a time and some of them were confusing and the other thing is that they kept us in the sun for a long time." Emily Prieto class of 2028.

 “The trip was very fun and a great experience to be able to bond with your council members. I learned a lot from the biologist.” – Allisson Reyes 2028.

"The trip overall was a good experience. I liked exploring around and learning more about nature and the animals and I think it would be a good place for school trips for kids to be more educated on nature." Gema Sanchez Class of 2029.