January 2021

As we kick off 2021, Frontera wants to give a big “Thank You” to Mike Gaglio and all he has done for conservation in the region for The Frontera land Alliance.  He has served on Frontera’s Board of Directors for many years in various roles, including President and Secretary.  Mike has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biology from the University of Texas at El Paso. His career spans over 15 years as a biologist and environmental consultant, and in 2007 he co-founded High Desert Native Plants, LLC, an environmental consulting and restoration services company with a focus on conservation-oriented solutions for the development industry. Mike Gaglio’s term on the Executive Committee may have come to an end, but he continues to be on the Board and on Frontera’s Lands and Water Committee.  Mike’s dedication to Frontera and its mission is unparalleled, and we’re grateful for his continuing participation on our Board… (By Richard Teschner.)

Throughout 2021 Frontera is beginning the renewal process for National Accreditation for Land Trusts.  This procedure is required every 5 years and involves a great deal of time and financial support.  As an accredited land trust we are in a better position to protect, defend and steward the land. It has been shown that land trusts save more land, raise more funds, and attract more volunteers than any other organization. There are more than 400 accredited land trusts in the USA, and Frontera is proud to be one of them. We are a group of strong, respected leaders in our community with the resources to forever steward the lands we conserve.

Welcome, Christopher Gad as our newest Board member!

Mr. Gad is a former high school teacher and currently a prosecutor for the City of El Paso. There are also several new committee members who are kicking off 2021 with Frontera. All are dedicated to Frontera and our mission by giving their time and donating the skills that help conserve and steward our region’s lands. Please welcome: Nuria Garcia, Emily Gomez, Jay Langford, Pablo Lopez, Joey Nakajima, and Olive Wagler.

Event Update

For the beginning of the New Year, Frontera has scheduled several events to get you out of doors. On January 9th, Frontera joined Friends of the Rio Bosque on their first birding tour of the year. John Sproul, along with other El Paso Audubon members, spotted many White-Crowned Sparrows, Harris Hawks, American Kestrels, and Burrowing Owls. Our in-person walk on the trail outside the El Paso Museum of Archaeology was fun! It was a beautiful day, and the participants learned about Castner Range, the local plants, and stories of our snake encounter there. Frontera also hosted two clean-ups at Resler Canyon. The trash accumulation was getting so bad in early January that we decided to schedule a last-minute clean-up. During the work that we did at the end of the month, the volunteers were able to walk the trail and pick up loads of trash. One of our volunteers even found a $5 bill!