The Frontera Land Alliance
JUNE 2020 UPDATE

Equality in Nature! The murder of George Floyd has ripped open a wound of inequality and injustice in America that continually tries to heal but never does. When any group of people is denied their dignity and rights, the wrongs of the past and present cannot be forgotten and are difficult to forgive. The events of the weeks since Mr. Floyd’s death have shown that we, as a country, have a long way to go before all people have equal access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

One place everyone can and should expect to be treated equally is nature. Open space and wild lands embrace everyone and provide exciting discoveries, healthful activities and solitude for spiritual healing. From its inception, The Frontera Land Alliance has striven to protect wild natural lands for everyone to enjoy, no matter what their background.

In these times of uncertainty, anger, and grief, Frontera encourages everyone to find time to get outside and take part in the welcoming space of nature and enjoy the gifts she has to offer our minds, bodies and souls. John Muir eloquently expressed the importance of nature to humanity when he wrote:

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”

Do you have a plan for your estate? We all know people that were impactful in our lives and who helped us connect with nature and the outdoors. One of them was Dr. Alan Pittle. A gift was made in his memory just this month because he was a skilled and caring podiatrist, who loved the outdoors and who wanted healthy feet on folks so they could hike! The very reason he moved to El Paso was the Franklin Mountains.
 
If you have a memory of someone who also loved the outdoors and open space and you want to honor their memory, please consider making a gift in their name to Frontera. In addition Frontera has created a new Estate Planning program that shares the ways that you may continue your support with a legacy gift even after you have “hiked” to the Great Beyond. To learn more please, call Janaé at 915-351-8352 or email her at: Janae@FronteraLandAlliance.org

Knapp Land Conservation Easement
For those who have explored what is locally known as Knapp Land in NE El Paso (just south of Castner Range and on the eastern boundary of the state park), Frontera is seeking photos or names of species (plants, insects, birds, mammals, geology, etc.) that are found on this property. Such details will help document the current condition of the land. As time passes and staff and board members change, such documentation will allow Frontera to review and ensure that the qualities of the land are being preserved as stated in the conservation easement. Send photos and or lists of species by JULY 11, 2020 to: janae@fronteralandalliance.org  Please be sure to include your name, contact information, date of photo or date of observation, where the photo was taken on the land (be specific as possible) and the identity of what you are sharing (name of the plant, animal, geologic feature, etc.).

Matching Gift Campaign Succeeds! We announced on May 18 that we’d received an anonymous $5,000 matching donation. We are happy to say that we’ve reached our goal and raised the additional $5,000.  Frontera’s programs and projects now have an additional $10,000 to help us protect open space! 
 
We wanted to take a minute and be sure that our SPONSORS are thanked. Without our sponsors we couldn’t do what we do to conserve land, wildlife and water as well as grow our Nature Discovery Program. So here are our Business Sponsorships, listed in alphabetical order:
 

1. High Desert Native Plants LLC’s assistance allows us to participate in conservation of open lands. The plants on these lands aid in water conservation and are needed to provide habitat for wildlife and insects.
2. Hunt Companies’ Southwest Community Development division sponsors the Nature Discovery Program. This support aided Frontera in hosting guided walks, talks and hikes in our region, to making presentations, presenting to local organizations about our mission, to hosting volunteer work days at Resler Canyon.
3. Jobe Materials’ sponsorship has allowed Frontera to promote its conservation programs. Jobe’s support has assisted directly with habitat restoration, stewardship and water conservation programs, all critical to the region.
4. JP Morgan assistance was designated for general operations to ensure our day to day business moves forward efficiently.
5. Keller Williams Realty’s support has helped us reach our Spanish-speaking population with bilingual programs and also to host an estate planning workshop this fall where we will reach out to our members that want to learn about legacy giving through estate planning.
6. Richard Teschner, while not a corporate donor, has sponsored us for many years in a multitude of ways. His donations and activities support Frontera’s general operations as well as its programs in education and outreach.

If you shop with Amazon, don’t forget to use AmazonSmile so that each time you shop you can help Frontera conserve water, wildlife and working lands as well as natural open areas. It is a very simple program to participate in, and it will not cost you a dime. Amazon will donate part of their profit on that purchase to Frontera. 

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