7,000 acres added to Big Bend Ranch Nov 21, 2008
The park contains more than 300,000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert wilderness. It extends 23 miles along the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo from southeast of Presidio to near Lajitas. (Alpine Avalanche, TX)
Greens thwart oil/gas development in sensitive areas Nov 20, 2008
It is the largest public piece of undisturbed Chihuahuan desert left. It s also in the crosshairs of the oil vs. greens battle. (New Mexico Business Weekly, NM)
CDRI hosts Earth Rocks!!! science education program Oct 26, 2008
More than 300 schoolchildren from the region participated in the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute's annual earth science field day Oct. 16 ... "The Earth Rocks!!! is designed to get children interested in science and to reinforce the science concepts that they need to know for their TAKS test," said James Saunders, Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute education director ... More than 50 volunteers helped put on the event including science-education partners from the UT McDonald Observatory,... (Odessa American, TX)
Shafter mine owners say two years possible Aug 7, 2008
Burgess, who lives in Albuquerque, N.M., has also worked closely with the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. While talking with the Avalanche last week, Burgess made the point that the Shafter mine will be one of the safest mines anywhere because of the ground it sits in. (Alpine Avalanche, TX)
National Pollinator Week, June 22-28, 2008; Second Annual Campaign to Protect Bees and All Pollinators Jun 24, 2008
The national plan will be launched when the first six in the series called Selecting Plants for Pollinators is introduced at a Congressional briefing on Wednesday, June 25 at 3:00 p.m. They cover regions from the Eastern Broadleaf Forest to the Chihuahuan Desert. The regional roll out of all 35 guides may take up to two years, according to Executive Director of the Pollinator Partnership Laurie Davies Adams, but the interactive zip code system will allow everyone to register right now to support... (PR Newswire)
PCMH Memorial Garden planned May 15, 2008
The auxiliary is scheduled to meet with the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute of Fort Davis, which will make recommendations on the flora to be used in the garden. "It's going to be a nice addition to this facility," PCMH chief executive officer Russell Tippin said. (Fort Stockton Pioneer, TX)
Small desert beetle found to engineer ecosystems Mar 28, 2008
The catastrophic action a tiny beetle is wreaking on the deteriorating Chihuahuan desert will be revealed in the April edition of the Royal Entomological Societys Ecological Entomology journal ... Up to 150 years ago, the North Chihuahuan Desert was completely covered in grassland. (EurekAlert!)
Sul Ross biology faculty, grad students present at Academy of Sciences Mar 26, 2008
At the terrestrial ecology and management session, Cynthia G. McAlister, Alpine, presented a paper, "Compar-ison of Native Bee Diversity Between a Botanical Garden and Adjacent Grasslands, Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute, Jeff Davis County, Texas," that she co-authored with Christopher M. Ritzi, assistant professor of biology. Traci Gukian, Rosalva Meraz and Ritzi presented a poster, "Endo- and Ecotoparasites of Small Rodents from Brewster County.". (Odessa American, TX)
Biologists surprised to find parochial bacterial viruses Mar 5, 2008
Siefert and several of her co-authors began traveling to Cuatro Cinegas in Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert in 2004 to study cyanobacteria living in a network of more than 200 spring-fed pools, or pozas. Cuatro Cinegas' pozas have been compared to the Galapagos Islands, except that their endemic species -- at least 70 species in the valley are found nowhere else on Earth -- are separated from the rest of the world by mountains and a sea of sand rather than an ocean. (EurekAlert!)
Hey kids, looking for something fun to do? Feb 29, 2008
Drop in to the Kids' Corner, anytime between 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M., at the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institutes' Nature Center on selected Saturdays in March ... For more information on Kids' Corner or any other programs at the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute please contact Jan Carpenter, 432-364-2499 or. (Fort Stockton Pioneer, TX)
Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute receives conservation bookshelf Feb 29, 2008
Treasured objects, artifacts, and living collections held by the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute will be preserved for future generations with help from the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation books, DVDs, and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding of the nation's museums and libraries ... The Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute is among the first to receive this essential set... (Fort Stockton Pioneer, TX)
Don't mess with these Texas deals, from $87 a night Jan 10, 2008
Marfa, from $155 per nightIn the funky west Texas town of Marfa, high in the Chihuahuan Desert, sits the boutique Thunderbird Hotel, which has a pool, a fireplace, and rooms outfitted with bright woven Peruvian blankets and original art work. Its romance package provides a 10 percent discount off the cost of your room, plus a chilled bottled of Prosecco, Vosges chocolates, Mexican votive candles, a complimentary movie rental, a CD of romantic tunes, pink Christmas lights, and daily coffee... (MSNBC -- Travel)
A look at new guy Dec 28, 2007
LAJITAS - Not even 100 million, beer-guzzling goats and the legend of Pancho Villa could lure the travelers to these 25,000 acres of Chihuahuan desert on the fringes of civilization. Dallas businessman Kelcy Warren believes he can. (Alpine Avalanche, TX)
Revised passport laws for land and sea travel set for 2008 Dec 7, 2007
Geological sciences graduate student Brad Wolaver, who organizes the geology trips to Mexico, said he takes his students into the country's interior to learn about water management and to test the temperature and water quality of the springs in the Chihuahuan Desert. He said everyone is required to show a passport at an interior Mexican checkpoint, even after they have passed through the border checkpoints. (The Daily Texan, TX)
The Army's $200 billion makeover Dec 7, 2007
EL PASO - A $200 billion plan to remake the largest war machine in history unfolds in one small way on a quiet country road in the Chihuahuan Desert. Jack Hensley, one of a legion of contractors on the project, is hunkered in a slowly moving SUV, serving as target practice for a baby-faced soldier in a aiming a laser about 700 yards away. (Yahoo News -- U.S. Military)
Water wonderland: Why is the SPRNCA so biologically diverse? Nov 16, 2007
To the east we find the temperate mid-elevation Chihuahuan Desert and to the west, the sub-tropical low elevation Sonoran Desert. Together, these four large and very different eco-regions blend here in the San Pedro River Valley resulting in a wide variety of habitats. (Sierra Vista Herald, AZ)
Definition of a Desert Nov 12, 2007
The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert in North America, and includes most of northern Mexico, southern and central New Mexico, southeastern Arizona and west Texas ... Agaves (Century plants) are the most well known plants native to the Chihuahuan Desert. (Suite101.com)
Fact Sheet: Improving Habitat for Our Nation's Migratory Birds Oct 20, 2007
The President has committed $4 million for Fiscal Year 2007 funds to begin implementing projects to support conservation initiatives in Laguna Madre, Marismas Nacionales, Chiapas, Yucatan Peninsula, and the Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands (Janos and Saltillo). Working with local communities, the projects will support birds that migrate between Mexico and the United States by. (White House News Releases)
FS Garden Club tours Marathon Gardens Oct 18, 2007
Then a stop at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center that is located closer to Fort Davis. Their water storage system is extensive and a very good example. (Fort Stockton Pioneer, TX)
Ramsey Canyon Preserve Aug 3, 2007
"We are right at a crossroads between the Sonoran Desert and the Chihuahuan Desert, and we are also at the crossroads of the Rocky Mountains as well as the Sierra Madre mountains in Mexico," says Elaine Emeigh, a volunteer at the preserve. "Put that together with the fact that we have the monsoons, we have tremendous variety of habitat, and it just creates enormous numbers of species. advertisement "The Sky Islands means we have all different altitude levels. (AZCentral -- Travel)
Kids and the National Park Service Jul 23, 2007
Here the Rio Grande River, the Chihuahuan Desert and the Chisos Mountains all can be found. Nature trails like Window View or Lost Mine offer unique insight into this seemingly hostile environment and the people who have called it home for centuries. (Suite101.com)
Vandals Destroy Nature Park Jul 19, 2007
Police said the vandals were involved in several vandalism incidents at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park. The vandals knocked over at least 60 feet of rock wall, shot at the doors with a gun and set the restrooms doors on fire. (KFOXTV.com, TX)
Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on the Endangered Species Act Jun 26, 2007
"WWF has a long history working with endangered species and advocating for their protection. Today's ruling is likely to compromise that work, particularly in the Northern Great Plains, Bering Sea, the rivers and streams of the Southeast and in the Chihuahuan Desert, all of which are home to some of the most endangered species on Earth.". SOURCE World Wildlife Fund. (PR Newswire)
Driving with rented risks Jun 23, 2007
That evening, as the Land Cruiser descended a hill in the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico, the trailer began to swing from side to side, pushing the SUV as if trying to muscle it off the road. "I knew something bad was going to happen," recalled Corina Maya Hollander, who was taking a turn behind the wheel. (Los Angeles Times)
Garden Club sez: Need Water? Use Rainwater! Jun 21, 2007
The Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute near Ft. Davis has two roof collection systems and a stand-alone wildlife guzzler on the rangeland behind their Visitor Center. Take a weekend tour and look at these various sites, see how one might fit your needs. (Fort Stockton Pioneer, TX)
Wildlife Rescue Group Needs Space, Money Jun 13, 2007
Last year the Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue group took in 3,250 wild birds and mammals. The voluntary group of six rehabilitated the animals and sent them back into the wild. (KFOXTV.com, TX)
Giant Crystal Cave's Mystery Solved Apr 7, 2007
Buried a thousand feet (300 meters) below Naica mountain in the Chihuahuan Desert, the cave was discovered by two miners excavating a new tunnel for the Industrias Peoles company in 2000. The cave contains some of the largest natural crystals ever found: translucent gypsum beams measuring up to 36 feet (11 meters) long and weighing up to 55 tons. (National Geographic)
Climate change threatens world natural wonders - WWF Apr 5, 2007
It said the Chihuahuan Desert in North America would suffer as the Rio Grande river depletes. Six out of seven marine turtle species in Latin America and the Caribbean were also endangered as nesting beaches are destroyed by rising sea levels. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
WWF's Top 10 Rivers at Risk, Rio Grande Makes List Mar 20, 2007
Although the Rio Grande and its tributaries run through the arid Chihuahuan Desert it is home to a spectacular array of freshwater species ... "The Rio Grande is a treasure for all Americans and Mexicans as well as an economic resource of incalculable value," said Jennifer Montoya, U.S. director of WWF's Chihuahuan Desert Program. (PR Newswire)
Mexico Vows to Protect Butterfly, Rare Desert Oasis Feb 26, 2007
Calderon also promised to apply stricter controls on the extraction of water from a giant reservoir that sits beneath an ancient oasis in the Great Chihuahuan Desert. Scientists say the Cuatro Cienegas pools in northern Mexico can help them understand Earth's beginnings, global warming and the possibility of life on Mars. (Planet Ark, United States)
Scientists press Mexico to protect oasis that holds biological clues Feb 22, 2007
CUATRO CI NEGAS, Mexico -- Dairy farming is endangering an ancient oasis in the Great Chihuahuan Desert that scientists say can help them understand earth's beginnings, global warming, and the chances of life on Mars. Farmers could dry up the warm water Cuatro Ci negas pools in northern Mexico by the end of the decade if they keep tapping underground water supplies to grow green alfalfa leaves to feed dairy cows, international biologists say. (Boston Globe -- World)
What's happening at Intermediate school Jan 11, 2007
They will then compare and contrast information from these regions of Texas to Ft. Stockton's region, the Chihuahuan Desert. Each student will give a short presentation on Friday, January 12. (Fort Stockton Pioneer, TX)
