CELEBRATING ORGAN MTS—DESERT PEAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT: HIDDEN DIVERSITIES / SECRETS REVEALED

 September 22-25, 2016

Las Cruces, New Mexico

PREVIEW OF EVENTS

  • Thursday, Sept. 22: NPSNM Board Meeting and reception
  • Friday, Sept. 23: Registration and opening session, with speakers in auditorium, refreshments, lunch, afternoon field trips or speakers, evening reception
  • Saturday, Sept. 24: Field trips and workshops, lunch on own, member presentations, evening banquet with keynote speaker
  • Sunday, Sept. 25: Morning field trips

FOR CONFERENCE PROGRAM CLICK HERE (SATURDAY MORNING WORKSHOPS REVISED 6/15/2016)

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM CLICK 2016 Registration

View from Ice Canyon by Carolyn Gresset

The Friday session will begin with a discussion among many of the people who were instrumental in convincing Interior Department Secretary Sally Jewell and President Obama to approve the new monument, as well as those who worked hard on garnering the amazing support for the monument in our community, and those who worked out in the field to help with the prior designation of WSA’s, boundaries, and other tasks. The audience will then be invited to participate in the discussion.

Bar Canyon Waterfall by Meg Freyermuth

The emphasis of our meeting is getting to know the Monument through field trips to its varied and widespread locations: all told, OM-DP NM includes 496,330 acres in the areas surrounding the Mesilla Valley! We will not be able to see it all, but you can always come back to our area to explore more of its stark beauty. There will also be field trips that are not within the monument, but offer spectacular views of it. We want to acknowledge the importance of the Río Grande and the riparian areas close to it, as well as the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, run by the Asombro Institute, which has provided hands-on science for thousands of our school students and teachers. You can find more detail in the April 2016 newsletter, available on this site.

There will also be some alternative activities, such as workshops and talks, for those who choose not to go on field trips–and of course you are welcome to get to know what the city of Las Cruces has to offer: wonderful museums, the NMSU campus, a fabulous Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning, and much more.

Conference Location: New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum at 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces NM

Silent Auction: A silent auction has become a traditional highlight of each year’s NPSNM State meeting. The Las Cruces chapter, hosting the meeting September 22 through 25, 2016, invites your donation of items that might be of interest to other members. For more information or to offer one of your invaluables, please contact Donna Yargosz at yargoszdonna “at” yahoo.com.

Accommodations:  We have arranged for special conference rates at the two following hotels.  Be sure to tell them that you are with the Native Plant Society.  Hotel reservations should be made prior to September 7 to ensure conference rates.

  • Comfort Suites, $84 (plus tax) per night, located at the University exit of I-25, 575-522-1300 or 800-424-6423;
  • Sleep Inn, $74 (plus tax) per night, at the same exit, 575-522-1700.
  • Hilton Garden Inn, east of the I-25 University exit, has internet rates beginning at $104: gardeninn.hilton.com/Las_Cruces‎
  • For campers, Siesta RV offers full hookup for $34 per night, water and electric for $32; 575-523-6816 or siestarvpark.com. It is located on Avenida de Mesilla, west from I-10 exit 140.  Make reservations there early; snow birds start arriving in September.