The Friday Video: Meet Lauren Singer and Her Trash Free Lifestyle

Meet Lauren Singer. Be sure to subscribe to her YouTube page. She has great ideas for reducing trash and living a trash free lifestyle.

(Unfortunately, you will have to go to YouTube to view this video if you receive these posts via your smart phone. Soon, elpasonaturally will be transported to WordPress and won't have this problem. This transfer was in the making before I was elected to City Council and things came to a halt. We will be back on track in 2018.)

Introduction to Water Smart Landscapes

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Nerd Nights

Photo taken on a Paul Hyder night time field trip for
Celebration of Our Mountains.

I've been critical of Insights mostly because they don't have the sponsorship base yet (which they could do with a good fundraiser for a commission). They also have not solved the problem of an open and vulnerable dino tracks and the need, because of their sponsorship base, to charge $15 per person for a dino tour ($60 for a family of four). 

However, they are now doing something really creative and it is drawing enthusiastic crowds. It's called "Nerd Nights". Check out the link and the fantastic program they are offering. The next event is "Sex, Drugs and Arachnids". If that doesn't catch your attention, nothing will. Check out the link above to learn more about the next Nerd Night on January 3, 2018 at G2's at 7 PM. You can find a map to G2's at this link also. Scroll down and you can book a reservation now.

Insights is not the only organization promoting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math), beginning Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 9 AM, Celebration of Our Mountains will begin its new program: Celebrate STEAM. For the next 10 or so Saturdays there will be tours and special programs and events. More information is coming soon.

Unscientific, but still concerning

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I've written several times about the encroachment on state park land by GCC (previously Cemex). HERE is the most recent blog post. After the last post, Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition member, Steve Tures, emailed the map above. He said: "I did a rough and unscientific (read, not official or maybe wrong) attempt to see how close they [the park and quarry] are, and seems like they're really close or maybe over their line." He said that he fudged an overlay on what's publicly available on GM.

Tures seems to confirm what many others have also seen.

Of course, whether the quarry has encroached state land or not, they are quickly destroying this portion of the Franklin Mountains and could mine all the way to the ridge. 

Why does the City of El Paso and others do business with them?

Can El Paso Environmentalists Cooperate?

A bit over a week ago environmentalists from various El Paso groups came together to discuss collaboration. "Together we can do more" seemed to be the theme. The meeting aroused excitement and the group left planning to reconvene in January and, in the meantime, to develop a social media presence - one that can be shared by all the groups represented. 

There were representatives from the Audubon Society, Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, CDEC, the Sierra Club, Celebration of Our Mountains, Insights, the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition, EPCC and even a representative from the City of El Paso. Janaé Reneaud Field, the Director of Frontera Land Alliance, chaired the meeting.

One member suggested that coming together, sharing ideas, and building networks and resources might be the sole purpose along with a shared social media presence.

It's a great idea and a great start; but, will it last?

Judy Ackerman of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition probably made the most sense when she said that FMWC had always acted as the place for all of El Paso's conservation and environmental groups. It makes the most sense until you realize that FMWC has not been a true coalition. A list of groups included in their dossier seems only to be useful as a tool for political advocacy. FMWC is governed by its own Board rather than a true gathering of the coalition although some members of the board are indeed members of other groups if not their representatives. The chairing of the FMWC does not rotate among the various groups who, at least on paper, make up that Coalition.

Please understand, I think the highest of FMWC and their work. The leaders of FMWC are among the best and greatest El Pasoans. 

It would be simpler if this nascent Collaboration operated not just under the umbrella of FMWC but as the FMWC.

Whatever, I hope EP environmentalists can indeed be collaborative and be valuable resources one to the other.

Plan to Go to Ardovino's Holiday Market Sunday, December 3rd

One of the top holiday "must-do's" is Ardovino's Holiday Market. Because of all of the road work, follow these new directions to get to Ardovino's Desert Crossing:

Take Sunland Park Drive to Mc Nutt. Turn left onto McNutt and then right at the light at Anapra Road. The other option is to take Sunland Park to Futurity. Futurity ends at Racetrack and you will have to take a right. (Racetrack is only closed between Futurity and Doniphan.) MAP

Be sure to visit the ADC website.

Click on image to enlarge.

Survey the Quarry Now!

Recently elpasonaturally posted about the obscene destruction of our mountain by GCC, the new owners of former Cemex properties. GCC doesn't even dynamite just at night or early morning. They are blasting even during the day. They have no shame.

elpasonaturally has also pointed out the failure of the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Franklin Mountains State Park to do a survey. They complain that it costs too much and do not respond to calls asking them to do so.

Now another expert has said that undoubtedly GCC is encroaching on State Park land. Also, according to this expert, surveys are now done by drones for two or three thousand dollars. Hardly a big price tag.

Survey the quarry now. Stop buying from them. Shut them down forever. They are destroying our mountain.