By KATHERINE WATSON

I would like to thank the Los Alamos Police Department on behalf on the Pajarito Environmental Education Center for the assistance they have been giving us in tracking down the vandal who has attempted to stop participation in our Passport to the Pajarito Plateau program.

PEEC designed this program as a fun way to get kids and adults outside, enjoying our many beautiful trails. People of all ages in the community are excited to hike our trails, “stamp” their passports by making a crayon rubbing of a plate on a special post, and bring their passports back to the Nature Center for prizes.

Unfortunately, one person in our community feels entitled to ruin the fun for everyone else. This person has been digging up the posts with the rubbing plates and hiding them where hikers cannot find them. 

The LADP has been instrumental in helping us return the posts to their proper location, and is taking steps to make sure that the post locations are monitored so that this cannot happen again. We appreciate their commitment to making sure there are no more disappointed children, like the three that our staff member, Jonathan Creel, met on the trail who were searching for one of the posts removed by the vandal.

The LAPD is an important community partner, and we appreciate their efforts.