Learn about the history of the Middle Rio Grande Valley and restoration efforts in a live-streamed talk Tuesday by Bosque Project Manager Michael Scialdone for the Pueblo of Sandia. Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC News:
Join the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 15 for a live-streamed talk from Michael Scialdone about the history of the Middle Rio Grande Valley and how that has led to the Rio Grande and Bosque known today.
After giving some history, Scialdone will discuss restoration efforts in general for the river and the Bosque, with a focus on how river incising creates additional challenges. Register for this talk here.
Michael Scialdone, or Scial, has been working on riparian and river restoration for over 12 years. As the Bosque Project Manager for the Pueblo of Sandia, he oversees a program to reduce fuels and enhance or restore riparian function in the Pueblo’s culturally important bosque.
rior to working at the Pueblo, he worked on crews focused on non-native removal and native planting and as a consultant for various restoration projects in New Mexico and Colorado. Since 2007, he has organized volunteer restoration projects for the Albuquerque Wildlife Federation, a 100-year-old conservation group started by Aldo Leopold when he lived in Albuquerque.
“I stay very much grounded by being involved with the Albuquerque Wildlife Federation. Just to have that connectivity with people that are also interested in getting out and giving back to the outdoors,” he said. “When your eyes really open to how damaged our landscape is, it can be overwhelming. But being around people that want to get their hands dirty, get outside, and give back, gives me hope and helps keep me grounded.”
Scialdone is also PEEC’s featured New Mexico Naturalist for the month of September. Learn more about him, his work and his thoughts about the future of nature in New Mexico here.
Sign up for this program and other virtual PEEC offerings, including Friday astronomy talks and Sunday yoga classes, at peecnature.org/events. This event will be hosted via the live-streaming platform Zoom. Registration is required for Zoom security and to receive the meeting link and password.
For more information about this and other PEEC programs, visit www.peecnature.org, email publicity@peecnature.org or call (505).662.0460.
PEEC was founded in 2000 to serve the community of Los Alamos. It offers people of all ages a way to enrich their lives by strengthening their connections to our canyons, mesas, mountains and skies. PEEC operates the Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road, holds regular programs and events and hosts a number of interest groups from birding to hiking to butterfly watching. The Los Alamos Nature Center is currently closed due to COVID-19, but there are many ways to learn about nature and interact with PEEC online. PEEC activities are open to everyone; however, members receive exclusive benefits such as discounts on programs and merchandise. Annual memberships start at $35. To learn more, visit www.peecnature.org.
