Page 15 - FINAL fall 2014 magazine
P. 15
“Characters of the Old Spanish Trail” by
Douglas M. Knudson will be the fall selection
for the Book Nook. The book tells the true sto-
ries of 24 men and women who used the Old
Spanish Trail in the early 1800s. Some were
traders or explorers; others were simply making
the move from New Mexico to California to start
a new life. Some are famous like Kit Carson and
John Fremont; most are not. However, they are
By Sharon Schaaf all important because each adventurer helped
grow the economy of the west.
Join Janis and Kristin for the fall Book Nook discussion of this selection. Visit the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive
Association website at: www.redrockcanyonlv.org for the date. Then call 702-515-5367 to reserve your spot.
Organ Mountains—Desert Peaks (continued from page 8)
future of our high
public at large to desert areas. We’re
go out and enjoy promoting the protec-
their public lands. tion and preservation
It will be availa- of public lands and
ble at local hotels their diverse populations of wildlife and plants, rich
and businesses cultural and archeological features and their intrinsic
and has a space aesthetic qualities. We envision natural landscapes in
on the back for Doña Ana County that are managed and appreciated
Ruins of a hotel in the Dripping Springs
area within Organ Mountains-Desert them to place for their inherent beauty, scientific and cultural values,
Peaks National Monument their own decal to resulting in the integration of human activities such as
help promote tourism in the area. hiking, hunting, horseback riding, tourism and educa-
As mentioned above, a number of groups worked tion while continuing responsible ranching activities
tirelessly to help bring about the protection of our where currently practiced.
beloved lands. For many years, the emphasis was to
Find out more about your newest National Monument at
get this done through congressional action. Our http://www.organmtnfriends.org. You can also find and like
Friends group was formed when the transition to them on Facebook.
focusing on Presidential Designation was decided
upon by the broader coalition. While many different About the author:
local groups are intimately involved to some extent Lucas Herndon has lived in Las Cruces since
1989 and received his Bachelor’s degree in
with the progression of management of the monu- history from New Mexico State University. As an
ment, they have other campaigns requiring their at- avid outdoorsman he enjoys hiking, hunting,
fishing and camping with his family and friends
tention. This is where the real value of our group all over the desert southwest. Lucas is also a
comes in. board member of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce and a
volunteer Tree Steward with the City of Las Cruces. His daughter
The Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks frequently shows up in pictures of some of these amazing places as she
also enjoys being out in these wonderful public lands.
were drawn together by our common concern for the
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