Situated ten miles north of the mountain town of Taos in northern New Mexico are interconnected villages, El Salto and Arroyo Seco. Resilient communities, their stewards combine traditional and modern practices to protect, sustain, and reinvigorate the land for future generations to come. In the face of a changing climate, vulnerability to catastrophic wildfire, outside interests looking to encroach on the pure water supply, and a historic land grant collective under financial duress, this story focuses on Querencia, a colloquial Spanish term that refers to a sense of place from which a community draws its strength. Interculturally dynamic, the people of these villages hold a strong sense of family and a devotion to community management and engagement of the land and watershed throughout the seasons, from fire mitigation efforts to a touch of the sacred.

In collaboration with leaders from the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps and the US Forest Service, members of the Taos Pueblo mold fresh adobe bricks and conduct bi-annual restoration work on the centuries old Unesco World Heritage site.

The field day was a Taos-based educational collaboration connecting regional organizations Quivira Coalition, Holistic Management International, Taos Soil and Water Conservation District, Alianza Agri-cultura de Taos, and the Taos Valley Acequia Association. Local ranch owners, gardeners, and conservationists participated in a classroom and field based workshop, learning about regenerative grazing principles, ecosystem monitoring, and forage assessment, among many other principles of viable land management practices.

Local school students take part in a field day outing at the Taos Land Trust through a collaboration with the Field Institute of Taos, an outdoor education program. The students learned about acequia management from the majordomo and assisted with cleaning the traditional irrigation canals.

From the local to the regional to the global, this project aims to highlight individuals, organizations, and places engaged in a variety of environmental conservation focuses. The project also aims to engage in questions surrounding responsible practices and social dynamics that directly affect the environment.

2023 version of the annual gathering of local non-profit organizations, hosted by Dalee Productions at KTAO in Taos.

In the heart of Oregon, a pristine wilderness of old growth forest called Opal Creek is the home to a science education program, Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center. The program serves students from around the region, ranging from secondary education to college programs to adult education, presenting wilderness and ecology education, wilderness medicine, and arts and writing programming.

Preserved from the logging and mining industry in a contentious litigation fight filled with local social unrest throughout the 80’s and early 90’s, the wilderness area is now designated as a public land. Filled with abundant and pure cascading mountain streams and lush forests of douglas fir, sitka spruce, and redwoods, Opal Creek is a remote setting where the occasional backpacker wanders through searching for solitude and nourishment from nature.

This series of images shares a personal and intimate look into life in the forest and community of Opal Creek between 2010-2015.

*Note: Sadly, in the fall of 2020, the Beachie Creek forest fire leveled the grounds of the education center and wiped out significant portions of the forest, as well as took the life of conservation pioneer and OCAFC founder George Atiyeh.

Images of public lands around the globe. Included are state, provincial, and national parks, wildlife refuges, national seashores, forests, and monuments.

In concert with an international day of demonstration, advocates for legislation against climate change march across Los Angeles.

2020

Fundraising city hike through Los Angeles in support of healthy air