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CDRI Desert NewsFlash
December 2024
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Northern Cardinal at the CDRI Bird Blind. Photo by Alan Wintz.
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Thank you!
Before we dive into the newsletter, we want to thank each of you for your generosity throughout 2024! Your support has brought such joy to what we do every day. Your generous contributions have enabled us to dream and to see those dreams come to life. How much more could anyone want? Thank you!
We look forward to seeing you at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Gardens this holiday season and into the New Year.
As we often say, "Come soon and come often!"
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| 2024 in Pictures!
It's time to recap the activity at CDRI during 2024! We were busy, creating a new trail in the Botanical Gardens, completing the Native Grasses Exhibit, and welcoming visitors and school children, just to name a few things. The following chronicles the events of 2024.
During January and February 2024, we worked behind the scenes preparing for the Cactus & Succulent Sale fundraiser. Sourcing and ordering the plants can sometimes be challenging, but it's also a rewarding experience to shop for and find beautiful plants grown from seed. The tricky part, then, is getting the plants delivered to CDRI. Fortunately, we had help from Barney and Cindi Dishron and Jake and CDRI's Head Gardener, Faith Hille-Dishron, who trekked out to East Texas with their enormous trailer to bring back the large selection of cactus and succulents we'd ordered.
The 2024 sale was our most successful plant sale to date!
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In March, we installed a new interpretive sign just inside the Botanical Garden gate. The panel highlights the thoughtful design of the main trail in the Botanical Gardens, where the plants are arranged in a progression of vegetative zones, which change as the altitude increases. We are grateful to Jim Fissel, who designed the interpretive panel, and Kipp Harlow, Site Manager, for creating the frame.
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The Conant Lecture, held in April 2024, featured a member of CDRI's Board of Directors and Sul Ross State University (SRSU) Professor of Biology, Dr. Chris Ritzi. Dr. Ritzi spoke about the Tamarisk beetle and the fight to eradicate Salt Cedar along the Rio Grande border while controlling the beetle's spread.
For the year's second Conant Lecture, held in October 2024, we featured a new member of CDRI's Board of Directors and Assistant Professor of Geology at SRSU, Dr. Jesse Kelsch, for a fantastic lecture about the formation of the various landforms in the region.
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April is the beginning of the prettiest time of the year at CDRI. It did not disappoint.
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In April, we welcomed 2nd and 3rd-grade students from schools in the TEA Region 18 area for two days of "Bugs, Bugs, Bugs Day." The number of students increased nearly to pre-Covid attendance numbers! And best of all, the children loved their day at CDRI.
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Also in April, we were relieved to see our three one-year-old baby turtles emerge from their winter hibernation. The turtles were very active and very hungry. We took care of the three little ones until late summer. Out of concern for the turtles spending another winter in captivity, Site Manager Kipp Harlow and Host Camper Ted Freeman found an ideal location for the three little turtles to begin their lives in the "wild."
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In May, we welcomed 1st-grade students to CDRI's "Living Things" program.
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And in May, we celebrated Miner Joe Mussey's 94th birthday.
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Throughout June, we held Critter Camp for children in kindergarten through 8th grade. CDRI's Critter Camp collaborated with Marfa ISD's Summer Shake Up program to offer engaging learning experiences for kids at the morning day camp. Warren Shaul of Tierra Grande Master Naturalists, along with other volunteers, led the daily activities.
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In June, we held an all-day Continuing Professional Education course, "Stuck on You," for Region 18 teachers, and we hosted two days of guided tours of the Botanical Gardens for participants in the 2024 Agave Festival Marfa.
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In August, CDRI hosted its largest, most fun, and most successful BBQ & Auction fundraiser to date! We attribute our success to our generous donors, wonderful guests, the inimitable auctioneer Martin Stringer, and CDRI's incredible team and volunteers. Thank you!
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The photos of the BBQ & Auction are by Matt Walter.
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After a year and a half of development, guests joined us in September to celebrate the completion of the Native Grasses Exhibit. The project involved multiple tasks, including clearing the area, building planting beds, sourcing seeds for 26 different grass species, and planting and nurturing the grasses. We also created a guide brochure booklet, designed native grasses bandanas for sale in the gift shop, and developed outdoor signage and interpretive panels. Additionally, we installed a large mural titled "Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands" inside the Powell Visitor Center. Credit goes to Jim Martinez, Jim Fissel, Faith Hill-Dishron, and some very hard-working volunteers who contributed to this project.
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We replaced the individual identification signs in Modesta Canyon that relate to the text in the Modesta Canyon Guide, 20 in all. And more directional signs were installed on the trail system.
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We also replaced the signs at the front entrance, which included a two-sided sign measuring 12 feet by 6 feet and the panels on either side of the front gate. The signs needed to be replaced due to damage caused by the extensive road construction on Highway 118 in front of the CDRI entrance.
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A new trail was developed in the Botanical Gardens over the summer, linking the Pollinator Garden to the Garden's main trail and revealing beautiful vistas.
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CDRI's educational programs returned in October with "The Earth Rocks!" for 5th grade and "Herps Day" for 4th grade.
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In December, we will partner with Bat Conservation International to plant 100 agave plants in the Botanical Gardens. This collaboration will support ongoing research on bat migration from Mexico into our region. We'll share photos in next month's Desert NewsFlash.
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2024 was a remarkable success, thanks to the incredible team at CDRI, including our dedicated staff, directors, and the world's most hard-working and talented volunteers!
We are truly grateful for the many ways in which you support CDRI -- whether through membership, volunteering, participation in our fundraisers, contributions from individuals and foundations, or shopping at CDRI's thoughtfully curated Gift Shop. We couldn't have achieved our goals in 2024 without you!
Thank you all very much!
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| A gift for that person who has everything.
If you've run out of gift ideas for that friend or family member who has everything, why not give them a one-year membership to the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center & Botanical Gardens?
Membership not only provides free admission to the CDRI site and 10% off everything in the Gift Shop, it also opens the doors for free admission to 370 botanical gardens and 125 nature centers across the U.S., thanks to our participation in the Reciprocal Admission Programs with American Horticultural Society and the Association of Nature Center Administrators.
Let us help you by making your gift-giving easy this year!
Click here to purchase a membership online.
Happy Holidays!
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West of the Pecos Caravan Tour - AirStream Club
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Congratulations to Sara and Michael!
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From the CDRI Team,
we wish you Happy Holidays
and a very Happy New Year!
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Photo from Modesta Canyon, November 30, 2024, by Faith Hille-Dishron.
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Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute, P.O. Box 905, Fort Davis, TX 79734
432.364.2499
www.cdri.org
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