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IMLS Releases Preliminary Data

from Recent Study

In 2019, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in partnership with Reinvestment Fund, selected CDRI to participate in a study titled, "Understanding the Social Wellbeing Impacts of the Nation's Libraries and Museums." One of the reasons for choosing CDRI to participate in the study was the museum status of CDRI's Cactus Museum Collection.

We're pleased to share the preliminary report released on October 27, 2021:
https://www.imls.gov/news/new-research-underscores-role-museums-libraries-play-create-healthier-more-equitable-america.

IMLS selected 12 museums and 12 libraries for the study. The location and size of the chosen sites covered a broad spectrum in both urban and rural areas.

The in-person interviews scheduled for March 2020 were abruptly altered due to that being the early days of Covid-19. At that time, airline flights were becoming unpredictable due to cancellations, and for anyone with a short memory or who has blocked out the trauma, there was a lot of fear of the unknown -- and rightfully so.

Instead of canceling the meetings, we scheduled everything over the phone. Almost two years later, meeting by telephone or via Zoom seems routine, but in March 2020, with no in-person interviews, meeting solely via phone conferencing was our only option.

Lead investigator and interviewer Dr. Michael Norton, Chief Policy Analyst with Reinvestment Fund, met individually (by phone) with the CDRI Team, volunteers, and Directors. He also interviewed Fort Davis ISD administrators and teachers, SRSU professors, employees at the National Historic Site - Fort Davis, the Davis Mountains State Park, and Fort Davis merchants. The goal was to find out how CDRI interacts with the community and the impact that CDRI has on the community.

We will share the detailed reports with you in 2022 as they are released. In summary, researchers found a positive connection between museums and libraries and community health, school effectiveness, institutional relationship, and cultural opportunity.

Thank you to all who participated in the interview process and to each of you for supporting CDRI -- giving us purpose and a reason to open the gates each day. We look forward to welcoming you soon!

Central Texas Trail Tamers Repair

Trails in the Botanical Gardens

Central Texas Trail Tamers Scott Newsom, President; James Wieland, and Charlie Grant. Photo by Rachel Carvajal.

Last month, CDRI welcomed the Central Texas Trail Tamers (CTTT), a 501(c) non-profit organization dedicated to building and maintaining sustainable hiking trails.

Led by CTTT President and project crew leader Scott Newsom, the group spent five days improving areas damaged by water runoff along the paths in the Botanical Gardens, including the Pollinator Garden.

Additionally, Newsom conducted a separate training session for CDRI volunteers and staff. Newson explained the reasons for specific structural changes made to the paths directly related to how water flows from a site depending upon the lay of the land.

One of the main “take-aways” from the training was that trails require constant attention and maintenance. Newsom also stated that with Global Warming, we likely will see more extreme rain events like we did last summer, again emphasizing the need to plan, prepare, and look ahead.

We are grateful for the friendship we’ve forged with CTTT and its crew. And we’re appreciative of the group for sharing their expertise and the many hours of hard work they put into repairing and rebuilding the walking paths inside the Botanical Gardens.

There’s more!

We’re excited to report that a team of ten Central Texas Trail Tamers will return March 6-11, 2022. The trail targeted for a redesign is the upper portion of the Modesta Canyon Trail! It will showcase Mitre Peak from the back door of the Powell Visitor Center. But more than that, the redesigned trail will make the first leg of the Modesta Canyon Trail more durable and able to withstand future summer rainstorms. More information will follow in the January 2022 Desert NewsFlash.

In closing, it seems fitting to say,

“Happy Trails!” to the Central Texas Trail Tamers! We’re looking forward to welcoming you back next Spring!

Above, left: Scott Newsom finishes clearing a drain at a water bar on the Clayton's Overlook Trail. Above, right: Volunteer and Tierra Grande Master Naturalist Maurie Cunningham dug out a drain channel in the Botanical Gardens which has lovingly been named "Maurie's Drain."

Check dams, or water bars were constructed in the Botanical Gardens to prevent future rain runoff and trail erosion.

Above left: Scott Newsom gave a mini-lesson on trail building and maintenance at the site of the trail work planned for Spring 2022. Above right: James Wieland (left) and Charlie Grant (right) demonstrated how to safely move large rocks.

Building a check dam, also known as a water bar, requires more work than first meets the eye. The rocks that make up the water bar are buried about 18 inches below the ground's surface, and they are usually two layers in thickness.

The five crew members were Charlie Grant, Seth Hamby, Scott Newsom, James Wieland, and Maurie Cunningham (who is not in the above photo).

Interview with

Joe Williams,

the "Coffee Guy"

We know that our visitors want to take a souvenir of their CDRI visit home with them, and with that understanding, we have carefully selected items for the CDRI Gift Shop, with trusted vendors we know -- most are local; all are friends. This month, we thought our readers would enjoy learning more about the man behind the Big Bend Coffee Roasters label -- Joe Williams.

Tell us about yourself.

Many of us know you’re a native West Texan, so we’d like to know when did your family find their way to Fort Davis and what has kept you in far West Texas?
My family has been in West Texas since 1880 on my grandmother’s side and 1890 on my grandfather’s side. I did leave West Texas for 17 years, starting when I was 20. I immigrated to Australia and spent my years in different aspects of agriculture. My partner, Chec Yuan Choo, and I raised coffee and coconuts, and I personally had a very large herd of Brahman mother cows. I returned to the US in 1988.

You’re the owner of Big Bend Coffee Roasters in Marfa, Texas. How did you come to be in the coffee roasting business?
I learned a lot about coffee in Australia but never imagined I would return to that business in West Texas. I purchased an existing coffee roaster in Marfa in 2008. This business has surprised everyone, including myself, with its success.

What line of work were you in when you began Big Bend Coffee Roasters? And are you still involved in that work?
I have been in the livestock (cattle) brokerage business for more than 40 years but was looking for another business that was closer to home and didn’t have to travel so extensively. I am still in this business in addition to the coffee roasting business.

At CDRI, we sell Big Bend Coffee Roaster’s private label “Take a Hike” coffee. Can you tell us about the Take a Hike blend?
“Take a Hike” is a relabel of my wonderful Double French Duo blend, a rich, smooth, dark roast. The actual naming of “Take a Hike” was the collaboration of Lisa Gordon and the staff.

Do you have a favorite coffee blend?
Every single-origin and blended coffee is a creation of my own and my wonderful staff. We are continually tasting and refining each of our 23 different labels. As everyone will realize, coffee is an agricultural product. No two years are the same in agriculture, so we much always recognize the possible differences of each agricultural year.
In answering the original question, the answer would have to be, “No.” It’s like asking which of your children is your favorite. Each of our coffees is different, as is each child is different. All of our coffees are great!

You are involved with the Rotary Club in Marfa and fundraising for Marfa Public Radio (MPR). You are also a generous supporter of CDRI’s annual BBQ & Auction, and we know you support various organizations and charities each month through your coffee sales. We admire your generous spirit! What is your inspiration for giving back to so many?
Simply it is time to give back to others who have a need. Big Bend Coffee Roasters is in a position to do that. The old adage is “give, and you shall receive.” Not only is it a truth, but an obligation to our communities.

Do you have time for hobbies or interests outside of work? And if so, what are they?
I express myself through cattle and coffee. That’s plenty.

Visitors to the Nature Center can find freshly ground “Take a Hike” coffee for sale in the CDRI Gift Shop. However, if DNF readers want to purchase coffee directly from Big Bend Coffee Roasters, how may they contact you?
Big Bend Coffee Roasters has a wonderful website at bigbendcoffeeroasters.com. Please share a cup of coffee with friends and family. Conversation and stories are the glue that connects all of us.

Our thanks to Joe for providing the Gift Shop with the "Take a Hike" brand, for providing an excellent product, and for the great delivery service. Joe makes sure that we are never out of coffee.

Garden Notes: A Cure for Plant Blindness

by Seth Hamby

Photo credit:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/ideas/videos/could-you-be-suffering-from-plant-blindness/p08rnbd0

Growing up in the heavily forested Piedmont region of South Carolina, I was immersed in a sea of green for most of my childhood. I would spend hours wandering among the southern red oaks (Quercus falcata), gathering cones from the loblolly pines (Pinus taeda), or marveling at the spiky strangeness of the fruit of the sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua). It wasn’t until many years later, far removed from the sassafras and the swallowtails, that I began to long for the ineffable wildness of my childhood.

My journey began innocently enough, with the procurement of the obligatory “peace lily” from a friend. This virtually indestructible Spathiphyllum species was the gateway drug that would eventually lead me into some pretty “seedy” nurseries, keep me up for countless nights searching the greenest corners of the internet, and force me to use my last dollar for a cutting of a designer Monstera. The more I learned about plants, the more I wanted to learn and the greater my appreciation for this mysterious Kingdom became.

I began branching out into Permaculture, traditional gardening, horticulture, and general botany. I became a certified Texas Master Naturalist and started running around with a gang calling themselves the Native Plant Society. I still wanted more. I was “chasing the dragon fruit.” I enrolled in college and eventually earned a master’s degree. Almost 10 years later, I am still just as excited about plants as ever. I am not recommending everyone get as deep into the world of plants as I did, but I certainly think recreational botany could help to expand your consciousness.

I remember when I was first starting out identifying plant species in my neighborhood. I would stumble across a plant I had never seen before, identify it, then begin seeing it absolutely everywhere. I would bet everyone has had a similar experience, whether it be with a plant, a bird, a color, or even an idea. Once we make the decision to bring something into our consciousness, we become more aware of that thing in our lives.

More than half of the species listed by the Endangered Species Act are plants, yet less than 5% of conservation dollars go toward the recovery of endangered plant species. Botany departments, degrees, and courses have become exceedingly rare. Children can recognize more corporate logos than they can native plants in their backyards. Plants provide food, shelter, fuel, medicine, ecosystem services, and the literal air we breathe. Plants are the basis of our economy and make human life possible on this planet. So why have we relegated plants to such an inferior status in western society?

In 1998, botanist-educators James Wandersee and Elizabeth Schussler coined the term plant blindness. Wandersee and Schussler broadly define the term as “the inability to see or notice the plants in one's own environment, leading to the inability to recognize the importance of plants in the biosphere and in human affairs.” Plant blindness is likely due in part to the fact that plants are so aesthetically and biologically different from us. It may also be due to how we process visual information. We have moved further away from our hunter-gatherer roots. We are increasingly bombarded by the visual and auditory stimuli of the modern world. Our brains have learned to cope with this hyper-novelty by filtering out unnecessary or monotonous stimuli, such as the green blobs of a forest at 70 mph or the overgrown vegetation in an abandoned lot.

We should remind ourselves that these are adaptations to an artificially-constructed environment and not evidence that living our lives without an awareness of the plants around us is actually “good” for us. In fact, countless studies have shown quite the opposite. Humans have an intrinsic need for plants and nature. Planting trees and creating green spaces has been shown to reduce crime rates, lower depression, and increase student attention and performance. Horticultural therapy and prescribed gardening have helped people with severe depression, traumatic brain injuries, and PTSD to cope with their afflictions and lead happier lives. Children raised around nature are more empathetic and have better critical thinking skills on average.

So, what is the cure for plant blindness? The simple answer is to make a decision to be more aware of the plants around you. Go for a walk through our Botanical Gardens. Take a leisurely hike on one of our trails. Challenge yourself to learn a new plant every day. Take pictures of plants and use apps or social media or the ancient technology of books to identify them. I promise you will not regret it and it’s so much cheaper than therapy.

Meet "Miner Joe"

Joe Mussey, known to many as "Miner Joe," has been a beloved friend and a CDRI “attraction” to many visitors of all ages. But, even for visitors who haven’t had a chance to meet Joe and ask him questions about mining in the Big Bend Region or hear his stories of mining across the western U.S., they have enjoyed visiting the Mining Heritage Exhibit.

So, we thought our readers would like to know who Miner Joe is. We also find it remarkable that Joe has done all of the work at the Mining Exhibit as a volunteer. We’d say that takes true dedication.

Where are you from?
I was born and raised in the Chihuahuan Desert of far west Texas. As a Sanderson Eagle, I especially enjoyed football and track and field events. After graduation from Sanderson High School, I worked a short time before joining and serving four years in the United States Air Force during the Korean War.

How did you get to Fort Davis?
My wife, Joyce, and I always enjoyed day trips from Pecos to Fort Davis. We bought acreage on Sproul Road in 1984 with the goal of one day retiring and building a home. In 1992, I retired from the greatest job on earth as Mining Geologist at Pennzoil Sulfur Company in Culberson County, and house construction began. Plans accelerated when Joyce was named Anderson School Principal. We enjoyed our home on the hill, living there until 2015 when we moved to Alpine.

When did you know you wanted to be a miner?
Receiving an Honorable Discharge from the USAF and earning the GI Bill, I enrolled at Texas Western College in El Paso, Texas. TWC was established as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy in 1913, later the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy in 1921, and 1948 students were unified under the banner of Texas Western College. In 1966, the University of Texas Board of Regents adopted yet another new name and banner, The University of Texas at El Paso.

As a child, roaming and exploring the mountains around Sanderson was my favorite pastime, so I guess I have always been interested in Geology. During the enrollment process at TWC, I was asked what I wanted to major in. I immediately said “Archeology” and was quickly told that it was not offered. So I turned to the guy behind me (who looked much like me—older and bearded) and asked what he was majoring in. He said, “Geology”; I turned to the professor and said, “Me, too, Geology.” That fellow became one of my many lifelong friends and Alpha Phi Omega-1919 Fraternity brothers from TWC. Stories and friends from college days are with me to this day, many of whom have contributed thousands of dollars and volunteer hours to building the Chihuahuan Desert Mining Heritage Exhibit. Read the Honors Wall and Tag-In/Tag-Out Board within the exhibit to see many APO affiliations (oh, the stories!).

With the GI Bill and working nights for the Southern Pacific Railroad, I graduated from TWC with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mining Geology (Sans Laude) and then began my vagabond years in Alaska, Canada, and the Southwestern United States working in uranium, silver, lead and gold mines. In the early 1970’s I moved to Pecos, Texas, and was soon named Mining Geologist for Duval Sulfur Mine, later to become Pennzoil Sulfur Company.

Your partner in life and for all your Mining Exhibit presentations is your wife, Joyce. How did you two develop your presentation?
The first presentation we did was for the K-2 students from Terlingua in probably 2004. We knew from that first program how we wanted to expand the content to include all age groups. As we collected additional ore specimens and artifacts, the programs evolved and changed almost with every presentation. We got to know returning teachers who kept us informed of what their students needed from our presentations to enhance the curriculum.

Can you tell us about one of your favorite stories about your presentations?
Having presented hundreds of programs over the years, there are innumerable favorite stories and photos. Every age group (from pre-school to elder hostels) is different and memorable. The first student who called me “Miner Joe” made me smile. Although not in the program curriculum, I never fail to tell visitors the stories of my short movie career in “There Will Be Blood.”

What was your inspiration for building the Mining Exhibit?
CDRI has been a favorite institution since the 1970’s when co-founders and friends Mike Powell and Jim Scudday reeled us in as contributors and visitors. After moving to Fort Davis, I observed there was nothing at CDRI to educate visitors in geology. So my first volunteer project was to collect rock and mineral specimens and build the Geologic Timeline around the sidewalk of the Visitors’ Center.

One of the lifelong friends from the APOs at TWC is Jack Burgess, a mining engineer who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jack was raised in Alpine, Texas, and has done consulting work at the Shafter Silver Mine. He and I wrote the mission, and Jack sketched plans for The Chihuahuan Desert Mining Heritage Exhibit. We met with and submitted these plans to the CDRI Board of Directors. Some were not agreeable to the idea, stating lack of money and personnel. However, Jack and I were persistent. “We will raise our funds and do all the work.” Who could turn down that proposal? From the first ore car acquisition, this project has become personal to numerous contributors. They have donated thousands of dollars, labor, time, history, and hundreds of accessioned specimens, equipment, and artifacts.

Visitors often ask us where the original Happy Jack Mine is located. Is there an original Happy Jack Mine?
When I worked at a uranium mine in Utah, I saw a mine called the Happy Jack and decided if I ever had a mine, I would name it the Happy Jack.

“Dinamito” the burro seems to be every child’s favorite thing about the Mining Exhibit. Did you always know that Dinamito would be a central character in the Mining Exhibit?
No. Years ago, Jack and I were visiting a friend who lived near the site of the Mariposa Mercury Mine. We saw a rusting horse whim on his property and asked if we could have it for our mining exhibit. Hesitant at first, he then decided to loan it to us for five years (later donating it) to the exhibit. Once we installed the horse whim and connected it to the headframe, we knew we needed a burro to complete this display. The quest began, and another one of those lifetime APO friends from TWC researched and found a fiberglass burro from a business in California. Dinamito was purchased in 2004 for $1,175 and shipped to us on a wooden pallet and wrapped in bubble wrap. Harnesses and hames were donated, and Dinamito was set to work “24-7”. Our latest project has been designing new signs for all the displays within the exhibit. With a rough sketch of what I wanted the new Dinamito to look like, I approached Chris Ruggia, who refined and computerized Dinamito into a format that Joyce and Printco Joe incorporated onto each new sign.

We can’t end the interview without asking what do you wish for the Mining Exhibit in the years ahead?
My hope is that benefactors (past, current, and future) remember the Mining Heritage Exhibit with their monetary donations and volunteer labor. Maintenance needs are great at this time. Many friends who have been the cornerstone of this exhibit are no longer physically able to participate. I wish for a community of friends interested in geology and the future of the mining exhibit to come together to maintain and perhaps even expand the Chihuahuan Desert Mining Heritage Exhibit.

Thank you, Miner Joe, and thank you, Joyce, for your contribution to CDRI and your many years of dedicated volunteerism.

We Need a Tractor

The above photo of CDRI's 1984 Ford 1910 tractor was taken 18 months ago. Although nearly 40 years old, it was in tip-top shape when this photo was taken after Host Camper volunteer Dave Boner had finished working on the tractor and restored it once again to working condition. Unfortunately, eighteen months later, the hydraulic pump that controls the bucket is "shot," and that part is no longer manufactured.

We have one of the best tractor repairmen in the region looking for the part, but the missing part has been elusive, so far. So what to do?

1. Do nothing. That's not acceptable.

2. Locate a working hydraulic pump, and the tractor gets repaired.

3. Finance a good, used tractor for $20,000-$25,000. All of you that know tractors are probably laughing out loud by now. That's because if someone has a good tractor, chances are they aren't willing to part with it.

4. Purchase a new tractor.

If you can help with any of the above choices, excepting choice #1, please email lgordon@cdri.org. Thank you!

Meet Laura Gold and Rachel Carvajal CDRI's Newest Team Members

Laura Gold

Information Desk Host

Laura began working at CDRI in early August -- first, at the Information Desk and Gift Shop on weekends, and within a month, Laura transitioned to the Monday and Tuesday Information Desk position.

Laura has over 20 years working in customer service in resort settings, so she feels right at home at CDRI. She obtained her B.A. in Anthropology at the University of Hawaii-Hilo campus and pursued graduate studies in Anthropology at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff.

Laura is an active member of the Tierra Grande Texas Master Naturalists and West Texas Friends of the Night Sky, Alpine, TX.

Rachel Carvajal

Programs & Events Coordinator

Rachel began working at CDRI in September. Rachel is an Alpine native, who graduated from Alpine High School in 2002, then received her Bachelor’s degree in Business at Sul Ross State University in 2019.

Rachel participated in the Americorps NCCC program in 2003, where she completed over 2,000 hours of community service for various nonprofits. There, she received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for going above and beyond program expectations.

Rachel credits her experiences growing up in the Big Bend region, plus the time she served in the Americorps, for instilling a passion within her for nature and conservation. That passion has grown into a desire to share that excitement and determination to protect our natural world for future generations.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We’re delighted that Laura and Rachel joined the CDRI team! They helped us with many tasks before the BBQ & Auction, including finding an outstanding last-minute replacement for music, tracking auction bids during the fundraiser, and following up at the end of the evening by keeping the payout table functioning smoothly.

While Laura is learning the ins and outs of running the Gift Shop, Rachel has recently ventured into formatting the Desert NewsFlash. The “fun” advertisements in this edition are Rachel’s creations. If you haven’t already, be sure to meet Laura and Rachel the next time you’re visiting the Nature Center.

BJ's Back!

This is her fifth year at CDRI, and we're delighted to see Host Camper BJ King return to work at the Information Desk! A long-time RVer, BJ, and her cat, Coco, have traveled throughout the U.S. for more than a decade.

BJ spent her summer working at the Mt. Rushmore Visitor Center Gift Shop as well as driving the employee shuttle. She will be volunteering at the Nature Center through January.

BJ has worn the "crown" of "Membership Queen" for several years now. Her enthusiasm for greeting people is boundless and she keeps things lively at the Visitor Center. We hope you can drop in. We're pretty sure that you will leave smiling. And, if you don't already have a membership, you'll likely be signed up before you leave for home.

October's Visiting Groups, a School,

and a Wedding!

Native Plant Society of Texas

CDRI hosted the first Fall 2021 meeting for the Native Plant Society of Texas - Big Bend Region, held at the Pavilion. New NPSOT co-presidents are Karen Little and Michael Eason.

Janice Stevenson's Family Reunion

Family members gathered to honor the memory of Janice Stephenson's late husband. Anne Adams, CDRI Board President, led a guided tour through the Botanical Gardens for participants.

Texas Nursery & Landscape Association

Participants in the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association (TTNLA) West Texas Workshop took some time off from their classroom sessions to tour the Botanical Gardens. Seth Hamby led the guided tour.

Roy Morey's Friends Group

Roy Morey, botanist, photographer, and author, led an interpretive hike to Clayton's Overlook in addition to the Botanical Gardens for high school debate team partner Stephen Spence and friends.

JROTC San Angelo ISD

Maj. Christopher Carney led students in the San Angelo ISD JROTC on a hike that included Modesta Canyon, Clayton's Overlook, and the Quarry View.

The Woodlands Hiking Club

The Woodlands Hiking Club was treated to a hike of the Outer Loop Trail, led by interpretive guides Marty Havran, and Cindy and David Sims.

Congratulations, Cait and Eric!

Photo courtesy of McKensie Baird Photography, https://www.mckenziebairdphotography.com/.

From

"The best rural nature center in Texas,"

we wish you Happy Trails and

a very Happy Thanksgiving!

The above photo was taken at CDRI by CDRI member Alan Wintz.

Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute, P.O. Box 905, Fort Davis, TX 79734
432.364.2499

www.cdri.org

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