The Wild Friends Program is 20 years old! Under the guidance of Ruth Musgrave, Carolyn Byers, Judy Flynn-O'Brien, and many other staff and volunteers, the program has reached over 10,000 students across New Mexico. We thought it would great to celebrate with a new logo and have the students from various schools who participate in our program help design it. With the many talents of the students, we took some of their ideas and images to create the new logo. We hope you like our new design.
Special thanks to the students at Guadalupe Montessori School (Silver City), Horizon Academy West (Albuquerque), Madison Middle School (Albuquerque), South Mountain Elementary (Edgewood), and Rio Rancho Cyber Academy (Rio Rancho) for their creative, heartfelt and inspiring work!
In designing the new logo, we asked all the students who participated to tell us why they came up with their logo and its meaning to Wild Friends. We integrated elements of the various designs shown here to create the new Wild Friends logo. The talent of all these students is truly amazing!
Wild Friends staff were so thrilled of the talents of the students, we thought you would enjoy some of the other images they came up with.
Wild Friends is working on the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights this year, a memorial asking the state to recognize the rights of children to have access to outdoor activities, and encouraging state agencies to develop outdoor programs for children. The memorial is HM 3 in the House (Rep. Mimi Stewart, sponsor) and SM 10 in the Senate (Sen. Cynthia Nava, sponsor). Check out their progress here, or on the New Mexico legislative website, www.nmlegis.gov. Good luck, Wild Friends!
Once again, the NM legislature voted unanimously (in all committees and both chambers) to pass the Wild Friends memorial. HJM 10 asks state agencies to work together to create a pilot project for a wildlife safety zone in an area of high wildlife-vehicle collisions. This project could save countless animal and human lives, avoid injury and reduce costs to individuals and the state. Read this informative memorial http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/11%20Regular/final/HJM010.pdf
We wish Carolyn all the best in her retirement. We'll miss you!
Read a letter from Bob Anderson on the occasion of Carolyn's retirement.
The NM Legislature voted unanimously (in every committee and both chambers!) for the Wild Friends legislation requesting state government agencies, public schools and colleges to use pollinator-friendly plants in landscaping projects. Read the memorials, House Memorial 4 and Senate Memorial 9.
Pdf versions of the memorials are on the NM Legislature's website:
House Memorial 4
Senate Memorial 9
Wild Friends convinced the NM Legislature to support the identification of wildlife corridors and crucial habitats, using existing resources and the coordinated assistance of many diverse groups. Read this comprehensive and thoughtful Memorial, House Joint Memorial 4.
Wild Friends went to work on recycling as their 2008 legislative topic and helped pass Senate Joint Memorial 20. Congratulations!
They did it again-- 2006 Bill to Ban Computer Hunting Passed! New Mexico is now one of 21 states to ban the practice of hunting animals with computers. Read New Mexico's new ban on computer assisted hunting in Bill 157.
The Wildlife Society (New Mexico Chapter) presented its 2003 Conservation Award to the Wild Friends, at the 37th Joint Conference of the New Mexico and Arizona Chapters, in Safford Arizona, February 2004. Wild Friends were recognized for their "Outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation in New Mexico." Wild Friends students adopt compelling wildlife issues, initiate legislative bills or memorials, and work to advance them through the legislative process. Solutions developed by the Wild Friends are a "win-win for both wildlife and humans," said Mark Watson, Awards Committee Chair and New Mexico Game and Fish habitat specialist. The Wildlife Society is a well-known national organization of professional biologists.
For further information or to contact us:
Institute of Public Law
University of New Mexico School of Law
MSC11 6060, 1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131
Telephone: (505)277-5089;
Fax: (505)277-7064