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Above: Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park Texas earless lizard by Ken Steiner. Chihuahuan Desert Conference "A Desert Without Borders" November 13-14, 2010 Registration Information Directions Optional Tours - Tours Closed Conference Schedule Questions At the Carlos M. Ramirez TecH2O Water Resources Learning Center, 10751 Montana and the El Paso Zoo, 4001 E. Pasiano, El Paso, Texas Sponsored by the Chihuahuan Desert Educational Coalition, El Paso Water Utilities, the El Paso Zoo and Inter National Bank. Registration Information The Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition invites you to attend "A Desert Without Borders" Chihuahuan Desert Conference November 13-14, 2010 at the Carlos M. Ramirez TecH2O Water Resources Learning Center in El Paso. The mission of the conference is to promote education about the Chihuahuan Desert and to encourage educators and researchers working in the Chihuahuan Desert to network and share knowledge. Conference goals include creating opportunities to learn about the Chihuahuan Desert, providing network opportunities and to provide a space and time for researchers to present their findings. On Saturday November 13 the conference will be held in the new state of the art TechH20 Center followed by a evening social event at the El Paso Zoo. On Sunday November 14 the conference will conclude with a series of optional tours of educational facilities and protected areas that focus on the Chihuahuan Desert. November 14 - Optional Tours - Chihuahuan Desert Behind the Scenes Tour at the El Paso Zoo; Tour of Rio Bosque Wetlands Park; Tour of Franklin Mountains State Park; and more. Click here to learn about Optional Tours you can register for on Sunday, November 14. How to Register Late Registration is $50 which does not include the Evening Social Event at the Zoo. To register online enter your registration fee using PayPal by following the "Add to Cart" link below. Late Registration includes breaks and lunch plus a one year (new individual or extended) membership with the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition. Registration may be paid at the door with cash or a check made out to the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition. Registering for more than one person? If you are registering for more than one person or for someone not listed on your credit card include a note in the blank for comments after you enter your credit card number. You can also send that information in an email to rickllobello@cs.com. Problems/Questions? If you encounter any problem with your registration contact Rick LoBello at rickllobello@cs.com or by phone at 915-217-4233. Click "Add to Cart" button on the left to pay the late registration fee at $50 per person. Late Registration does not include the Evening Social Event at the Zoo. Mail Registrations Registrations can also be sent by mail with a check or money order made out to Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition. Send check or money order to: Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition PO Box 9121 El Paso TX 79995-9121 Airport El Paso International Airport Hotels Hotels near the El Paso International Airport. The Carlos M. Ramirez TecH20 Water Resources Learning Center is 4.8 miles from the Airport. No hotel has been designated as the official conference hotel. Click Here. Transportation Participants are required to provide their own transportation from their hotel to the Carlos M. Ramirez TecH20 Water Resources Learning Center. Some hotels may offer a shuttle service. There is free parking at the Learning Center. Meals Conference Registration Fees include coffee breaks, a sack lunch and food and drink at the El Paso Zoo Social Event starting at 6:30pm. Conference Schedule 8:00am to 8:30pm November 13 - TecH2O Learning Center in East El Paso (click here for map) 8:00 - 9:00 - Registration at the TechH2O Learning Center. Rio Grande Auditorium - Opening of the Conference and Keynote Speaker 9:00 - 9:45 - Welcome by Conference Committee and Keynote Speaker - Carter Smith, Executive Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 9:45-10:00 - Coffee and Refreshments Available in the Lobby 10:00 - 11:10 - Concurrent Sessions in Rio Grande Auditorium and Mesilla Room Rio Grande Auditorium 10:00 - 10:30 - Creating Habitat for Wildlife in Urban Areas by Lois Balin. 10:40 - 11:10 - Chihuahuan Desert Waters: Zooplankton community structure and genetic diversity by Elizabeth Walsh. Mesilla Room 10:00 - 10:30 - Low Genetic Differentiation among Populations of the Great Plains Toad (Bufo cognatus) in Southern New Mexico by Wiebke Boeing. 10:40 - 11:10 - Local and Migratory Movements, Habitat Use and Threats of the Long-billed Curlex (Numenius americanus) in the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico by Alina Olalla Kerstupp. 11:20 - 12:30 - Concurrent Sessions in Rio Grande Auditorium and Mesilla Room Rio Grande Auditorium 11:20 - 11:50 - Survival of Prickly-Pears Under Extreme Atmospheric Conditions by Gertrud Konnings. 12:00 - 12:30 - Introduction of the Tamarisk Leaf Beetle (Diorhabda spp) as a Salt Cedar (Tamrix) Biocontrol Agent Along the Rio Grande River in Presidio and Brewster Counties Texas by Christopher Ritzi Mesilla Room 11:20 - 11:50 - White Islands in a Sea of Desert (The sister park relationship of White Sands National Monument and Cuatrocienegas Protected Area) by David Bustos 12:00 - 12:30 - Environmental Justice along the US/Mexico Border by Mariana Chew and Nat Stone. Lunch Break 12:30 - 1:30 - Lunch provided at TechH2O. Lunch Speaker in the Rio Grande Auditorium - Attendees are welcome to bring their lunch into the Auditorium 1:00 - 1:30 - Guest Speaker - Dave Simon, Director of New Mexico Parks 1:45 - 2:55 - Concurrent Sessions in Rio Grande Auditorium and Mesilla Room Rio Grande Auditorium 1:45 - 2:15 - Mexican Spotted Owls in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas: Known and Predicted Distribution by James P. Ward Jr. 2:25 - 2:55 - Population and Movement Dynamics of Cave Swallows in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert by Steve West. Mesilla Room 1:45 - 2:15 - Wintering Bird Inventory in Priority Conservation Areas in Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands in Mexico by Alberto Macias Duarte. 2:25 - 2:55 - Moth Studies in the northern Chihuahuan Desert with description of four new species by Eric Metzler. 3:05 - 4:15 - Concurrent Sessions in Rio Grande Auditorium and Mesilla Room Rio Grande Auditorium 3:05 - 3:35 - Issues, Challenges, and Successes in Protecting the Northern Chihuahuan Desert by Rick LoBello Mesilla Room 3:05 - 3:35 - How Roads Affect Lizards in our Region by Kevin Floyd. 3:35 - 3:50 Coffee and Refreshments Available in the Lobby Rio Grande Auditorium 4:00 - 4:30 - Citizen Science in the Chihuahuan Desert by Daniel Shaw. Mesilla Room 4:00 - 4:30 - Featherlake - Green Infrastructure by Carlos Rubio. Hueco Room 4:30 - 5:00 - Posters Session - Conference Participants are encouraged to meet Poster Presenters and learn more about ongoing research projects. Posters -Bats of El Paso by Susan Reese Productive contributions of the Chihuahuan Desert by Antonia Alvarado -Assessing the Effectiveness of Zoo-Based Education Regarding the Mexican Gray Wolf by Breanne Cordier -The Cacti of the State of Chihuahua: State Treasure at Risk of Extinction (Analysis of the species) by Toutcha Lebgue-Keleng -Asombro Institute of Science by Rink Somerday Additional Posters will be announced as they are confirmed Evening Social at the El Paso Zoo 6:30- 8:30 - Evening Social at the El Paso Zoo. NOTE: If you are registering late your registration fee does not include this evening event. The informal evening at the El Paso Zoo will include one free drink ticket, a cash bar and heavy hors d'oeuvres. The Zoo will keep open the new Africa Lion and the California Sea Lion exhibit until 7:30pm and zoo volunteers and staff will show education animals from Africa and other areas of the world at the new El Paso Water Utilities Discovery Center and the Kalahari Research Station. Other animals that have overnight access in their exhibits may be visible in the America’s area of the Zoo. Transportation to the Zoo is on your own (Click Here for Map) Exhibitor/Vendor Booths Saturday, November 13 are $25. For more information contact Diane Perez at willie@epwu.org. Event Sponsorships If you or your business or organization would like to support this conference as an event sponsor please contact Veronica Myers at myersvx@elpasotexas.gov Copyright and Disclaimer All content on this site including photographs, graphics, text and design is protected by copyright by either the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition or the owners of the web pages linked to from this site. By providing links to other sites, we do not guarantee, approve or endorse the information or products available at these sites nor does a link indicate any association with or endorsement by the linked site to www.chihuahuandesert.org.	chihuahuandesert.org is the home page of the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition. La información en español Conference Committee Announces Educational Scholarships The Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition has announced 11 scholarships for teachers, educators and students to attend the Chihuahuan Desert Conference on November 13-14 at the Carlos M. Ramirez TecH2O Water Resource Learning Center and the El Paso Zoo. To be considered for a Conference scholarship, all applicants must send the following information by email to the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition Board of Directors by midnight, November 1, 2010. Students under the age of 18 that are awarded scholarships must agree to attend the conference with an adult who has registered by November 8, 2010. In an email message include: 1. Name, address and contact phone numbers. 2. Teachers and educators should include the name of the school/organization where they are employed, volunteering or working, grade level, and number of years teaching experience. 3. Students should include the name of the school they are attending and grade level. 4. All applicants should explain in 200 words or less why they want to attend the conference. Send the information above to CDEC.Board@yahoo.com by midnight, November 1, 2010. Conference Registration and Information: www.chihuahuandesert.org/conference.html Conference weekend will include Optional Tours on Sunday Everyone who registers for the Chihuahuan Desert Conference will be able to sign up for a special tour led by members of the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition. Each tour promises to offer a great opportunity to learn more about our desert while getting to know others who care. To register for a tour go to our Conference Registration page and first register for the conference. After submitting your registration find the tour your are interested in and click the appropriate link to register. Texas and New Mexico State Parks Directors to speak at Chihuahuan Desert Conference on November 13 The Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition is happy to announce that Carter Smith, Texas Parks and Wildlife Executive Director, and David J. Simon, Director, New Mexico State Parks will be featured speakers at the Chihuahuan Desert Conference on November 13 at the Carlos M. Ramirez TecH2O Water Resources Learning Center in El Paso, Texas on November 13. Carter Smith A native of Austin, Smith developed his passion for wildlife and the out of doors at a young age while roaming his family’s farm and ranch land interests in Gonzales, Williamson, and Edwards Counties. He has a wildlife management degree from Texas Tech and a master’s degree in conservation biology from Yale University. He began his professional career in 1992 as a management intern at TPWD, assisting in the Private Lands and Public Hunting programs. As a biologist, he has worked on a variety of research projects ranging from studying moose in the boreal forests of Saskatchewan to pronghorn antelope in far west Texas. He serves on a number of conservation-related boards of directors and advisory councils and was recently named an outstanding alumnus by Texas Tech and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Prior to his selection as TPWD executive director, Smith was with The Nature Conservancy of Texas, serving as state director, where he led a team that protected nearly 250,000 acres while he was director. At Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, he is responsible for overseeing an agency of 3,100 professionals in 11 different divisions, including Wildlife, Law Enforcement, State Parks, Coastal Fisheries, and Inland Fisheries. David J. Simon David J. Simon, age 47, was appointed in 2003 to the position of Director, New Mexico State Parks by Governor Bill Richardson. Dave brings a strong background in park management, conservation, and environmental education to this position, including experience in both government and the private sector. As Assistant Commissioner for Education and Special Projects with the New Mexico State Land Office in 2002, he ran a program that linked state trust lands and schools throughout the state. He also coordinated start-up activities at La Semilla, a 3,000-acre environmental education center on state trust land in Albuquerque. Prior to the stint at the State Land Office, Simon spent 16 years working with the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), including time in Washington, D.C., and as the organization’s Southwest Regional Director. While at NPCA, Simon focused on the protection and enhancement of the U.S. National Park System and related issues such as biodiversity and wildlife, air pollution, wilderness, water resources, cultural site protection, research and ecotourism. Simon also focused on environmental and education issues when serving on boards and committees with the New Mexico Conservation Education Fund, the Albuquerque Open Space Advisory Board, the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency’s NAFTA National Advisory Committee. He currently serves on the Board of the National Association of State Park Directors and the Friends of Chaco. Dave set a goal for New Mexico State Parks to be the nation’s best state park system and has focused efforts on some priority areas, such as: addressing budget shortfalls, revenue generation, land and habitat protection, trails, education/interpretation, boating safety, training, marketing, and partnerships with government agencies, citizen "friends" groups, and the private business sector. Some achievements during his tenure so far include: Increased state park visitation from 3.8 million in FY04 to 4.6 million in FY09 (13 percent increase), reversing eight straight years of visitation declines (FY97-FY04) with visitation increases/stability for five straight years from FY05-FY09, despite the challenges posed by drought and rising gas prices; increased self-generated revenues five straight years FY05-FY09, which also reversed revenue declines in the five fiscal years prior to FY05; four new state parks established, seven others expanded, and several more new parks others under consideration; landmark changes to state boating safety laws; dramatic progress in completing the Continental Divide Trail and launch of an visionary effort to build a 500-mile Rio Grande Trail; establishment of the Outdoor Classroom Program, which has made New Mexico a leader in nationwide efforts to expand outdoor education programs, especially those aimed at school children; strengthening of the night sky protection law and creation of an award-winning "Reach for the Stars" initiative focused on astronomy education and combating light pollution; over $40 million invested in park capital improvements; completion of several large wetland/habitat restoration projects; leadership on "green" initiatives—including sustainable building design, renewable energy generation and green energy purchasing, and the start-up of a recycling program; significant growth in the number of state park "friends" groups; revamped park planning process; expansion of employee professional development, including establishment of the first State Park Leadership and Operations Academy for managers; celebration of State Parks’ 75th Anniversary during 2008. New Mexico will also host the annual conference of the National Association of State Park Directors in September 2010. A hiker, mountain biker, fisherman and skier, Simon has a Master of Business Administration (2004) from the University of New Mexico and Bachelor of Arts (1985) in American Studies and Environmental Studies from Yale University. Born in Clayton, Mo. (a suburb of St. Louis), Simon lives in Albuquerque with his wife Ann H. Simon, and his children, Katie (10) and Jenna (8) Chihuahuan Desert Conference Sponsorship Opportunities You or your business or organization can become a sponsor of our upcoming Chihuahuan Desert Conference on November 13 at the Carlos M. Ramirez TecH2O Water Resources Learning Center in El Paso, Texas. For more information contact Veronica Myers at myersvx@elpasotexas.gov or Rick LoBello at rickllobello@cs.com. Six years ago, the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition was formed to collaborate efforts among public educators, the public and CDEC in support of programs that enhance conservation and education of the Chihuahuan Desert. Being that it is the largest desert in North America covering 394,446 square miles of which 32% are in New Mexico and Texas, right in our back yard. The El Paso/Las Cruces/Juarez metroplex community is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. Growth and development is a tremendous concern to the desert’s ecosystem. Bringing awareness and education to people hopefully will instill value into the importance of protecting the Chihuahuan Desert and its natural resources. The goals of the organization include: serving as a resource of information about the Chihuahuan Desert, encouraging life long learning about the Chihuahuan Desert and improving the quality of life for all citizens of El Paso and the surrounding area. In order to fulfill our goal to collaborate efforts among educators, the public and CDEC to enhance conservation and education of the Chihuahuan Desert we are planning the First Chihuahuan Desert Conference in El Paso, Texas and the Southwest Region from November 13 – 14, 2010. This important educational event, however, could never have evolved without the support and generosity of local individuals, companies and organizations like you who provide donations of services, products or money. We are currently looking for sponsors to help support the First Annual Chihuahuan Desert Conference in El Paso, Texas and the Southwest Region. The Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization.

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