Above: Mexican golden poppies in Northeast El Paso

This page updated August 4, 2010 

Texas Parks and Wildlife Executive Director to present keynote address at Chihuahuan Desert Conference

The Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition is happy to announce that Carter Smith will be the Keynote Speaker at the Chihuahuan Desert Conference on November 13 at the Carlos M. Ramirez TecH2O Water Resources Learning Center in El Paso, Texas.   
Carter Smith serves as the executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).  

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.

Carter and his wife, Stacy, reside in Austin. 

To register for the conference visit www.chihuahuandesert.org/conference.html.   

Conservation leaders to speak at Chihuahuan Desert Conference

June 2, 2010. The Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition announced today that Carter Smith, Executive Director of Texas Parks and Wildlife and Dave Simon, Director of New Mexico State Parks will be featured speakers at this year’s Chihuahuan Desert Conference in November at the Carlos M. Ramirez TecH2O Water Resources Learning Center in El Paso, Texas. 

The conference is being organized by members of CDEC in hopes that a meeting of researchers, educators and members of conservation organizations will help to increase awareness of the research underway in the Chihuahuan Desert.

In addition to presentations by Carter Smith and Dave Simon the conference will feature 12 concurrent sessions from 9am to 4pm highlighting up-to-date Chihuahuan Desert Research and Education Projects completed in recent years or currently underway.   A poster session will feature other projects followed by an evening social event at the El Paso Zoo.  

Diane Perez, President of CDEC, said that “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.”

To register for the conference visit www.chihuahuandesert.org/conference.html.    

CDEC is a non-profit organization established in 2004 to serve as a resource on information about the Chihuahuan Desert, encourage lifelong learning about the Chihuahuan Desert and collaborating efforts among public educators, the public and CDEC to enhance conservation and education of the Chihuahuan Desert. 

Board member Rink Somerday of the Asombro Institute said "People don't realize what the Chihuahuan Desert has to offer in the way of wildlife, flora, education, and adventure.  This conference will connect people to all of those things."

Board member Judy Ackerman of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition said “The Chihuahuan Desert Conference is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the latest research and studies regarding our Chihuahuan Desert.  In addition to lectures there will be field trips that will immerse you in our Chihuahuan Desert and you can get up close to see the beauty and wonder in our natural environment from the top of the Franklin Mountains to the Rio Grande river corridor.”

Board member Mariana Chew of the Sierra Club said “The Chihuahuan Desert will be truly protected by informed and educated communities in both sides of the US/Mexico border.  This Conference is the best opportunity to learn how to support, engage and inspire communities to take action.”