Conservationists

Today we had lunch with John Horning, pictured right, the executive director of the WildEarth Guardians, a 25 person conservation group in Sana Fe. John is the orgainiser of  this year's twelf Annual Guardians' Gala Benefit Dinner in Santa Fe on September 25th. We will be attending and also acting as freelance photographers for the Guardians.

Held at the at the Santa Fe Farmer's Market Pavilion, one of their primary priorities is to end ALL animal killing contests on public lands in the United States. They also work on stopping fracking and the continuation of the rehabilitation of lands damaged by livestock and roads. In particular WildEarth are calling for an end to fracking in the Greater Chaco region in northwest New Mexico. Chaco is a World Heritage site.

For years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ill-named Wildlife Services program has waged a war on western wildlife at the behest of the agricultural industry. 

Over lunch we shared stories about what we do for the environment as Friends of the Belair National Park, and what is done in conservation in USA and the SW of USA in particular. It was at one of these Gala dinners 2 years ago that I met the wolf named Forrest. In USA they do not have groups similar to our Friends of Parks that we have in Australia.

At this September's fund raiser dinner and silent auction it is hoped to raise over $150,000. Paladian is pictured with our host Jerry in the centre. Jerry is one of the patrons of the WildEarth Guardians.