Thank you so much to those who were able to attend Tuesday's community meeting! We heard so many different voices and levels of support and concern that we wanted to make space for another meeting that is Q and A focused. If you feel moved, please attend and/or tell others. Your input is invaluable to how we think about and shape our work.
If you weren't able to attend the community meeting on Tuesday evening (January 24) but are interested, please see the links below to the recording of the meeting and presentation slides.
What: Watershed Community Q and A on the Five Star Grant
When: Monday, January 30th at 6 pm
Where: Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4098939026
Your feedback is ESSENTIAL and encouraged! You can use this form to leave us your feedback, but there are also other ways to leave feedback, ask questions, or share ideas. You can:
* Call the library at 505-579-9181 during work hours OR stop by to talk to us. (We are here Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5.)
* Leave us a voicemail (in English or Spanish) after hours at this number. (This is also a great way to share if you don’t want to speak with a person.)
* Email the library at librarian@embudovalleylibrary.org
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The Embudo Valley Library and Ecotone Landscape Planning, LLC invite all community members to a short presentation and discussion about a project idea and potential grant application that is intended to provide funds and a support system so that community members can organize and conduct their own watershed protection work.
Ecotone has been doing watershed protection work in the area for over a decade. It’s time to put this work in the hands of the community. They have identified a grant that could support this transition.
This idea involves two main parts:
1) The development of a support system for Lower Embudo Valley community members to create their own grassroots, community-based watershed protection group, which can hire a local project coordinator (paid through this grant), and
2) Outdoor, hands-on, educational workshops for youth and community members in which participants learn about and conduct watershed restoration work in the Lower Embudo Valley. (This work is for educational purposes and would be separate from other restoration work that Ecotone has been conducting in the area.)
At this meeting you can:
* Learn more about this project idea, grant, and possible activities (Where did this idea come from? Who would be involved? Why might you support or not support this work?)
* Have an opportunity to discuss with fellow community members
* Express your support for or disagreement with this work
* Share your ideas, questions, and feedback that will shape the grant application
We are seeking community consent and feedback before we submit the grant proposal at the end of January. Whether we apply for the grant or not, this is an initial conversation and all ideas and perspectives are welcome.
Potential regional partners that would help support the local watershed group include:
* Picuris Pueblo
* East Rio Arriba Soil and Water Conservation District
* New Mexico State Land Office
* Trout Unlimited
* Embudo Valley Library and Community Center
* Ecotone Landscape Planning, LLC
* Any other group or individual interested in contributing
For those that really want to dive into the details, a draft summary of the grant application, with more information about this project idea, is here.
If you have any questions, concerns, or want to talk about the possibilities or share your thoughts either before or after the meeting you can:
* Call the library at 505-579-9181 during work hours to talk to us (we are here Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5)
* Leave us a voicemail after hours at this number
* Email the library at librarian@embudovalleylibrary.org
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To join via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89247552682
Meeting ID: 892 4755 2682
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Meeting ID: 892 4755 2682
Thank you to all who were able to attend the community meeting on Sunday, August 14 regarding the flooding our community has experienced this summer. We hope to be announcing upcoming, related gatherings in the near future. Below is some information that I hope is helpful - written notes are also available at the library. Please know that we will add to this list as more resources are discovered. If you learn of something that might be helpful to private homeowners, acequias, or for community members wishing to learn more about our watershed we encourage you to get in touch with us at the library so that we can share it with everyone.
Zoom recording of the community meeting (with apologies for the very poor quality of the audio off and on throughout)
Flyer created by Ecotone with frequently asked questions and resources for support (this is a working draft that will be updated as new information becomes available - if you learn of something that should be added, please let us know)
Art Therapy Workshops focusing on dealing with stress, especially stress related to climate change
An Updated Watershed-Based Plan for the Lower Rio Embudo Watershed by Jan-Willem Jansens (2019) (a print copy is also available at the library)
An Introduction to Erosion Control by Bill Zeedyk and Jan-Willem Jansens (2006)
Sign up to receive Nixle alerts
Rio Arriba County Emergency Preparedness Department
Rainwater Harvesting: Trincheras: The ranch featured in this short film is also covered in the book Farming with the Wild: Enhancing Biodiversity on Farms and Ranches by Daniel Imhoff (available at the library under call no 333.95 Imh far)
You can support and get involved with Ecotone's watershed work by completing their survey (available online and at the library)
Ecotone Landscape Planning is restoring wetlands and springs around the Lower Embudo Valley in 2023, as well as creating a Wetland Action Plan (WAP), with funding from the NM Environment Department's Clean Water Act Section 319(h) Program. The WAP provides guidance to communities and organizations on how to protect wetlands and documents priority areas for protection and restoration. As part of this process, Ecotone would like to invite you to complete a brief survey. This survey is intended to gather community input on the wetlands and springs south of Dixon and south of Cañoncito. Your responses will help Ecotone's work in these important ecosystems. Your responses will remain anonymous and confidential. Paper copies of the survey are available in the Embudo Valley Library, the Dixon Co-Op, and the Dixon Post Office. The survey can also be taken online in either English or Spanish by following these links:
English: https://forms.gle/UhL6sS7Ah77GEZxF8
Spanish: https://forms.gle/e93o3KrzAB7WHpe46
Thank you!
The Embudo Valley Library and Community Center is seeking candidates for our Afterschool Program Coordinator and Assistant positions. Job descriptions and information about how to apply are below. Positions are open until filled, but applicants are encouraged to apply asap for August interviews.
We are also seeking volunteers for the program, which are vital to its success. If you are interested in volunteering, please get in touch with us at the library.
Our free, four day per week afterschool program is a labor of community love that provides quality child care and educational opportunities for students in grades K-6. The program’s focus areas are science, reading, health and nutrition, art, environmental education, outdoor activities, and cultural activities. We provide a healthy snack each day and time to complete homework with support from the Embudo Valley Tutoring Association (EVTA). The program runs September 2022 - May 2023. This year, we are very excited about being able to hold the program in our new community center, right next door to the library.
Our partners and funders make the program possible. These include the EVTA, Dixon Elementary School, the Dixon Cooperative Market, United Way of Northern New Mexico, and the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division. Frequent guests that wow us with extra special activities include the Peñasco Theatre Collective, Explora Children’s Museum, local artist Robin West, local microscopy expert Richard Kline, and Twirl, among many others.
To learn more call 505-579-9181, email librarian@embudovalleylibrary.org, or stop by the library. We welcome your questions!
Information about the positions and how to apply:
Afterschool Program Coordinator
