SWEC Back by Noon hikes return for spring

For the Las Cruces Bulletin

Back by Noon hikes are back.

Sponsored by Southwest Environmental Center (SWEC), the every-Saturday Back by Noon hike program invites nature lovers of all ages to experience the natural wonders that lie all around us in the Borderlands – the plants and animals that call our Chihuahuan Desert home, its defining geological features and histories and what they mean today.

Led by the Bureau of Land Management’s Daniella Barraza, the Saturday, March 18, hike will give attendees a glimpse back in time – 280 million years back in time – as they travel in the footsteps of ancient creatures. Barraza will lead hikers through the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument in the Robledo Mountains, finding and identifying the fossilized traces of predinosaurs and foliage. Hike begins at 8 a.m., rating is moderate.

The following week, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 26, naturalist Mara Heisenberg will uncover the hidden secrets of the San Andres Mountains and give hikers a rare opportunity to visit the San Andres Wildlife Refuge, limited access to which has made it a haven for rare desert animals like bighorn sheep. For this hike, rated strenuous, U.S. Citizenship is required, as are vehicles with high clearance. April’s first hike, beginning at 7:30 a.m. April 2, centers on the geology of the Franklin Mountains. Geologist Ariel Carreon will lead a 2.5-mile hike along the upper sunset trail, along the way dispensing her insight into the animal and plant life in the area. There is a $2 fee per person to enter the park. This moderate-rating hike has a few tricky spots, but don’t fear – slow and steady is the way to go.

The many reptiles living in the vast Chihuahuan Desert are the focus of the April 9 hike, which begins at 8:30 a.m. New Mexico State University Professor of herpetology Niki Harings will lead this easy, 1.5-mile hike along the well-maintained trails of the Asombro Institute for Science Education’s Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park north of town.

Starting at 8:30 a.m. April 16, witness one of the Southwest’s most stunning natural wonders – the bloom of the Texas Rainbow Cactus – on an outing to Anthony Gap led by Lisa Mandelkern, a “Chihuahuan Desert enthusiast,” award-winning photographer and member of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico. Bring your camera for this one – if you’ve never seen the rare and spectacular natural bloom of the Texas Rainbow Cactus, this is your chance. Hike is rated moderate. April 23, starting at 7:30 a.m., photographer and expert birder Ken Stinnett will lead an amble through Dripping Springs – a great yearround bird-watching spot, but particularly vibrant during migration season – for an outing all about the many migratory birds of the high desert. This is a great way to get to know your neighbors – Bell’s Viero, Scott’s and Bullock’s Orioles, Western and Summer Tanagers and more – and a good opportunity for photographers to try for a few great shots. Binoculars are also highly recommended. There is a $5 per-vehicle entry fee for the park.

April 30’s hike is an allday affair – 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. – as hikers head back in time and learn all about the history of the Jornada Experimental Range from historian John Smith, as well as its diverse floral ecology from plant ecologist Kristen Romig. This trek will lead the group all the way up to Rope Springs – reserve your spot early for this chance to see areas usually closed to the public. This easy-rated hike is mostly driving.

Closing out SWEC’s Spring 2016 Back by Noon hikes will be the May 7 La Mancha BioBlitz, beginning at 8 a.m. and a great way to get even more involved. Join the center to document and catalog the myriad plants and animals at the La Mancha Wetland. Two months have passed since construction was completed on La Mancha; now is the time to see who has taken advantage and moved in! The center’s staff will be joined by numerous experts to seek out and tally every “bird, critter, plant and creepy crawly” that now calls the La Mancha Wetland home. Get ready to get muddy.

Advanced reservations for SWEC’s Back by Noon hikes are required and space is limited. Reservations can be made beginning three weeks before each hike day. Hikes are free, though some parks require additional parking fees. Don’t forget to wear sturdy, comfortable shoes and bring along the southern New Mexico staples of water, sunscreen and a hat.

For more information about the Back by Noon hike program and the Southwest Environmental Center, call 522-5552 or visit www.wildmesquite. org. Zak Hansen is a freelance writer and journalist living in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He can be reached at zacharyjohnhansen@ gmail.com.