t Valle de Oro, Owen-White found the opportunity she had been looking for—the chance to mentor young people finding their way in the conservation
world, just as she once had. Ariel Elliott, a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee, joined the Valle de Oro team this past summer as a wildlife biologist. The 22-year-old sees Owen-White as a kindred spirit. “I learn a lot from her every day—she’s what I envision a refuge manager should be. Most managers are focused on the biological work, but she’s focused on talking to the public.” Elliott knows from personal experience how chance en- counters with nature can make a big difference. “When I was a kid, I spent most of my time indoors. I didn’t go outside a lot, but I watched nature documentaries on TV,” says Elliott. “Then one day in elementary school, a guy brought some par- rots to show my class. They were flying around the room, and I thought, ‘This is amazing!’” Years later, a college advisor set the budding bird enthusiast on the right career path. “He said, ‘You know we have a wildlife and fisheries program, right?’” Elliott recalls. “I changed my major the next day.” Albuquerque local Teresa Skiba, 28, was one of Owen- White’s first hires. “Growing up here in the South Valley, we didn’t have much money, so we spent a lot of time in the outdoors,” Skiba explains. “We went mushroom hunting, we visited the river and the mountains. I spent a lot of time playing on this property as a kid, so it has a special place in my heart.” Today, Skiba is the refuge’s environmental education specialist, guiding young visitors as they discover the natural world. “Many of the kids have never been to the river, even though they live less than a mile away. We bring them out and there’s a lot of oohs and aahs. Some of them are even afraid—they don’t know what to expect—so we reassure them that it’s a safe place. But by the end of the day, they’re having so much fun, they want to come back with their families.” Making it easier for those families to visit—especially if they don’t own a car—is Corrie Parrish’s job. Parrish, 26, serves as the refuge’s outreach coordinator through the Americorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program, applying a background in transportation planning toward building connections between the refuge and the surrounding neighborhoods.
She envisions a trail for cyclists and pedestrians along the refuge’s eastern edge, convenient to a nearby elemen- tary school. A separate project would extend the Paseo de Bosque trail, which runs along the river, through a stretch of low woodland adjacent to the refuge. “At Valle de Oro, the nearest bus stop is two miles away,” Parrish says. “And I don’t blame people for not walking or biking here—I do it, and I’ve almost been hit by a car. I think accessibility is a big part of the challenge here, and for many public lands. People need to know not only that they have beautiful places in their own communities, but that they can get there.”
Valle de Oro is a haven for migratory birds.
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