Wilderness Monitoring Project

There are a total of approximately 113,403 acres of Wilderness (including the Columbine Hondo Study Area) within the Carson National Forest. Our Wilderness Areas include a significant amount of mountain tundra, which is a rare and fragile habitat in the Southwestern U.S. Species within these Wilderness Areas include mule deer, American black bear, badger, beaver, bobcat, coyote, ferret, mountain lion, marmot, fox, pika, muskrat and boreal owl. Species of particular importance are the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, ptarmigan  and pine marten. Wilderness monitoring is a great excuse to learn new trails in the gorgeous wilderness areas near Taos. And this work contributes to the management and maintenance of these important wilderness areas. Rivers & Birds is focusing on wilderness areas within the Carson National Forest including the Latir Wilderness, Wheeler Peak Wilderness, the northwest portion of the Pecos Wilderness and the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area. There are many opportunities for hands-on service projects. Please contact us at riversandbirds@gmail.com or 575-776-5200 to get involved!

For more information visit our Wilderness Blog!