Raptor Rescue Presentation, Wednesday, Oct 30, 3:30pm

Ruidoso Public Library hosts Hawks Aloft, Wednesday, October 30 at 3:30pm, for all ages.  Kids are out of school Wednesday afternoons; why not fill that time with this one-of-a-kind experience?  To help introduce your students (grades 3-8) to raptors before the talk, visit http://hawksaloft.org/education/for-educators/ for lessons and handouts on science, math, or geography topics related to the presentation.  Try a lesson before to build interest and another after Halloween to continue the connection.

Hawks Aloft is an Albuquerque non-profit focused on conservation, avian research, education, and mitigations.  What are mitigations?  When birds and businesses use the same space, the Endangered Species Act, among other laws, outlines how to protect the livelihoods of all parties.  Learn more about this, how to seek their assistance, and how to help Hawks Aloft during this presentation.  You may have seen Hawks Aloft at the Festival of the Cranes in Socorro in past years.  

Hawks Aloft recruits citizen scientists to help observe local raptor populations through HOOT (Hawks & Owls Observation Tracking Report) and raptor surveys.  Check with the experts after the presentation at Ruidoso Public Library.

The Lincoln County Bird Club generously sponsored this visit by Hawks Aloft.  HawksAloft.org lists their ambassadors online if you wish to preview them, though who will visit that day remains a surprise.  The avian ambassadors are rescued, non-releasable raptors, often rehabilitated here in New Mexico. 

Ask a librarian for assistance finding more information about raptors in the online Grzimek’s Animal Encyclopedia or bird identification books on the shelves.

Chautauqua visit: The Foot Runners of the Sierra Madre

Photo Credit: Diana Molina

Foot Runners of the Sierra Madre at Ruidoso Public Library

Thursday, October 10, at 4 pm, Ruidoso Public Library hosts Diana Molina presenting a Chautauqua of Raramuri culture.  Raramuri is their own name for themselves; you have have heard them called Tarahumara.  If long-distance running, barefoot, or minimalist running appeal to you, check out this program.  Ms Molina will explore several topics: ethnography, anthropology, scientific research, running, modernity impacting culture, and the specific Sierra Madre Occidental canyon environment of northern Mexico.  Molina will share her stunning photographs taken while living among the tribe for extended periods of time.

Diana Molina

These photographs were the focus of an exhibit in 2012 at the University of Texas-El Paso’s Centennial Museum, called Rarámuri, The Foot Runners of the Sierra Madre. The images range from Matachines and Semana Santa to agriculture and the racing tradition.  Molina hopes to raise awareness of balancing lifestyle and habitat as much as appreciate the “unique and exceptional Raramuri tribe.”

Diana Molina is a photographer and writer, and director of Juntos Art Association, which focuses on youth outreach and art collaboration.  Her photographs have graced the halls of The World Museum of Art in Rotterdam, The Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, DC, and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. 

If you are a marathoner, swap training plans with our library director, Corey Bard.  Ruidoso Public Library has several books on distance running, training, and Native American cultures.  Please ask a librarian for assistance finding these and other, newer, online materials.  

Community Service Opportunity Sept 27 and 28

Cora, of the Lincoln County Health Offices, needs your help.  Friday and Saturday, September 27 & 28, she is spearheading a mobile packing event at the Ruidoso Convention Center.

You may recall from an earlier post, Cora has been (and continues to!) collecting donations of hard-to-recycle products for the non-profit, Feed My Starving Children.  Both Charity Navigator and Guidestar have reports on the organization, if you are interested.

This is the Mobile Packing Event alluded to back on June 17th.  The short video below introduces you to what to expect.  It is also part of a longer playlist about Feed My Starving Children.  Please contact Cora to let her know how many volunteers (or how many hour(s) and which day(s)) you plan to attend.

Mobile Packing events need at least 500 volunteers to sign up for 2-hour shifts to pack at least 100,000 food packs (which is a lot of fun and not as much as it sounds).  So log in and sign up soon, to let Cora know it is possible.  If you wish to register as a family or group, great, and ballpark estimates are acceptable, not written in stone.  There are minimum child-to-adult ratios, but all ages are welcome.





Please visit the website for information about jewelry (probably don't wear optional items), allergies (such as soy, rice, or potatoes) or any other questions.  For a flyer to explain the program, check here. Seated jobs and stations are available, as are volunteer opportunities for blind.