The Quivira Coalition's 8th Annual Conference November 4, 5, 6, 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Embassy Suites

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CONFERENCE FLYER PDF

Living Leopold: the land ethic and a new agrarianism

"The only progress that counts is on actual landscape of the back forty." - Aldo Leopold

CONFERENCE AGENDA:

Wednesday, November 4 - Two Concurrent Pre-Conference Seminars
As in previous years, we will offer two pre-conference seminars related to Water and Ranching. Each seminar is a full day.

7:00am Check-In

1) 8:30am - 4:30pm - WATER SYMPOSIUM
Let the Water do the Work: Healing Incised Channels with Induced Meandering
Induced Meandering is a proven and effective method for restoring health to degraded and incised stream channels in a variety of landforms. This seminar honors the accomplishments of of Aldo Leopold's son, Luna Leopold. Invited speakers will explore watershed conditions, drainage patterns and riparian restoration throughout the Southwest.

Morning:
•The Legacy of Luna Leopold -- Channeling Watershed Thought Peter Warshall, Conservationist and former student of Luna Leopold, Tucson, AZ
•Channel Incisions: Causes, Consequences and Cures Larry Schmidt, Larry J. Schmidt, Watershed Consultant, Minden, Nev. (Formerly Program Manager of the USFS National Stream Systems Technology Center located at Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, Colo.)

Break

• Let the Water Do the Work: Concepts and Fundamentals Bill Zeedyk, Zeedyk Ecological Consulting, Sandia Park, N.M. and Van Clothier, Stream Dynamics, Silver City, N.M. published by The Quivira Coalition will be introduced. The authors will present an overview of the book followed by presentations on treatment methods, design, construction, and monitoring.

Lunch

Afternoon:
•Sticks and Stones in Riparian Zones:  Hand-Built Structures Gene Tatum and Glenda Muirhead, Albuquerque Wildlife Federation, Albuquerque, N.M.
•The Use of Heavy Equipment in Stream Channel Restoration Steve Carson, Rangeland Hands, Inc., Santa Fe, N.M.
•Monitoring Isn't as Boring as it Sounds Steve Vrooman, Steve Vrooman Restoration Ecology, Santa Fe, N.M.
•Maintaining and Repairing Induced Meandering Structures Craig Sponholtz, Dryland Solutions, Inc., Santa Fe, N.M.

Selected projects from around New Mexico will be highlighted with posters in the session room.

•History of Induced Meandering at Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site Stephen Monroe, Hydrologist, National Park Service, Flagstaff, AZ
•Mesteño Draw Ranch: Using Best Management Practices to Restore Land Health Joan Bybee, Mesteno Draw Ranch, Mountainair, NM
•Using Inducing Meandering Techniques on the Sapello Watershed Steve Reichert, Tierra y Montes SWCD, Las Vegas, NM and Nina Wells, NMED~SWQB, Santa Fe, NM

5:00-6:30pm - Acknowledgements, Celebration (cake/cash bar) and Book Signing for, Let the Water Do the Work: Induced Meandering, an Evolving Method for Restoring Incised Channels

7:00am Check-In

2) 8:30am - 4:30pm - RANGE SCHOOL
Dung Beetles, Bats, Beaver, Wolves and Elk - Oh My! Creating Harmony Between Livestock and Wildlife
The range school will explore practical strategies that promote co-existence between wildlife and livestock, including profitable economic approaches that promote conservation.

Morning:
•Dung Beetles Like It When Poop Happens - How They Benefit Both Land and Profit Dr. Patricia Richardson, University of Texas, Austin
•What Do Bats & Cows Have in Common? Or, Improving Water Quality and Access for Wildlife and Livestock at Range Water Developments Dan Taylor, Bat Conservation International, Calf.

Lunch

Afternoon:
•Profitably Managing Rangelands for Wildlife Conservation, Diversity and Abundance Rick Danvir, Deseret Ranch, Woodview, Utah
•Wolves Timm Kaminsky, Mountain Livestock Cooperative, Alberta, Canada

Wednesday Evening Event: 7:00-9:00 pm
Reading Leopold: the land ethic aloud. Essays, excerpts, and reminiscences of Aldo Leopold. This evening will feature ranchers, conservationists, scientists, land managers and others reading their favorite passages from the writings of Aldo Leopold. Participants include: Estella Leopold, daughter of Aldo Leopold, Linda Hasselstrom, Gary Nabhan, Bill deBuys, and Clare Kazanski. Three students from the Aldo Leopold Writing Contest will read their winning letters to Aldo Leopold telling him how or why his writings are still important today.


CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
This year's conference talks will be presented at all day plenary session on Thursday and Friday as follows:

7:00am Check-In

8:15am-5:00pm - Thursday, November 5, 2009

8:15-8:30am - Introduction by Courtney White About Conference Goals.

Session I/Theme:Land Health:

8:30-9:00am, Charismatic Soil Wildlife, Your Mineral Cycle in Action Dr. Patricia Richardson, soil scientist from the University of Texas, Austin, TX
9:00-9:30am, "Nature's Second Chance" - Restoring the Ecology of Stone Prairie Farm Steve Apfelbaum, founder of Applied Ecological Services, Brodhead, WI
9:30-10:00am, The Cates Family Farm: Our Community of Creatures Great and Small Dr. Dick Cates, grassfed beef rancher and dairy professor, southern WI

10:00-10:30am - Break

Session II/Theme: Conservation:

10:30-11:00am, Walking between the Wild and the Back 40 Julie Sullivan, environmentalist and rancher, San Juan Ranch, Saguache, CO
11:00-11:30am, Ecosystem Services and Markets: What would Leopold Think? Dr. Sally Collins, Director, Office of Ecosystem Services & Markets - U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
11:30-Noon, Land Ethic Yes, But What About Energy? Randy Udall, energy expert, Basalt,CO

12:00-1:30pm - Student Poster Session
Students from Bosque School, Rio Grande High School and Albuquerque Academy will be on site to present their posters and answer any questions.
This poster session asked the following questions: "From a student's perspective, why is a land ethic relevant in the 21st century? What would Aldo say about our various predicaments if he were alive today? What would a student tell him if he were here now?"

12:00-1:30pm - Lunch

Session III/Theme: Sustainable Agriculture:

1:30-2:00pm, Don't Forget the Old Agrarianism!: A Young Amish Family's Perspective on Horse Farming in the 21st century Tim and Katie Kline, Amish farmers, Mt. Hope, OH
2:00-2:30pm, Managing Horses on the Navajo Nation for a Sustainable Future Tammy Herrera, Ojo Encino Chapter of the Navajo Nation, Cuba, NM
2:30-3:00pm, Navigating Sustainability: Perspectives For The Future Jen Johnson, 5th generation rancher and graduate student at the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management, Texas; and Amber Reed, Quivira Coalition CARLY apprentice at the San Juan Ranch, Saguache, CO

3:00-3:30pm - Break

3:30-5:00 pm - Questions and Testimonials from the Audience Moderated by Courtney White

5:30-6:30pm - Book Signing
Courtney White, Linda Hasselstrom, Gary Nabhan, Steven Apfelbaum, Dick Cates, Bill Zeedyk and Van Clothier will be on site for you to sign their recent books.

7:30-9:30pm - Quivira Community Campfire: Amateur Talent and Serious Social. A fun evening sampling the song, music, poetry, humor and talents and networking among all.

8:15am-5:00pm - Friday, November 6, 2009

8:15-8:30am - Opening Remarks

Session IV/Theme: Restoration:

8:30-9:00am, Preserving The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation: a Case for Restoration
Jed Meunier, great grandson of Leopold and graduate student at CSU, Fort Collins, CO
9:00-9:30am, Stuff I Have Learned Chet Vogt, rancher and winner of the 2008 Leopold Conservation Award, Elk Creek, northern CA
9:30-10:00AM, The Art of Scientific Tinkering: Restoring Land Health in a Wilderness Area with Fire and Axe Dr. Craig Allen, USGS, and director of a restoration project in the wilderness of Bandelier National Monument, NM

10:00-10:30am - Break

Session V/Theme: Beauty:

10:30-11:00am, Natural Beauty, Land Health, and the Still Unlovely Mind Dr. Rick Knight, professor of Biology, Ft. Collins, CO and Portraits of Grasses Matilda Essig, artist, Elgin, AZ
11:00-11:30am, The Art of Re-connecting People, Places and Processes with Watershed Restoration
Craig Sponholtz, riparian restoration specialist, Dryland Solutions, Inc., Santa Fe, NM
11:30-Noon, The Goose Who Trades His Feathers Linda Hasselstrom, author and rancher, Hermosa, SD

12:00-1:30pm - Lunch

Session VI/Theme:The Land Ethic:

1:30-2:00pm, The Evolution of a Land Ethic on Carrizo Valley Ranch Sid Goodloe, rancher, Capitan, NM
2:00-2:30pm, Learning Through Doing: Reflections on the Role of Personal Experience in Building an Ethical Relation to the Land Clare Kazanski, great granddaughter of Aldo Leopold, Environmental Defense, Washington, D.C.
2:30-3:00pm, WHERE'S ALDO? Ranching to Sustain Wild Biodiversity While Producing Tacos Sin Carbon Gary Nabhan, author and research social scientist, University of Arizona, Tucson

3:00-3:30pm - Break

3:30-5:00pm - Comments and Questions from the Audience Moderated by Courtney White

6:30pm - Banquet and Awards Ceremony

Accommodations: This year our Annual Conference is being held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, just southwest of the "Big I" and five minutes from the airport. This is a beautiful new hotel with large open meeting spaces. The special room rate ended October 20th. .

We will not be mailing out paper registration materials. All conference information and registration materials will be on our website beginning April 1st. If you don't have access to a computer and would like the paper version, just call the office at 505-820-2544 and will be happy to mail you a copy!