April 27, 2018
On Thursday, April 26 the New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources held an event at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (NMMNHS) to promote the awareness of groundwater resources in New Mexico and to applaud the Healy Foundation for their support of this effort. Trudy and Ed Healy, who have provided significant funding to the Bureau Aquifer Mapping Program through the years, were the guests of honor, and legislators Mimi Stewart, Howie Morales, and Gail Armstrong were present, to express their support for groundwater research in New Mexico. Comments by New Mexico Tech President Dr. Wells, Bureau hydrogeologist Stacy Timmons and Executive Director of the NMMNHS Margie Marino were well-received, and we also appreciated the presence of representatives from New Mexico's national congressional delegation, facilitated by Dave Manzano, Mike Timmons, and others.
Collaboration between public-private entities and the sharing of data were key topics of the day, as well as promoting education to all New Mexicans about our groundwater resources. Educational activities relating to groundwater were on display in the Kiwanis Garden at the NMMNHS inviting everyone to learn about groundwater aquifers and how water moves beneath the surface. A water level monitoring device by Wellntel is running in the Kiwanis Garden and will remain to be included in interpretive exhibits on groundwater at the NMMNHS.
Local television stations KOB channel 4, and KRQE Channel 13, both covered the event.
There are many people to thank for making this event a success. Sara Chudnoff and Stacy Timmons were the main organizers from the Bureau of Geology, and partnered with Cirrelda Snider Bryan from the Museum of Natural History. Other collaborators at the event included New Mexico Tech, Sandia National Laboratories, Bernalillo County, BEMP (Bosque Ecologic Monitoring Program), Rodgers and Company, Wellntel and the Kiwanis Club of Albuquerque. Thanks to Bureau staff Cynthia Connolly for running the information table, April Brunson for coming up with, and constructing, the "My Little Aquifer" necklaces, and Kelsey McNamara and Ethan Mamer for taking photos. Also, thanks to the number of other Bureau people who attended the event out of interest, and to be supportive of a Bureau program. Finally, to Randall Gann for handling the MC-ing of the event, which was much appreciated.
We're looking forward to ongoing collaboration with the Museum of Natural History, to work towards better educating New Mexicans about groundwater in our state.