NEW MEXICO – One community’s commitment to resilience — through education, action and collaboration — was on display at a wildfire resilience event. With more frequent and uncharacteristic wildfires taking place, this is particularly significant as the Enchanted Circle, located on the east side of the Carson National Forest, is one of the 21 Wildfire Crisis Strategy landscapes. The landscape contains some of the highest risk firesheds in the nation, which are areas of about 250,000 acres in which an ignition can spread and expose communities to wildfire. Del Fuego Wildfire in Focus: A Community Resilience event held at the Taos Center for the Arts served as both a reminder of the challenges posed by wildfires and a celebration of the collaborative spirit that’s helping the Taos community prepare for a future with fire.

The event brought together a diverse group including community leaders, coalitions such as the Taos Valley Watershed Coalition (a service of Taos County), non-profit organizations like the National Forest Foundation, non-governmental organizations, a local volunteer firefighter department, the Carson and Santa Fe national forests, and many more. It was a day full of engaging exhibits, educational demonstrations, short films and thought-provoking panel discussions, all aimed at strengthening the community’s ability to remain resilient in the wake of a wildfire.

Inside the Taos Center for the Arts, attendees were greeted by the tasty aroma of freshly cooked pozole, green chile stew and a host of exhibits dedicated to wildfire resilience, forest health, land management and water.

Outside of the Center, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps showcased their chainsaw skills. Rocky Mountain Youth Corps is a nonprofit organization and a well-known partner of the Forest Service that often helps increase Forest Service capacity by carrying out prescribed mechanical thinning work while providing youth with life skills training and on-the-job community service experience. During the demonstration, the chainsaw operator showcased the important work they do in thinning fire-prone areas and building defensible space, a vital aspect of wildfire mitigation efforts.

Also, on display outside of the center was the Rio Fernando Volunteer Fire Department’s fire truck, giving the public a close-up look at the tools and equipment that volunteer first responders use during a fire. For many, this was a unique opportunity to speak directly with firefighters.

Inside, at the Taos Center for the Arts theater, a series of panel discussions offered personal perspectives and insight on community resilience. Rene Romero, retired fire management officer for the Taos Pueblo Division of Natural Resources, hosted a discussion regarding natural prescribed fire management.

Another panel discussion hosted by Amina Sena, Las Vegas district ranger for the Santa Fe National Forest shared personal impacts from the Hermit’s Peak / Calf Canyon fires; New Mexico’s most devastating fire on record. The conversation also covered topics on how to better build resilient forests and watersheds.

“I think the impact is measured in the people who turned out today. What’s great is everyone gets together, everyone gets to talk, everyone gets to share their stories – and through that – you get to build your network” said George Ducker, communications coordinator for the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department – Forestry Division. “You’re seeing networking, communities coming together, people talking to other people and communication is really where it’s at.”

One of the most moving parts of the event was the showing of several short films, a couple of which were produced by students at Taos High School in the True Kids 1 program. True Kids 1 is a youth media and technology education nonprofit based in Taos, New Mexico. Through their in-school program, they seek to teach technical skills that can open doors into New Mexico’s growing media, tech and STEM industries. 

The in-theatre programming kicked off with the showing of a TK1 film called “Future of Our Forests.” The film explores various components of forest ecology, wildfire and a bird's eye view of what our forests will look like in 15 years from various perspectives. 

Another TK1-produced film that was on display in the theatre was a film called “The Beauty After the Fire.” The film was presented by Kalila Ko and Luna Bonny, students at Taos High School. The film interviews J.R. Logan, a local forest ecologist with Taos County regarding wildfires in New Mexico and how to find the beauty after the fire. The showing was followed by a short Q&A session. 

When asked about the inspiration for the film Kalila stated “A lot of people around me were talking about the negative aspects of forest fires, the destruction they cause, and I wanted to learn about the opposite and broaden my view.”

Other films included “The Future of Our Community: Forestry in Northern New Mexico,” “Burn/Scar,” and “Smoke Carries our Prayers.” 

While this event was the first of its kind for the community of Taos, many hope and seem to think it certainly won’t be the last. 

“The Taos Valley Watershed Coalition and its partners put this event together to talk about fire ecology, climate adaptation and forest management in a way that was relatable to everyday members of the public.” shared J.R. Logan, coordinator of the Taos Valley Watershed Coalition. “For years, the coalition has experimented with new ways to build a community dialogue around these issues, and Del Fuego was the latest example of those outreach efforts. It was intended to be a chance to connect with friends and neighbors in a relaxed setting, celebrate our existing work aimed at building a more resilient forest landscape and improve our local fluency around the topic of wildfire and watershed health.”

Through education, action and collaboration, it was evident that the community’s commitment to resilience would continue to grow in the face of future wildfires.