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Santa Fe, NM – April 7, 2014- Santa Fe County is nearing completion with the first ever partnership between Santa Fe County and the Master Program. The partnership includes a 12 week course with the Masters Program and the completion of more than half a dozen projects around Santa Fe County.  Recently, Volunteer Coordinator, Carol Branch submitted a proposal to the Masters Program that eventually led to the creation of a 12 week course.   The course started in January and will finish at the end of April.  Santa Fe County is working to extend the agreement to cover the entire 2014-2015 school year.

The 12 week course, meets weekly for class on Friday afternoons at various locations around Santa Fe County.  In total 12 students are learning about public lands and helping to improve them.  Carole Branch and Albert Lucero from Santa Fe County help lead the various projects. 

These projects consisted of trail building and maintenance, erosion control, building of dams, identification and removal of non-native trees, fire prevention and actual thinning of trees, building and repairing fences and many other beautification ventures throughout the county.  

Carole Branch said, “While students are introduced to public lands, they learn how to protect, maintain and restore our trails, parks and rivers.” She continued, “The program is a win, win for everyone, including Santa Fe County, the students and the environment.”

Projects completed during the course include:

• San Isidro Crossing - Identifying and removing non-native trees along the river to preserve water and improve water quality and beautification and improved safety by building a 3-post fence
• Arroyo Hondo - clearing the acequias to prevent flooding and preserve the quality of water
• Arroyo Hondo - clearing dead and down trees to help prevent wildfires
• Dale Ball Trails - restored and rerouted washed out trails to help improve safety and increase usability
• Fischer Tract - Clearing dead brush along the river with special training from the Santa Fe County Fire Department
• Little Tesuque Creek Trail - re-route the flooded trail and build dams to assist in erosion control

The total volunteer hours will equal about 300 after the 12 week course is complete.

The Masters Program is a blended academic program, combining high school level courses and dual credit college courses.  Students have the choice of participating in several different community service projects including a public lands course.  The Charter School is located on the campus of the Santa Fe Community College.