2015 Volunteer Recognition
MPPP Year End Volunteer Appreciation Awards
Jane Clements - Volunteer of the Year!
Jane is the MPPP Tour Coordinator – the volunteer who interacts with hundreds of guests to the Wells Preserve each year! She answers requests for information about tours, schedules them to tour the Preserve, provides them with the information they need, and then schedules someone from our amazing core of dedicated volunteer docents to lead their tours. |
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She learned about MPPP in a talk by Katherine Wells at the Los Alamos library. Fascinated by Katherine’s description of the project and recognizing the need for more people to help document and preserve this incredible part of New Mexico's cultural heritage, she volunteered as a tour docent. She started assisting former Tour Coordinator, Paula Breaux, with scheduling participants and docents for tours and then stepped into that position.
Jane holds a Ph.D. in Zoology and has a specialization in marine molluscs and neuroanatomy. She and her family moved to New Mexico for the fantastic climate and incredible cultural history. She now works part-time at the Bradbury Science Museum as an Education Outreach Specialist and teaches adult education classes at UNM-LA. This busy lady also volunteers as a Scientist Ambassador for Los Alamos National Laboratory and with the Bradbury Science Museum Association, as well as the education non-profit ‘Live and Learn New Mexico’. She is the registrar for the Valle Grande Chapter of the DAR. And if that’s not enough, when Jane has some down time you’ll find her painting, gardening, or working on genealogy. When winter comes, she knits, quilts and weaves.
In her words: “We always need more interested, enthusiastic folks to train as docents - if anyone wants to volunteer to spend an two hours on the mesa eight times a year helping visitors experience the beauty and significance of the petroglyphs at Mesa Prieta, please contact the office, and I will be happy to schedule you for docent training!”
MPPP Petroglyph Recording Team of the Year Kathy Fiero, Susan Gibbs and Melodie Usher
Recording Team of the Year for 2015: left to right, Melodie Usher, Susan Gibbs and Kathy Fiero. |
Some of the attributes that are credited to the Petroglyph Recording Team of the Year are the excellent and accurate quality of their work, the thoroughness with which they survey and record their assigned areas, the organization of their material when submitted for processing and last but certainly not least - the
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frequency of recording days on the mesa. It is estimated the team records at least thirty days a year!
This team enthusiastically accepted several assignments on private parcels of land on and near the mesa. They recorded a parcel at the base of Mesa Prieta, working for over one and one half years, recording over 2000 images. Then they, by request of the owners, moved on to the Black Mesa Winery property at the entrance to the Rio Grande Gorge. That completed, they reported seeing a number of images on the BLM land above the winery property and requested permission to record that as well. Weekly, they climbed the steep ridge to the top to complete their task. Now back recording on Mr. Cook’s land, they drive to the top of the mesa and climb down into their rugged provenience.
Kathy Fiero, who has volunteered with Mesa Prieta for over eleven years, is a retired archaeologist. Her thirty year career with the National Park Service included twenty years at Mesa Verde National Park. Kathy’s very favorite activity in retirement is documenting rock art!
Melodie Usher, a lifelong weaver, is a professional interior designer with a degree from Purdue University; in 2010, Melodie received her Certificate of Excellence in Weaving, Level I from the Handweaver’s Guild of America. She recently opened her own studio at her home west of Abiquiu Lake.
Susan Gibbs, a Santa Fe native, acquired her law degree out of state then returned to New Mexico for a 20 year career as a criminal defense lawyer with the state. Changing careers in 2001, she became a full time 7th grade NM history teacher. A turning point for Susan came in 2003 when she attended a summer teacher work shop at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, Colorado, providing her with background and confirming her interest in archaeology.
The "Wizard" Award - Candie Borduin
Long time volunteer Candie Borduin joined MPPP with her husband, Lee, in 2002, supporting Katherine in her mission of recording all the petroglyphs on Mesa Prieta.
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supports the twelve teams working in the field by making appropriate assignments of work areas, maintaining equipment and supply needs for the teams and responding to questions and needs they have. She and Lee conduct on-going surveys to determine access to work areas, especially now that the easy-to-reach areas have been completed. “Our 36 recording and survey volunteers are a joy to work with; their dedication and enthusiasm for working on the mesa, no matter how difficult, is inspiring. We conduct a “treasure hunt for adults” when we are working on the mesa; finding and recording outstanding images is our reward. Our volunteers are the best; we respect each other and work for common goals.”
Candie is a member of the Technical Processes Committee and is responsible for all the initial processing of material that comes in from the field. She assists with the MPPP data base and participates in the preparation of the annual Cook Property Land Owner Reports as well as preparing reports for other land owners whose property has been recorded.
One of the most challenging areas of work she does is the building, design and maintenance of the Project website. She assures that the website is interactive for people signing up for tours and training and purchasing items as well as being updated with Mesa Prieta activities.
She is a member of the Tour Committee and assists with the development of new trails and trail guidelines. She also participates in Site Watch coordination, assigning and orienting Site Watch volunteers to their monitoring areas on the Wells Preserve.
As a general volunteer, she supports Janet and Katherine where ever needed including attending land owner meetings with Janet, overseeing volunteer year-end gifts and other merchandise purchases and assisting with special events.
Candie maintains that her most significant involvement pertains to obtaining protection of Mesa Prieta for perpetuity. “To be working on the ‘ground floor’ of what is becoming a massive preservation effort is both exciting and humbling.”
She and Lee love traveling across the west in their pick-up camper visiting historic and archaeological sites and spending time with family and grandchildren. A retired registered nurse of thirty-seven years, she readily assists family and friends as needed. Candie enjoys both vegetable and flower gardening and is the 20 year proprietor of her small business, Nambe Iris.
Janet MacKenzie honored with HPD AwardAt the recent Heritage Preservation Award Ceremony,
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Janet was recognized for her work at MPPP both as a volunteer and in a leadership position. Her award is in the category of Archaeological Heritage for "elevating the archaeological significance of the Wells Petroglyph Preserve and efforts to move Mesa Prieta into national heritage protective status."
Held May 8, 2015 at the Scottish Rite Center in Santa Fe, the Heritage Preservation Awards Ceremony is an annual celebration of people who have made significant contributions to heritage preservation. The event is part of Heritage Preservation Month.
Award categories include: Lifetime Achievement, Archaeological Heritage, Individual Achievement, Citizen Advocacy, Heritage Organization, Architectural Heritage, Heritage Publication and Distinguished Lifetime Arhievement. Twenty four awards were given in 2015.
MPPP Board Member John Guth Honored by HPD
John Guth, MPPP Board member, was recognized for a second year in a row with an Heritage Preservation Award. John along with Harriet Rosenstein and John Richardson, were recognized for "volunteering to archive thousands of historical records for HPD-ARMS."
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