Project Awards and Recognition

Since 1999, Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project has been recognized
with numerous prestigious awards and honors:

2019 - New Mexico Excellence in STEM Awards

The Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project's education programs received an Honorable Mention at the 2019 NM Excellence in STEM Awards from the Air Force Resource Laboratory.  

​The winners and honorable mentions will be celebrated at a banquet on the evening of Friday, February 22nd at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Sandy Romero, our Education Coordinator, will be present to accept this honor.
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2017 - New Mexico Archaeological Society - Richard A. Bice Award for Achaeological Achievement to Candie Borduin, MPPP Petroglyph Recording Coordinator - "For her many years of dedicated service to the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project as a Board Member, docent, webmaster and coordinator of volunteers,  rock art recorders and site stewards.  Ms. Borduin's work has been instrumental in recording over 50,000 petroglyphs and in the design of a GIS linked data base that contains the recorded rock art on the mesa."

2015 - New Mexico Historic Preservation Division - Cultural Properties Review -
Heritage Preservation Awards to:

Janet MacKenzie, Mesa Prieta Project Director - Archaeological Heritage for "elevating the archaeological significance of the Wells Petroglyph Preserve and efforts to move Mesa Prieta into national heritage protective status."  MORE

John Guth, Mesa Prieta Project Board Member - "volunteering to archive thousands of historical records for HPD-ARMS."   John is being recognized for his work with ARMS for the second year in a row!   MORE

2014 - Cultural Landscape Foundation - The Wells Petroglyph Preserve listed among the nation's eleven most endangered landscapes.   MORE

Katherine Wells named one of "Ten Who Made A Difference"
by the Santa Fe New Mexican

Founder of the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project and preservationist of images on Mesa Prieta for the past 20 years, Katherine Wells received the well-deserved recognition as one of “Ten Who Made a Difference” by the Santa Fe New Mexican.  Featured for her work with the Project, Katherine also received well-deserved accolades for the two award-winning educational programs the Project sponsors – Summer Youth Intern Program and the 4th – 7th Grade Curriculum.

2014 - New Mexico Historic Preservation Division - Cultural Properties Review -  
Heritage Preservation Awards to:
*  The Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project and Candie
    Borduin for "Exceptional leadership and
    training of thirteen teams of volunteers to
    record 40,000 petroglyphs at Mesa Prieta".
*   MPPP for "Educating Hispanic and Native
    American Youth in this uniquely rich cultural 
    resource of Northern New Mexico."
*   MPPP Board member Dr. John Guth and the
    Archaeological Society of New Mexico Rock
    Art  Council for developing a standard for
    submitting archival-ready petroglyph 
    recording reports to the Archaeological
    Records Management System in Santa Fe.

 Shown left to right:  Candie Borduin, Petroglyph Recording Coordinator; Jon Hunner, Interim Director of the New Mexico History Museum; Katherine Wells, President of Mesa Prieta Petrolgyph Project; and Janet MacKenzie, Mesa Prieta Project Coordinator.

2014 - Archaeological Society of New Mexico - Richard A. Bice Award Recipient:  Katherine Wells for Archaeological Achievement.

2011 - National Public Lands Day - Volunteer of the Year Recipient: Dr. Richard Ford

2011 - Take Pride in America® National Award 2011 - Outstanding Public – Private Partnership Category for the Summer Youth Intern Program

Katherine Wells accepting the Richard A Bice. Award from John Hayden, ASNM, and CJ Johnson, ASNM President

2008 - American Rock Art Research Association - First Annual Education Award for the 4th Grade Curriculum "Discovering Mesa Prieta: The Petroglyphs of Northern New Mexico and the People Who Made Them".

2006 - Santa Fe Community Foundation - Piñon Award for Educational Service

2005 - American Rock Art Research Association - Katherine Wells, Committee Chair for the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project, received the Conservation and Preservation Award.

2004 - American Heritage Alliance - Mesa Prieta named one of the most endangered sites in New Mexico

2004 - New Mexico Environmental Law Center - Youth Environmental Hope Award

1999 - National Register of Historic Places - designation to the Wells Petroglyph Preserve

1999 - State Registry of Cultural Properties - designation to the Wells Petroglyph Preserve

Katherine Wells accepting the
American Rock Art Research Association Conservation and Preservation Award, 2005, Reno, Nevada.