Jan. 2012
Community Mosaic Mural, “Protect Our Wildlife Corridors”, News:
The seventh, and last panel designed by our mural project co-coordinators Cirrelda Snider-Brian and Laura Robbins, is underway at Laura’s Foothill Studio. This panel, which is filling in rapidly with handmade ceramic tile animals, mosaic glass animals, and a mosaic glass “Bosque” scene with cottonwood trees, flowing water and marsh plants, will be installed this spring of 2012. Many different community members from professional artists to “unskilled laborers” are working on getting the panel ready by cementing down the small pieces of glass, and larger pieces of clay tiles to the prepared panel board. Laura is hosting work days every week for those volunteers who have signed up to help.
Bosque color
Sonya volunteering her time on the new panel.
The new "Bosque" panel under construction.
Clay tile Sandhill crane by Judith R. in the new "Bosque" panel
New "Bosque" panel with bobcat mosaic tiles by Pat Haloran
Glass mosaic Sandhill crane by Laura Robbins
Feb. 2010
The grassroots organization Pathways: Wildlife Corridors of NM offers two forms of outreach, one you have heard about before in EE Connections, The Protect Our Wildlife Corridors Mural, and second, Tracker Monitor Training.
We recently presented at the joint EEANM, NMSTA, NMCTM conference and would like to keep the information on wildlife corridors flowing with educators, thus this article. Peter and Cirrelda will also present at the 4 Corners Bioregional Outdoor Education Project’s 2010 annual conference this March in Blanding, Utah, an important gathering of our region’s environmental educators.
On our mural front –
A 4’x8′ panel of Wild Horses will be placed to the right of the “Protect Our Wildlife Corridors” and join the other ecosystem/ animal panels.
Stamped clay tiles of EVERYONE who has helped in some way will be placed on the Recycling Center Wall to the left of the driveway opening.
The 4th 9 foot by 6 foot mosaic panel – focusing on the riparian ecosystem, “the bosque” – will be started in January by the 8th grade Advanced Art class at Bernalillo Middle School who will design and make the big animals. We are lucky to have guest speaker Timothy Smith, Biology Technician at Sandia Pueblo, join the class for a first Monday field trip to the bosque at Kuaua (Coronado Monument), and come into the classroom the next day to share about the Pueblo’s efforts to re-introduce wild Turkeys to their lands. Algodones Elementary students will participate making plant tiles for the 4th panel, as Placitas Elementary students did last year for the Grasslands panel.
Volunteers grouting the Grasslands panel
Grasslands panel
Wild Horse panel
High Country Panel
Pathways: Wildlife Corridors of New Mexico 
Comments on: "Community Mural and project news" (10)
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I would be willing to help with thew mural.
Yikes, so sorry, Cathy, to have not seen this sooner! Please send your email address so I can add it to the listserve, to cirrelda@laalamedapress.com
-Cirrelda
Thought I’d post a link to smie images taken during the recent mural follow-up story on TV.
http://picasaweb.google.com/msuazo/20091231WildlifeCorridor?feat=directlink
Nice documenting, Mark. I have the dvd I got made of Melissa’s interviews on Channel 7 – but the station never posted it on their website, and then told me I couldn’t post it on my own on youtube – it had to be linked to their station. It’s all ready to go – wonder if I could just post it now – a whole year and a half later …
Are you planning a mural for the East Mountain area, or does one already exist? I would love to work on a mosaic, especially in the Edgewood/Tijeras/Cedar Crest area. If none is planned, I would still like to help work on one that may already be in the works. (If it isn’t terribly far for me to drive!)
How does one help track? I live on 10 acres near Edgewood. We have, of course, deer, coyotes, hawks, owls, crows, etc.
This looks like a wonderful project!
Thank you so much,
Sally
sbartos1225@hotmail.com
Hi Sally!
Thanks for your interest!
There will be some grout days of the next two panels in the not-too-distant future (we may grout this fall – if not next spring for sure), and we will be letting people know through our email newsletter at least 3 weeks ahead. We would need to do it on a Sunday because of my own work schedule.
So, I will put your email on that list to receive the Pathways Mural News and you can see if you want to join in when that day is announced. The location is at the Placitas Recycling Center – a half mile east of the Bernalillo exit 242 off I-25 north of Albuquerque. Remember, if you don’t hear from us by late September, we will definitely be grouting once it warms up next spring. The facebook page (that I see you have friended – thanks) will keep you abreast of progress with the Name and second Bosque panels.
Our project is solely here in Placitas – alas, we are all just volunteers. Thus, we are not planning one elsewhere. Mosaic is a fantastic medium to do as a community project we have found. You all have had great citizen action in the Tijeras area around the I-40 improvements of 2006-2007 (www.safepassagecoalition.org/ Tijeras Canyon Safe Passage Coalition). Maybe a group can form there in Tijeras to do a mural!
Your property sounds so neat. Click on the wildlife tracking/monitoring section on the right hand list here and you will find information on that program. It is indeed very neat.
In solidarity,
Cirrelda Snider-Bryan
Pathways member
Albuquerque
aka CC
Hi C.C.,
Thank you for answering so quickly. I will wait for news of your next grouting day–hopefully, I can make it! Meanwhile, I will look forward to the Pathways Mural News. I think you all are doing such a fine thing: protecting wildlife trails and creating beautiful art.
Thanks again,
Sally
This is amazing! I am deep into learning how to do this, but… in the Northern Territories we have to worry about deep freeze to 100 degrees plus differencials. I’m stumped as to where to find the learning materials and or experience to get this done. Wish I were near there to help … looks like GREAT fun!!
Hi Michele, thanks for your interest. You can contact one of the coordinators of this project here: laura@laurarobbinsmosaics.com and she will try and help you with choices of materials, adhesives, clay and glazes, etc. I know she’ll recommend having the mosaics under overhanging eves or an awning to protect from severe weather, but you may have to do some experimentation with small pieces first. We have had mosaics outdoors here in the -20 F. to + 100 F. range for many years now, and they have done fine, no popping or spaulling, so this technique works pretty well.
Good luck with your projects! Do want to do a wildlife mural there?