Spring Newsletter

Upcoming Events, Staff Updates and More!

by Carlyn Stewart

 

Welcome
Welcome to the first “monthly” newsletter from Los Luceros! Until we have more staff, this may be bimonthly or once a season, but we are SO happy to update you with a things Los Luceros. Please contact carlyn.stewart@state.nm.us if you would like to receive these via our email list! 
Staffing News

First thing is first, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Carlyn Stewart Vita, and in a bit of exciting Los Luceros news, I have recently become the new Site Manager here! I have been the Instructional Coordinator since 2020 so I am pleased to be greeting you from this new role. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Arizona in Tucson, where I grew up and a Master’s Degree in Public Archaeology from the University of New Mexico. Prior to working as the educator at Los Luceros, I worked as an Archaeologist throughout Arizona and New Mexico. Ethan Ortega, our previous manager took another job working for the state in February, we are so proud of him but were sad to see him go!

Also new in staffing this year is Manuel Torres who joined us in February as our Farm and Ranch Worker. Manuel has a bachelor’s degree in Forestry and prior to joining us he worked with the Forest Service as a contractor and with the New Mexico State Forestry.

We are in the process of hiring a Plant Systems Operator and soon we will be hiring a new Instructional Coordinator.

Upcoming Events
We are so excited to be in full swing here at Los Luceros. We had our first New Mexico Outdoor Pass Program on Fish (more on this program later), our first IN PERSON Mesa Talks lecture, and are continuing our Dawn til Dusk Days!

May 25^th: Mesa Talks: The Lucero Legacy by Ranger Rebecca Ward 6:00pm right here in our community room at Los Luceros. This will also be streamed from our New Mexico Historic Sites Facebook page and will be available for viewing at a later date as well. https://fb.me/e/1WLwj6jsM

 
June 5^th: Dusk til Dawn 6:00am-8:00pm
We will be open 6 am until 8pm for early birders, photographers, and families who just want to spend a day out in the sun.

June 5^th New Mexico Outdoor Pass: Mammals 1-3pm
During this mammal-themed day at Los Luceros Historic Site, you’ll enjoy a tour of their grounds, make arts and crafts, and you’ll have an opportunity to join New Mexico Department of Game and Fish to learn about local mammals. They’ll be bringing their “mammal truck” filled with skulls, hides, and bones between 1-3 p.m. We’re sure you’ll hear some fun stories too! There will be other activities throughout the day. This may be a perfect Sunday activity for your family!
https://fb.me/e/1SVjyIcnX

Visiting this Spring and Summer
If you are planning to come visit Los Luceros this summer, remember to bring plenty of water, bug spray, sunscreen, hats and sturdy shoes. Temperatures are forecasted to be in the 80s and 90s at the end of May. The mosquitos do get pretty aggressive in the summer so we ALWAYS recommend bug spray. We also are in Bear Country and Cat Country as well as snake territory so always bear aware, cat conscious, and snake savvy when you visit the site!

New Mexico Outdoor Pass Program
Created by Pajarito Environmental Education Center and Los Luceros Historic Site, the New Mexico Outdoor Pass (NMOP) is a FREE booklet and corresponding community events for families where everyone gets rewarded for spending time outside. Complete activities in the booklet and participate in the in-person events to get stamps for your New Mexico Outdoor Pass booklet. Fill your book with stamps and you’ll be rewarded with prizes! Don’t have a booklet? You can pick one up at the Los Alamos Nature Center or at Los Luceros. Special thanks to our sponsors for making this program possible: Clif Family Foundation, N3B, Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico, and the Outdoor Equity Fund. If you have any questions about this program please email Carlyn.stewart@state.nm.us

Thank you all so much for signing up! Upcoming newsletters will have some history, research, and more upcoming events! – Carlyn Stewart, Site Manager

Originally published on May, 19th 2022 as part of the Newsletter series.