Esteban Muldavin (center) of Natural Heritage New Mexico receives the 2013 Conservation Impact Award from NatureServe president and CEO Mary Klein (left) and Aníbal Ramírez (right) of Pronatura Veracruz.

“I congratulate Natural Heritage New Mexico on earning the 2013 Conservation Impact Award,” said Mary Klein, president and CEO of NatureServe. “This accolade recognizes their demonstrated leadership as a regional provider of scientific knowledge and expertise, but they have also set an important example by establishing effective cost-sharing agreements with state and federal agencies. This approach enhances the profile of the entire NatureServe network as a go-to source for conservation science information.”

The honor highlights in particular the contributions and leadership NHNM has made since 2011 on the Western Wildlife Crucial Habitat Assessment Tool (CHAT). Developed in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish, the Western Governors’ Association (WGA), and other western-state wildlife agencies, this project will create new maps depicting areas of crucial habitat and corridors for wildlife across the western United States. By enabling users to view and interact with the map data, a companion website will help guide landscape-level planning efforts throughout the region and link individual state CHATs that contain more detailed state-level information.

Working within the CHAT framework, NHNM has facilitated collaboration between state and federal agencies and NGOs to bring about a comprehensive approach to conservation issues and conflict resolution. NHNM has also encouraged developing the CHAT as a broad-based information system that taps multiple databases and provides users with multiple delivery options. In particular, NHNM, as a division of Museum of Southwestern Biology, has been able to bring the wealth of specimen data along with observations into play in conservation planning. By applying leading-edge technologies and analytical approaches to advance conservation science, NHNM is maximizing the benefits of conservation information and research.

“It’s been exciting to work closely our NM Game and Fish department on the development of the state CHAT.” said Esteban Muldavin, on behalf of NHNM. “It has provided us with an opportunity to have an open conversation and to bring the existing science to bear at the nexus of economic development and the protection of sensitive species and ecosystems. We also think the tool has the potential to meet the needs of other agencies and private interests, and to point the way to the gaps in our understanding of the conservation issues we face in the state.”

Beyond the CHAT, Rayo McCollough, NHNM information manager, said “We been working closely with the agencies to make their conservation-related data more accessible by taking their reports collecting dust off the shelf and putting them into an on-line database.”

Other noteworthy efforts, which NHNM has integrated within the CHAT framework, include:

• The implementation of new metrics and approaches for rapid ecological integrity assessments of wetlands in collaboration with the New Mexico Environment Department.
• The development of comprehensive datasets and habitat models for dune sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) and lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus)—both key ESA candidate species native to oil-producing areas of southeastern New Mexico.
• Active engagement with the Ecological Society of America Panel on Vegetation Classification to ensure the use of vegetation classification to support conservation assessment and planning.

Natural Heritage New Mexico conducts research on the conservation and sustainable management of New Mexico’s biodiversity. NHNM maintains NM Biotics, the only statewide rare species and ecosystems database, which helps shape conservation efforts. We do biology research and education in the context of conservation and climate change.

NatureServe is an international conservation nonprofit dedicated to providing the scientific basis for effective conservation action. Its network of more than 80 member organizations from the United States, Canada, and Latin America collects and maintains a unique body of knowledge about the species and ecosystems of the Western Hemisphere. Its scientists, technologists, and other professionals build on this scientific information to provide information products, data management tools, and biodiversity expertise to meet local, national, and global conservation needs.

Media Contacts: NatureServe, Kyle Copas (703) 908‑1895; email: kyle_copas@natureserve.org or UNM, Steve Carr (505) 277‑1821; email: scarr@unm.edu

More than 800 schools were evaluated by the Princeton Review and only those with a score of 83 or above were listed in the guide.

“UNM is a leader in energy conservation and recycling,” said Mary Clark, manager, UNM Sustainability. “Our faculty research in renewable energy technology and Sustainability Studies Program ranks us with the other leading green schools in the nation.” The Princeton Review created the green college guide in response to a survey of high school students who overwhelming indicated that a university’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to attend that university.

UNM has improved energy usage on campus through a building efficiency retrofit program, which allows for added controls to change from a constant to a variable operation that allows buildings to turn off when empty. The Environmental Protection Agency has given UNM two Energy Star awards from for its Ford Utilities Center cogeneration unit and its University Hospital — the first academic hospital to be presented with such a prestigious award. UNM new and renovated buildings adhere to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards and two have received LEED Plat¬inum sta¬tus: College of Education addition and Science and Math Learning Center.

UNM was one of the first in the nation to establish a Sustainability Studies program, which offers a minor to students from a wide range of disciplines such as architecture, business, biology and political science. Students in the Sustainability Studies capstone class wrote the UNM Climate Action Plan as part of UNM’s participation in the American Campus and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.

Research Service Learning Program and Sustainability Studies students have created three campus community gardens that provide fresh produce to the campus food services vendor.
UNM Faculty is among the country’s leading researchers in energy conservation methods and technologies and offer a wide range of courses with sustainability topics.

Bruce Milne was selected as the W.K. Kellogg Foundation endowed chair in sustainable environmental food systems and is the director of the Sustainability Studies program. Andrea Mammoli, director of the Center of Emerging Energy Technologies, is leading a consortium including Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and Sandia National Laboratories in research at a state-of-the-art micro grid facility at Mesa del Sol.

The UNM Civil Engineering department is offering classes in sustainable infrastructure, which is infrastructure that lasts longer and uses less energy, less water, less natural resources, produces less air and water pollution, and generates less solid or hazardous waste.

To learn more about sustainability at UNM, follow us on our Facebook page UNM Sustainability or on Twitter @LoboGreen.

Media Contact: Mary Clark (505) 277‑1142; email: mary@unm.edu

Now in its fifth year, the Expo & Growers’ Market offers an opportunity to interact with sustainability-minded folks at a variety of engaging displays and activities, including an alternative transportation exhibition, a growers’ market and a bicycle auction. Learn about sustainable initiatives on campus and in the surrounding community, meet local farmers and enjoy the energetic atmosphere.

The Lobo Growers’ Market portion of the Expo is organized by Sustainability Studies students, who are passionate about promoting local farming and small business, and educating campus and community members about sustainable agriculture and healthy food choices. The Lobo Growers’ Market kicks off the upcoming Albuquerque area growers’ market season, and features numerous local growers, value-added producers and prepared foods vendors.

Numerous campus organizations coordinate the Expo & Growers’ Market event, including the UNM Office of Sustainability, the UNM Sustainability Studies Program, Associated Students of UNM, and UNM Parking and Transportation Services.

In the spirit of sustainability, the 5th Annual Sustainability Expo & Lobo Growers’ Market will be a zero waste event supported by Knowaste; we encourage your participation and support.

Also, a series of films on food, agriculture, health and sustainability lead up to the event. Hosted by students in the SUST-364 Growers’ Market Practicum course, the film series aims to raise awareness about food and sustainability. A film will be shown every Wednesday through April 17. Bring a snack and kick back, beverages will be provided. For a schedule, visit Film Series.

The aim of the film series is to build a community of sustainable agriculture advocates and to generate buzz about the Sustainability Expo on Tuesday, April 23. The films are free and open to the public. Bring a snack and kick back, beverages will be provided.

The schedule…

Wednesday, March 27 – Food Fight
Mitchell Hall, room 102 — 5:30–7 p.m.
Food Fight describes the inherent dangers of our current industrial agriculture system, and then introduces us to leaders who have revolutionized the local food movement. With a strong emphasis on supporting local foodsheds and farmer’s markets, this movie depicts the problems we currently face and the people-driven solutions.

Wednesday, April 3 – To Market, to Market, to Buy a Fat Pig
Mitchell Hall, room 101 — 12–1:15 p.m.
To Market, to Market to Buy a Fat Pig celebrates American market houses, market places, and farmer’s markets. This PBS program showcases the diversity of foods available across the US, from the salad greens of Santa Fe to the crab cakes of Baltimore.

Wednesday, April 10 – Fresh
Mitchell Hall, room 102 — 5:30–7 p.m.
Fresh celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of  agriculture into an industrial model; together they offer a sustainable alternatives and a  practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.

Wednesday, April 17 – Farmageddon
Mitchell Hall, room 101 — 12–1:15 p.m.
Americans’ right to access fresh, healthy foods of their choice is under attack. Farmageddon tells the story of small, family farms that were providing safe, healthy foods to their communities and were forced to stop, sometimes through violent action, by agents of misguided government bureaucracies – and seeks to figure out why.

For full schedule and more information on SUST-364 Growers’ Market Practicum course or the 5th Annual Sustainability Expo and Lobo Growers’ Market, visit: Film Series.

Sustainability science is an emerging field of research that takes into account the interactions between natural and human systems. These interactions are central to the goal of sustainability: to meet the needs of present and future generations while reducing poverty and conserving the planet’s life support systems.

Twenty years ago world leaders met at the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro to discuss concerns over rising income inequality, environmental destruction, and unchecked human population growth. They called for a radical shift in how nations approach economic development. Now, world leaders converge once again in Rio de Janeiro to assess progress toward sustainable development.

About 20 years ago, the field of Macroecology also began to emerge with a publication in Science by James H. Brown, Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of New Mexico, and Brian A. Maurer, currently a Professor at Michigan State University. Macroecology examines relationships between organisms and their environments at large spatial scales to characterize and explain ecological patterns of abundance, distribution and diversity. Now, Brown and colleagues are applying this approach to understand the past, present and future of human civilization and the implications for sustainability.

In conjunction with Rio+20, the open-access journal PLoS Biology is publishing three articles by leaders in ecology and conservation science. These papers raise, once again, important concerns about biophysical limits to human population and economy that should be a major topic at the conference—but apparently will get little attention. One of the articles, by the Human Macroecology Group—a collaboration among scientists from several institutions in northern New Mexico—is titled, “The Macroecology of Sustainability”.

Has Earth reached a tipping point? Credit — Art by Cheng (Lily) Li.

The team of researchers argue that “a macroecological approach to sustainability aims to understand how humans are integrated into and constrained by the Earth’s systems at multiple spatial and temporal scales,” and that “any efforts to develop a science of sustainability or implement policy solutions are necessarily incomplete and will ultimately fail without considering the core ecological principles that govern all of life.”

“Human macroecology is the study of the interactions between humans and their physical, biological and social environments at multiple spatial and temporal scales,” said Robbie Burger, a PIBBS Fellow in the UNM Department of Biology and lead author of the paper. “From this perspective, humans are no different than any other species. We are constrained by the same physical laws and governed by the same biological principles that regulate the millions of populations of other plants, animals, and microbes on the planet.”

The researchers highlight three principles that should be central to sustainability science including: physical conservation laws govern the flows of energy and materials between human systems and the environment; smaller systems are connected by these flows to larger systems in which they are embedded; and global constraints ultimately limit flows at smaller scales.

Burger, Brown and colleagues use a series of case studies to illustrate the how processes at larger scales impact of what appear to be locally ‘sustainable’ systems. They show how decreasing per-capita consumption of petroleum, fresh water, arable land, metals, phosphate, fish and wood at the global scale indicates that the growing human population and economy have surpassed the Earth’s capacity to support even current levels of population and socioeconomic activity, let alone future trajectories.

“Our analyses and reports by other leading scientists demonstrate that we are near or have surpassed peak production of many essential resources,” emphasized Burger, “it’s going to become more and more difficult for human ingenuity to provide solutions to these problems now that we are pushing the limits of the biosphere.”

“If you get the best data available and do the math it becomes clear that our trajectories are unsustainable,” added Brown, “we’ve created a huge bubble of population and economy. It has to be deflated or it’s going to burst.”

Media contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277‑1821; email: scarr@unm.edu

“This will be our third year of commuter survey data, which will provide us the ability to begin to look at transportation behavior trends,” said Robert Nelson, PATS interim director. “With commuter survey information we can evaluate usage of our various transportation and parking services and use our analysis to plan future services.”

Nelson said the data collected from the survey is also used to calculate the carbon footprint associated with campus commutes, which is tracked in the biennial University greenhouse-gas emissions report.

Between 2010 and 2011, UNM commuter survey data showed that rates of driving alone to campus in automobiles decreased by about 5 percent with an increase in the use of alternative transportation. The data also showed that currently about 15 percent of UNM students, staff, and faculty are using the ABQRide free bus pass program as a primary mode of transportation to UNM.

“We are pleased to see more and more people considering and actively using alternative transportation to get to campus,” said Nelson. “Even if someone is only using alternative transportation a couple of days a week, they are significantly reducing their carbon footprint and traffic and congestion in the University area.”

The survey will be available at http://commutersurvey.unm.edu through May 7 (midnight).

For more information contact Danielle Gilliam, program specialist, UNM Parking and Transportation Services, at 277‑0461 or email dgilliam@parking.unm.edu

Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277‑1816; email: bhendrix@unm.edu

Created by The Princeton Review in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges” is the only free, comprehensive guidebook profiling institutions of higher education that demonstrate a notable commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. The Princeton Review chose the schools for this guide based on a survey of administrators at hundreds of colleges that the Company polled in 2011 about their school’s sustainability initiatives.

Released on April 17, days prior to the April 22 celebration of the 42nd Anniversary of Earth Day, the guide has profiles of the colleges that provide application information plus facts, stats, and write-ups reporting on the schools’ environmentally related policies, practices and academic offerings. The free guide can be downloaded at Green Guide.

The Schools Were Chosen for the Book from a survey The Princeton Review conducted in 2011 of hundreds of colleges across the U.S. and in Canada to tally its annual “Green Rating” scores (scaled from 60 to 99) of colleges for its school profiles in its college guidebooks and website. The survey asks administrators more than 50 questions about their institution’s sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. The Company tallied Green Ratings for 768 institutions in summer 2011. The 322 schools in this guide received scores of 83 or above in that assessment.

UNM joins the ranks of outstanding universities and colleges nationwide that are leading the “green” movement through their own special programs and initiatives.

“Sustainability is a core value at the University of New Mexico and we have been proponents of energy conservation long before the term ‘sustainability’ was coined. UNM has one of the first Sustainability Studies program in the country and its students are valuable contributors to our efforts, including starting a campus community garden and launching an energy conservation awareness campaign,” said Mary Clark, Program Specialist in the UNM Office of Sustainability. “In addition to award winning recycling and alternative transportation programs, UNM is a leader in innovative research and practices in indigenous design and planning, biofuels, solar energy, and food shed assessment.”

“A green campus can transform the college experience for students through enhanced sustainability education and by creating healthy living and learning environments all while saving energy, water and money as part of an institution’s bottom line,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “We launched the Center for Green Schools at USGBC with a vision of green schools for all within this generation. Partnering with The Princeton Review to provide this invaluable resource to college-bound students was a no-brainer for helping to create transformational change on these campuses.”

The Princeton Review first created this one-of-a-kind resource for college-bound students in 2010 with the U.S. Green Building Council, which is best known for developing the LEED standard for green building certification. In the fall of 2010, USGBC launched its Center for Green Schools to increase its efforts to drive change in how campuses and schools are designed, constructed and operated so that all educational facilities can enhance student learning experiences.

“College-bound students are increasingly interested in sustainability issues,” said Robert Franek, senior vice president / publisher, The Princeton Review. “Among 7,445 college applicants who participated in our 2012 ‘College Hopes & Worries Survey,’ nearly 7 out of 10 (68 percent) told us that having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school,” he added. “Together with USGBC, we are pleased to make this free resource available to all students seeking to attend colleges that practice, teach and support environmentally-responsible choices. To that end, we highly recommend the terrific schools in this book.”

(Note: The Princeton Review does not rank the schools in this guide hierarchically (1 to 322) according to their Green Rating scores, nor does it include those scores in this book’s school profiles). Information about The Princeton Review’s Green Rating methodology and its “Green Honor Roll” list saluting schools that received Green Ratings of 99 is at Princeton Review Green.

Sustainability Studies Program lecturer Jessica Rowland said, “The market will provide the university community with an opportunity to support local and sustainable small businesses. There will be farms selling fresh produce, herbs, starter plants and prepared-food.”

The Lobo Growers Market is the result of work completed in Rowland’s class through Sustainability Studies which teaches students how to organize a growers’ market.

“We are pleased to host our fourth annual expo, which showcases the broad spectrum of sustainability-related activities that take place here on campus,” says Mary Clark, coordinator for the Office of Sustainability. “Each year the expo grows and this is largely due to growing interest and leadership from our students on campus.”

The UNM Sustainability Fair is centered around Earth Day and this year will host more than 75 displays, including informational booths, food vendors and live music from noon-1 p.m. The event is sponsored by PATS, the Office of Sustainability, Sustainability Studies, ASUNM Student Special Events and KUNM.

For more information contact Danielle Gilliam, PATS program specialist, 277‑0461, dgilliam@parking.unm.edu.

Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277‑1816; email: bhendrix@unm.edu.

“Land & Water: Making the Connection,” a report that addresses the disconnect between land use planning and water resource management in New Mexico, focuses on the challenge of ensuring that demand for water and development does not outstrip the state’s limited supplies and that the inherent integrity of the land and water is preserved for generations to come.

“Moving forward, it will be increasingly important to understand and coordinate land and water use decisions between different levels of government,” said Carol Romero-Wirth, one of the report’s authors. “This report improves our collective understanding of this relationship so that we can sustain the state’s economy and its environmental and cultural heritage.”

For more information, contact Consuelo Bokum at (505) 982‑4342.

The 2012 edition of “Water Matters!,” a guide to New Mexico’s water issues published annually by the Utton Center, was made available in January to New Mexico legislators. In an effort to conserve money and natural resources, this year’s volume was distributed online.

In every issue, “Water Matters!” honors a legislator who has helped advance understanding of New Mexico’s surface and groundwater. This year, that honor went to Rep. Roger James Madalena, a leader in water issues at both the Roundhouse and his home community of Jemez Pueblo.

“Like all good encyclopedias, ‘Water Matters!’ continues to grow. This year the guide approaches 200 pages,” said UNM law Professor Denise Fort, director of the Utton Center.

For more information, contact Adrian Oglesby at (505) 280‑7958 or adrian@lawoftheriver.com.

Both publications can be accessed on the Utton Center website.

Story by and media contact: Nancy Harbert, (505) 277‑0091

UNM-ASU Solar Decathalon Team

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced that the University of New Mexico, along with Arizona State University, has been selected to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013. UNM and ASU will participate in a worldwide competition to build solar-powered, highly energy-efficient homes that combine affordability, consumer appeal and design excellence. Teams compete in 10 categories, ranging from engineering and architecture to affordability, communications and market appeal.

The team has begun a two-year process to design, construct and test their homes in two test sites before reassembling them at the Solar Decathalon 2013 competition site at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. The team will make a specific effort to use materials and technologies that are designed and manufactured by companies in the Southwest region.

“We are thrilled to have been chosen to compete along with ASU to participate in the Solar Decathlon,” said Catalin Roman, dean of the UNM School of Engineering. “The Decathlon is a great opportunity to combine UNM expertise in renewable energy, offer students invaluable real-world experiences, and continue our collaborations throughout UNM and with ASU.”

The UNM team consists of students and faculty from the UNM School of Engineering, the School of Architecture and Planning, and the Sustainability Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The team will be able to make use of the research and education resources of the ASU-based Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies (QESST) Engineering Research Center (a national center supported by the DOE and the National Science Foundation) in which UNM is a key partner. QESST is providing a staging ground for major innovations in solar energy devices and systems in seeking to help the nation meet the challenges of harnessing solar power in economically viable and sustainable ways.

The Decathlon project is directed by Olga Lavrova, assistant professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at UNM and Matt Fraser, ASU associate professor and QESST ERC co-director. Lavrova headed UNM’s student-design solar car project that competed in the 2011 Indy 500 pre-race celebration and the participation of her photovoltaic class in the New Mexico Solar Energy Association passive solar home design contest. She is also part of a UNM team researching the interface between buildings, distributed power generation, and the power grid.

UNM-ASU Team
The UNM School of Engineering faculty team consists of Olga Lavrova; Luke Lester, Interim Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department; Andrea Mammoli, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering;  and Ganesh Balakrishnan, Assistant Professor in the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department.

Also from UNM are Bruce Milne, director of Sustainability Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences, and Kristina Yu, assistant professor in the School of Architecture and Planning.

UNM students participating in the Solar Decathlon are Athena Christodoulou, Orlando Gutierrez, Somayeh Imani, Orlando Leone, Nassim Rahimi, Orlando Romero and Santiago Sena.

Fraser leads the ASU faculty team comprised of QESST ERC director Christiana Honsberg; associate research professor Stuart Bowden; and Jenefer Husman, ERC education co-director.

“Our students will have a unique opportunity to participate internationally in practical and cutting-edge renewable technologies,” said Lavrova. “The Decathlon will also foster economic development in solar technologies and related industries in the Southwest and educate the public on sustainable infrastructure.”

To learn more about Solar Decathlon 2013 and the universities and college teams selected to compete, see the Energy.Gov website at:

Solar Decathlon 2013.

Media Contacts: Karen Wentworth (505) 277‑5627; email: kwent2@unm.edu or Tamara Williams (505) 277‑5859; email: tamara@unm.edu