Albuquerque's Environmental Story

Educating For a Sustainable Community

Albuquerque's Natural Environment

Experiencing Albuquerque's Open Space

"Polish comes from the cities, wisdom from the desert."
- Frank Herbert, Dune

Some thoughts by Rex Funk

courtesy of RT Graphics, Rio Rancho, NM

Not everyone will be able to appreciate the Southwestern landscape with equal enthusiasm. To some the land is too dry or brown or bare. Others looking from a distance or from a passing car see the apparently featureless landscape and complain that there is "nothing there." Others who have overcome their initial reactions have found a subtle beauty and diversity in this land that is unique to the Southwest. The skills, perspectives and attitudes necessary for discovering the hidden beauty of this landscape have taken some people a lifetime to acquire. Others seem to have a gift for seeing the character and quality of the land from their first encounter. Here are some thoughts that may help you on your own journey of discovery.

Scale: Things are smaller in an arid landscape. This is particularly true of plants and animals. In order to appreciate this landscape, take time and get closer. A magnifying glass is a useful aid.

Tempo (Time And Motion): In crossing great spaces the temptation is to move faster. By moving faster, one sees less. This is not a landscape that can be appreciated at 70 miles per hour. Take your time, move slowly. This landscape was not created quickly. Appreciating and getting to know it will also take some time (much like a good friend).

Adaptation (Form and Function): Landscapes, like plants and animals, are affected by the elements and forces around them. The adaptations that we see in living things are the tools that allow them to survive their environment. The form and function of Southwestern plants and animals reveal the economy of this arid environment. That economy has much to teach those of us who live here.

Process and Cycles: All natural landscapes are in a constant state of flux. They are the products of the slow and steady processes and cycles that mold and remold them. Try to visualize these changes. Evidence of change is recorded in the rocks and land forms.

Art in the Landscape: The landscape might be viewed as a composition on an artist's canvas. To begin, look for the elements of color, texture, pattern, line, form, movement, contrast, and light. You will soon see why New Mexico's landscapes have attracted photographers like Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Minor White, and Elliott Porter and painters like Georgia O'Keefe and Peter Hurd.

Continuity and Change: Change is a recurrent theme in the landscape and natural community in the Southwest. It is not uncommon to see balmy midwinter days turn to snow as a front moves through, or to experience 40-degree temperature extremes between day and night. Change is a recurrent theme in the landscape and natural communities of the Southwest. At the same time there is the continuity of the seasons, natural cycles, and natural processes.

Similarity and Diversity: Plants and animals cope with living in the arid Southwest in many ways. The similarities and differences of these adaptations are fascinating to those whose sense of wonder is still intact. Nature maintains a diversity that is essential to the stability and functions of natural communities. People, on the other hand, often opt for the simplicity of a green lawn or concrete sidewalk. Understanding natural diversity is the first step in accepting it.

Interaction and Interdependence: Part of the wisdom of nature is its ability to forge ties among living things and between them and the nonliving world. These ties can be seen in countless interrelationships in the natural world of the Southwestern landscape.

When to Visit Open Space Areas

Most of Albuquerque's open space areas are located in what is called the Upper Sonoran Life Zone. This area lies between 5,000 and 7,000 feet elevation and is characterized by hot summer and cool winter temperatures and limited rainfall. Spring and fall are often the most pleasant seasons to visit open space areas. Summer mornings and evenings are also nice, as are fair days in winter. The shade of the cottonwood bosques and cool waters of the Rio Grande have lured New Mexicans for centuries during the warmer months. The best time to see deer in the Sandia foothills is in the winter; most wildlife is active at night and in the morning and evening. In short, the best time to visit Albuquerque's open space is whenever you feel like it. New Mexico is a unique corner of the world. Albuquerque's open space can be your gateway to an understanding of the wisdom of that world. Those who have taken the time and effort to listen and learn from the land have not been disappointed. The best way to start is on foot, using all of your senses. Don't forget your senses of joy and wonder.

(Up to Section I, Back to Rio Grande Nature Center, On to The Natural Environment - Bibliography)