Field Log: Valles Caldera, Hot Spring, Bernalillo Growers' Market

Cathy, Heather, Santana and I met early on October 29 at Valles Caldera Preserve, which lies SW of Los Alamos and NE of Jemez, NM.

As Cathy and I drove into the preserve, which is operated as a trust under the USDA, the first animal we spotted was a coyote, who eyed us warily and then trotted off into the grasslands that cover the basin of the caldera.

The coyote would be the only animal, other than human, we would see.

Although the land appears vacant and pristine, it is a heavily managed space. We took a van tour as areas available to walking tours are quite limited. Human activity within the Preserve is heavily regulated as part of the restoration process. Our guide, a wildlife biologist, explained procedures for land management and restoration being enacted within the Preserve, which includes managing old growth ponderosa forest, water resources and stream beds, and an elk herd that numbers about 3000 animals.

Our guide showed us a built area of housing when the land was held as part of the Baca land grants, througn a series of ranches, the Dunnegan energy exploration and movie era, and, finally, Trust ownership. Evidence of land use and abuse is still evident as scientists at the Preserve work toward correction and restoration. Neither the literature on the Preserve nor the guide explained what the setpoint of restoration would be.

A portion of the land on Library Peak is and will be reserved for Native ceremonial purposes. The remainder of the land would be designated for other uses, it seems mainly scientific research.

Like the National Parks, the Valles Caldera lands are held as common lands, and, in this case, are managed to the point that people, except by specific designation, have very limited exposure to the Valles Caldera.


The second site we visited was a hot spring near Jemez that Heather had last visited several years previously.

An area adjacent to Highway 4 is being constructed as a parking lot and a hiking trail is in process of being built between the lot and the pool.

Printed notices on Forest Service signs discourage use of trails other than the official trail and listed precautions for using the hot spring pool.

Evidence of human interaction was also evident in the construction of the pool with rocks set on each other and held in place by apparently different batches of concrete.

As Heather, Cathy, and Santana enjoyed the pool I walked the hillside and found substantial evidence of human action, including multiple sets of footprints, fire rings and a recently used camp site sheltered by a pair of boulders.

Among the human footprints in the soft earth near the streambed was a cat print a little smaller than the palm of an adult human hand. [A sign at another location informed readers that that was cougar country and gave instruction in case of encounter in Spanish and English.]

The hot spring pool had instructions and information, but was not as heavily regulated in usage as either the Valles Caldera or the Bernalillo Growers' Market, which was our final stop.



The Bernalillo Growers' Market is a seemingly informal space where growers can sell their garden and orchard produce, honey and processed foods, such as baked goods. It is a space for growers to interact with each other and with their customers.

We visited on the last day in the last hours of the 2010 Market. It is held throughout the summer in a recently paved lot south of Our Lady of Sorrows Church. The number of vendors was substantially smaller than even one week prior.

One gate provides entrance and exit to the space. A building that I believe was an old barn in the immediate area was torn down and the remains removed before the 2010 Market season. The paving material diminished the dust that had swirled through the space during prior seasons.

While the Market seems informal, it is highly regulated. Vendors subscribe to the mission statement and regulations as stated. A management team governs placement and usage of the spaces within the Market. Vendors must meet legal requirements in order to participate, as stated in the regulations, some of which are in place to insure food safety. Also, growers receive information on how to interact with customers and share knowledge with those who visit their spaces. The Market is also accessible to WIC users.



The apparent informality of the Bernalillo Growers' Market, especially late in the season, covers over the degree of regulation that underlies its production.

Even with that, the Bernalillo Growers' Market is a space to learn about local food production, purchase fresh produce, consume fresh baked goods, obtain regional plants for the home garden in the spring, and interact with producers and neighbors in a welcoming atmosphere.