Exciting Changes for BEMP

Dear Bosque School Community Members,

 

I hope you are all doing well. Out the window, as I write this, a pair of Canada geese are marching between students who are finishing their school day. I don’t know if those particular students take for granted the presence of wildlife on our campus, but I never do. Our sharing of our Bosque School days with wild nature has been and will remain a central part of who we are as a school. Porcupines, BEMP, Las Huertas, and the Rio Grande are all integral to the learning that we do together. As you will see below, the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP) is undergoing organizational changes. But before I get into the details, know that what is not changing is our commitment to field science, our own Bosque School students working as BEMP students and watershed monitors, and our readiness to walk with geese. 

 

What changes is how the BEMP adults organize themselves—BEMP is now its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. What stays the same is that our Bosque School students will remain BEMP students, and they will still hike into the bosque as field scientists, where the data they collect will be used by natural resource agencies to inform management decisions. 

 

Bosque School has a rich history of supporting and cultivating mission-aligned community engagement initiatives that have eventually become independent entities. This includes Horizons Albuquerque, the Sofia Center for Professional Development, and most recently, the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP). Similar to our ongoing relationship with Horizons and Sofia Center, Bosque School will forever champion BEMP’s future successes and proudly communicate our shared history. This organizational shift does not, in any way, change Bosque School's longstanding commitment and involvement as a "BEMP school." It will not impact our students’ or alums’ involvement with BEMP or change our school's deep commitment to community partnerships and science that matters beyond the classroom. Having been a part of the BEMP journey since the beginning, I very much support this shift and will continue cultivating BEMP educational collaborations with Bosque School students, along with Mr. Daly and Ms. Sever (fellow science department faculty who also work closely with BEMP, alongside their classes). Below you will find a shared message from BEMP and Bosque School that both organizations will proudly communicate in the future.

 

Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions (dan.shaw@bosqueschool.org). I hope to see you and your fellow alums soon, perhaps even at the Bosque School Founder’s Days community celebration at Explora. 

 

Dan Shaw