Dedicated to the Preservation of Prairie Dogs and their Habitat
The board and general membership meetings were conducted on February 1, 2015. The meeting was well attended and the group discussed issues like site stewardship, rescue, fundraising, creating alliances, outreach, and other pressing issues.
To read the minutes, click on Minutes.
Cute is not a reason to go on living in the grander evolutionary scheme of things, but it must count for 
something. People love prairie dogs, even if they are next thing to a rat.
Michael Burns never expected to be walking around the plaza dressed in a big, fuzzy, buff-colored costume on the Saturday after Earth Day, hugging children and carrying a cardboard placard that said “Prairie dog family values.” The 36-year-old self-employed salesman who moved to Santa Fe from Portland, Ore. about four years ago, said he never thought much about prairie dogs until recently.
Read More: Daze
We need to raise $2500 to purchase microchips for the 2014 season; Just $50 buys 10 microchips!
Read more: Emma
The Chattanooga Zoo partnered with students and faculty in the UTC Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and College of Engineering to renovate the Zoo’s existing prairie dog exhibit.
The original prairie dog exhibit, home to five prairie dogs, was built in 1998. This exhibit is approximately 400 square feet in size and contains two chest-high observation windows. UTC Engineering students have redesigned the exhibit to incorporate a children’s viewing tunnel which will allows children to get eye level with their prairie dog counterparts through the creation of a viewing space within the actual exhibit.
Read More: Chattanooga
| Event | Details | Date | Volunteers | Coordinator |
| TABLING | ||||
| PDP Annual Meeting | 12,700 Montgomery Blvd NE, James Joseph Dwyer Memorial Police Substation | 1:00 PM, 2 February 2013 | Yvonne Boudreaux | |
| Water Conservation & Xeriscape Conference | February/March | Annabeth Fieck | ||
| Sevilleta Feeding Weekend: Seasonal feeding, 4-6 hours, lots of walking! | Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, Bernardo | March 15 | Ed Urbanski | |
| March Releases | Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, Bernardo | March 17 March 30 | Ed Urbanski | |
| Earth Day | La Montanita Coop Carlisle & Central | April 22, 2014 | Annabeth Fieck | |
| Fetch a Palooza | Journal Center | May | Becky Davis | |
| Blessing of the animals at the Center for Spiritual Living | September | |||
| Annual Garage Sale (Ray and Graziella?) | Vista Bonita NE | September | Ray Watt Graziella Singleton | |
| Santa Ana Enviro Fair | August | |||
| Refuge Day at the Sevilleta | November | |||
| Weems Artfest (3 days) | Expo | Mid November | ||
| Woofstock Pet Expo and Adoption Festival in Edgewood | August | |||
| Bear Fair | ||||
| OUTREACH/PRESENTATION | ||||
| ACE High School | January 24, 2014 | Jim Trever | ||
| Meadowlark Senior Center | March 5, 2014 | Jim Trever | ||
| S. Y. Jackson Elementary School | 6-730 PM | April 4, 2014 | Jim Trever | |
| ACE Presentation at Van Buren middle school | 4:20-5:30 PM | April,8, 2014 | Jim Trever | |
| Notes: If you are interested in helping with any of the events, please contact Prairie Dog Pals at (505) 296-1937 or prairiedogpals@comcast.net! | ||||
Weems 2013 was a great success! The volunteers talked to many people on the merits of prairie dogs and we made over $1100 in sales and donations. Many thanks to all those who volunteered or who helped the prairie dogs by donating or purchasing merchandise. Remember Christmas is coming and time to stock up on prairie dog swag! Woo Hoo
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to strip gray wolves’ endangered species protections and make other changes that threaten the survival and recovery of Mexican gray wolves.
Fifteen years after they were reintroduced, only 75 Mexican gray wolves remain in the wild, and they have undergone dangerous genetic deterioration due to government and private shooting and trapping, along with a freeze on wolf releases to the wild. 
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) now proposes changes to Mexican wolf management —two good changes and many more that will worsen the lobo’s already-tenuous plight.
The FWS will hold a public hearing on its proposal on Wednesday, November 20 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They must listen to all those speaking up for and against the lobo.
Read more at: Lobos
The Clovis City Commission will meet 5:15 p.m. Thursday at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library.
The agenda includes:
• A request to relocate prairie dogs on city land to Ector County, Texas, and use of water to help facilitate that animals’ removal from the ground.
Citizens for Prairie Dogs has twice sought city clearance to move the animals from Goodwin Lake, Ned Houk Park and O.G. Potter Park. The first time, Chaves County officials voiced opposition and the city commission voted the item down. The commission gave conditional approval to a move to Mitchell County, Texas, but Mitchell County officials made it clear the animals were not welcome there either.
What began as a local small arts and crafts fair 30 years ago has blossomed in to New Mexico’s most prestigious and exciting international event featuring over 279 artisans.
Weems Artfest has become a nationally recognized juried art event for the knowledgeable art collector. The art novice who has a thirst and desire to begin their art collection will also find Artfest a haven because of its wide range of prices and variety, as well as an emphasis on high quality. The festival’s commitment is to exhibit new talent along with showcasing the country’s finest in a very relaxed and non-intimidating arena. Artfest offers educational activities for children and adults through Children’s ArtSMart, artist’s demonstrations, Student Art Booths, and the inclusion of Albuquerque museums and various state and city philanthropic organizations. Weems Artfest is truly a New Mexico Tradition.
We’ll be tabling for the 3 days and would appreciate you visiting, saying hello, buying, or volunteering.
Read more at: Weems Artfest
Ella and Hannah also contributed to the effort but running the concession stand. They also got to sell the watches and jewelry!
Come join us for Refuge Day at the Sevilleta on October 5! We’re looking for volunteers to help with tabling. It will be a fun day!
The board and general membership meetings were conducted on 2.2.13, Prairie Dog Day! The meeting was well attended and there was much discussion about our ability to continue to sustain colonies where the natural vegetation is not adequate to support the resident populations. Thinning will continue however volunteers to provide supplemental feeding are needed. There are a number of outreach events upcoming as well, check out our calendar. The day was highlighted by the sighting of the first prairie dog of 2013 by Margaret at the Lomas Police Substation. Oh well, winter is over and it is time to get to work.
To read the minutes, click on Minutes.
Snow geese flying in and roosting in one of the cornfields.
The Bosque del Apache is a refuge for all seasons, but winter is the time to see the greatest number of birds, from early November to mid-February. Each fall, thousands of birds flying south stop by, where they can be viewed, photographed, and witnessed en masse. The annual Festival of Cranes takes place each November, with the star attraction being the sandhill cranes.
The festival takes place both outdoors and indoors. At the auto loop, visitors can drive around the refuge. Observation decks around the loop make perfect stopping places to take photographs, use viewing scopes and learn from the volunteers stationed there. Indoors, there are over 100 lectures, workshops, and hands-on activities, all related to the annual bird migration. Outdoors, hikes and tours will take place, such as special photography tours.
PDP was invited to lead a class on Prairie Dogs in Peril this year.
A synopsis of the lecture, presented by Jim T, follows:
The prairie dog (PD) is a keystone species integral to the life and well being of over 150 species of birds, animals, insects and plants. Their feeding and burrowing aerates the soil, stimulates optimal growth in prairie grasslands and provides habitat for burrowing owls plus other species. Once numbered in the billions, prairie dogs have been reduced to less than 2% of their original numbers and are scattered in small groups throughout their diminished territory. This catastrophic decline in numbers has resulted from human urban sprawl, annual poisoning by the thousands and target contests or “sport” shooting by thoughtless individuals. Today, only five of eleven species still exist. Jim’s talk describes how the prairie dog and the prairies have declined and what we can do about it.
What began as small, local arts and crafts fair 30 years ago has blossomed in to New Mexico’s most prestigious and exciting international event featuring over 279 artisans.
In addition to the wide range of artistic offerings the Artfest provides educational activities for children and adults through Children’s ArtSMart, artists’ demonstrations, Student Art Booths, and the inclusion of Albuquerque museums and various state and city philanthropic organizations.
PDP was honored to be among the animal welfare and rescue charities invited to attend. The event not only provides and outlet for outreach but an opportunity for us to raise funds for rescue through the sale of prairie dog oriented items. Our volunteers manned the tables for the three-day event reporting great interest by the public and distributing considerable hand out material, including hundreds of pictures to interested children. Our sales were good and we made over $400.00.