Summary of Program
NM Rare Plant Watch is a new collaborative effort led by the State Botany Program within the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD). Our goal is to update historic records of rare plant populations across the state. Rare Plant Watch volunteers help by relocating populations of rare plants – many of which have not been visited in years or decades. If these populations are found, they will be tasked with documenting specific information such as population size, status, and threats, and taking photographs for verification, which will help guide land management decisions and aid conservation efforts for New Mexico’s most vulnerable plant species.
Benefits:
- Discover New Mexico's rare species that few people ever see,
- Enjoy breathtaking natural spaces that are off the beaten path,
- Connect with native plant conservation,
- Contribute directly to conservation and management decisions.
Time Commitment:
- Attend a required half-day orientation and training session in the spring; currently a virtual event (webinar).
- Complete at least one revisit/survey assignment annually. Completing an assignment includes:
- Selecting a rare plant population (species and site) from an interactive map of priorities maintained by NM Rare Plant Watch.
- Conducting preparatory research to determine how to access the rare plant population location, when the best time is to visit the population, and determining the key
diagnostic features of the target species. - Collecting required data on the rare plant population, once relocated. Surveys may take several hours depending on how big the population is and the ease of navigating to the target site.
- Submitting a completed survey report and photos for each revisit assignment within
a timely manner once completed.
Qualifications
- A commitment to plant conservation and stewardship
- Ability to identify native plants in the wild and to distinguish rare plants from other cooccurring
species. Additional, formal training in plant identification is a plus, but not
required. - Ability to work independently in uneven terrain and varying weather conditions
- Your own transportation
- Good observation skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to collect scientific data and organize it for efficient reporting
- Good navigation skills are a plus
- Reliability, commitment, and promptness in filing reports