New Mexico Nature in Prisons Project

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The New Mexico Nature in Prisons Project is a collaborative effort between the Institute for Applied Ecology and the Bureau of Land Management. The vision of the program is to facilitate an inclusive education program in New Mexico prison facilities that contributes to the resilience and health of New Mexico’s natural landscapes, with a focus on native plant restoration on public lands. The program supports the National Seed Strategy by seeking to preserve ecologically and culturally significant plant species in order to improve the health of native plant communities on public lands for the direct benefit of wildlife as well as people and cultures.

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Partnership

This project involves a partnership with the Penitentiary of New Mexico Minimum Restriction Unit to implement the education program and grow over 5,000 native plant plugs for restoration each year. A central goal is to partner with adults in custody as stakeholders to develop the program. We are grateful for the participants and staff members involved in the project who have made the program come alive.

Education

This project includes an education component, which provides an opportunity for adults in custody to develop new skills and knowledge while inside prison to prepare for re-entry into civic life. Participants are provided with hands-on experience growing native plants, bi-weekly horticulture lessons, and a monthly lecture series. Lecture topics are varied, encompassing wildlife and habitat management, desert ecology, horticulture techniques, pollinators, and plants as they relate to culture.

Fifteen incarcerated individuals have participated in the program to date and will receive certificates of completion, highlighting their botany and horticulture accomplishments. As professional skills are gained, the question of future relevant job opportunities remains. The program builds a strong basis in horticulture, ecology, and restoration that improves job eligibility in the conservation field and can assist with successful reintegration into society.

Production and Outplanting

Participants constructed a permanent hoop house in the spring to build nursery capacity. Subsequently, seeds from seven locally collected species were planted for future restoration outplanting. The BLM provided seeds collected by local Seeds of Success crews. Species included mountain mahogany, fourwing saltbush, winterfat, apache plume, redwhisker clammyweed, common sunflower, and upright prairie coneflower. Germination and viability data were collected in the first few months of nursery production. Annual forb species were successfully outplanted at a BLM visitor center and recreation area with the help of inmates and volunteers.

Future Goals

Our vision is to expand the project in future years by working with multiple prison facilities and growing nursery capacity. We plan to enhance the education component and partner with universities to improve access to accredited classes to work towards reducing recidivism. Engaging tribal populations more intentionally is another goal, which would include growing native species with cultural significance that can be outplanted on tribal lands, as well as public lands. This program is in its infancy, so there is potential for growth in many directions.

We are grateful to our partners with the BLM for their tireless dedication and visioning in developing this exciting project.

New Mexico Nature in Prisons Project