For recruitment, an announcement was sent to the New Mexico Department of Labor in Socorro, NM. Gloria Gutierrez-Anaya, employee at the Department of Labor

        randomly selected one enrollee. A former Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) enrollee was invited back as a Youth Leader. The YCC was supervised by Refuge Manager Terry Tadano with assistance from Administrative Tech Virginia Alguire, Deputy Manager Dennis Prichard and Bio Tech Robert Campbell. Volunteer Tom Butler also assisted with supervision of enrollees. Environmental awareness training was given by Gina Dello Russo of Bosque del Apache NWR, Maggie Dwire of the USFWS Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program, Professor Andrew Campbell of New Mexico Tech, John Dewitt and Doug Moore of the University of NM Long Term Ecological Research Center, employees from the National Park Service at the Salinas Pueblo Missions and Archeologist Dave Siegal from the USFWS. Much of the Environmental Education (EE) training was located on or near the Sevilleta NWR and was often combined with work projects. Several species of wildlife were spotted and an owl was rescued from a wire fence. A hike to the Piro Indian Pueblo Ruins by FWS Archeologist Dave Siegel was the first EE experience, and the first up close look at a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake along the trail! Pictographs were seen at the site and Mr. Siegel speculated on why the Piro’s left, how they apparently lived and what purpose the pictographs were used for. In addition to the Piro site, the Enrollees along with Bio-Tech Robert Campbell were fortunate enough to visit all three of the Salinas Pueblo Missions on different occasions. In addition to environmental awareness these tours heightened awareness of the history of the area and cultural preservation. The two enrollees and Bio-Tech Robert Campbell were invited to participate in a pup capture for the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program. And the final EE tour was a geological field trip led by Andrew Campbell of the New Mexico Tech. The primary benefits of our YCC program this year were 10 miles of boundary fence was posted/signed, improvements to the 1 mile nature trail, seven picnic tables were assembled, assistance with installation of four gates, and many other miscellaneous projects around the Visitor Center, UNM Facilities and field projects.