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Schedule of Events
& Registration Form Monday 15 August (Morning—9:00-12:00) Birding at Post Park (inclusive with registration) The Post Park is a major site of surface water for the Marathon area, and a prime birding location. Join local birding expert Jim Hines, who will be your guide at this beautiful site, located just five miles south of Marathon. “Living in Paper” Papercrete Workshop
($75.00 per person) Housetop Ranch Eco-tour ($50.00 per person) (9:00-1:30)See a wild buffalo herd, restored to the southern end of their historic natural range by ranch owner Mike Bruce. Transportation from Marathon provided within fee. Because of the length of time this excursion will require, box lunches will be provided at an extra nominal cost. Monday 15th August (Afternoon—2:00-6:00) The Natural Environment Welcome to the Chihuauhan Desert (keynote) The more than 800,000-acre Big Bend National Park encompasses mountain, river and desert ecosystems, and is one of the best-preserved examples of the Chihuauhan Desert in North America. Superintendent King will describe the genesis of the conservation movement as it relates to natural resource protection and preservation; the role of the NPS in natural resources preservation; the importance of natural resource protection to our way of life, economy, cultural life ways, and human psyche Maderas el Carmen Billy Pat McKinney, Co-director, El Carmen Reserve (Mexico) Monterrey-based CEMEX, one of the largest cement companies in the world, has created a biological reserve— the 136,000-acre El Carmen eco-region— in the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico alongside Big Bend National Park. Learn how, as part of this reserve, CEMEX is pursuing a comprehensive wildlife management plan that includes the largest breeding facilities in the world for the Desert Bighorn sheep, an endangered species, as well as other initiatives. Restoring Riparian Health Melissa Keane, associate director, The Rio Grande Institute (Marathon, TX) The stretch of the Rio Grande between Fort Quitman, east of El Paso, and Amistad Reservoir has been hard hit by infestation of an exotic plant called salt cedar, which eradicates native vegetation and dramatically depletes the water flow of the Rio Grande. Salt cedar control has therefore become a focus of attention for regional water planners and environmental advocates. Learn about experimental salt cedar eradication projects in Boquillas and Colorado canyons which were initiated by the Marathon-based Rio Grande Institute.
Building Inside Nature’s Envelope Desert Water Conservation Cathryn Hoyt, director, Chihuauhan Desert Research Institute (Ft. Davis, TX) Sustainable water use in a desert environment is a key to human and economic survival at every level. Learn about the work of the Chihuauhan Desert Research Institute and its demonstration projects in the area of water conservation. Panel Discussion—“What does the land need from
us?” Monday 15th August (Evening—8.00) Trapped in the Lower Canyons! E. Dan Klepper, author (Marathon, TX) Dan Klepper writes and publishes stories on the outdoors, adventure sports, cultural history, and the arts. Among his awards are the Gold award for travel writing from the International Regional Magazine Association, and the Texas Outdoor Writers Association Excellence in Craft Award. His latest book, Spirit Walker ~ JD Challenger and His Art (Tidemark Press), is due in bookstores this August. Klepper will share the story of a recent 7-day adventure on the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River while researching a story for the July “water” issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine. Tuesday 16 August (morning—9:00-12:00) Birding at Post Park (inclusive with
registration) “Living in Paper” Papercrete Workshop ($75.00 per person)Join Barry Fuller, project research manager of paper block testing procedures at Arizona State University Fulton School of Engineering Research, and Clyde T. Curry, of Marathon’s Eve’s Garden B&B and Ecology Resource Center, to learn about their work rebuilding small-town America for a sustainable future. Proceeds of this workshop will benefit the resource library at Eve’s Garden. A complimentary brunch buffet will be available. For more information call 432/386-4165 or visit www.evesgarden.org. Johnson Ranch Eco-tour (9:00-1:30) ($50.00 per person) Once part of the Combs family’s extensive land holdings, the Johnson Ranch offers breathtaking vistas of the land surrounding Santiago Peak, Indian camps, examples of Chihuahuan wildlife and plant life, and miles of remote dirt roads . Learn about cattle ranching, water systems, and wildlife management. Your host will be Mike Johnson, one of the most knowledgeable, colorful, and engaging characters in these parts. Transportation from Marathon provided within fee. Because of the length of time this excursion will require, box lunches will be provided at an extra nominal cost. Tuesday 16th August (Afternoon—2:00-6:00) The Built Environment
The Landscaping Revolution
(keynote) The Adobe Solution Simone Swan, principal, The Adobe Alliance (Presidio, TX) For the past 16 years, Simone Swan has been on a crusade to promote adobe. Over the years, she has established a foundation to teach construction techniques, built a demonstration house in Ojinaja, and appealed to governments and lenders to fund housing programs for the poor. She is the 2005 winner of the Adobe Association of the Southwest’s annual award. She will describe her efforts to build low-cost energy efficient housing that is climatically and environmentally appropriate, and to fill widespread needs for sustainable, salubrious housing while enhancing the unique landscape of the Big Bend region of West Texas and other desert environments.
Living in Paper Nature’s Design Dennis Dollens’s work focuses on the “biomimetic” extraction of forms and structures from nature, which are then translated into digital software for architectural and industrial design development. He has taught in the Genetic Architectures program at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (Barcelona). His most recent books are Simone Swan: Adobe Building and Digital-Botanic Architecture (2005). In this presentation, he will describe his approach to architectural and sculptural design (with a particular focus on adobe) and how it creates a new relationship between people and the environment. Off the Grid Ted Peters, resident West Texas is known as a land of rugged individualists, and there is possibly no better—or inspiring—example of rugged individualism than Ted Peters and his family. After moving here and purchasing land about 25 miles south of Marathon, Ted, his wife Peggy, and two daughters built a self-sufficient adobe home with their own hands and labor using on-site materials and an uncommon amount of resourcefulness and creativity. They have lived there comfortably, generating their own power, successfully home-schooling their daughters, completely “off the grid.” “Green” Standards for Everyday Buildings Lisa Drew-Alton, principal, Drew-Alton Architects (Springfield, MO) An architect with 26 years’ experience who got her professional start in Houston, Ms. Drew-Alton regularly assists public- and private-sector facility planners in the review of “Green” and “Sustainable” design strategies for projects utilizing mainstream construction techniques and materials. She provides assessments and documentation for projects wishing to attain accreditation through the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating System. She will share her practical approach to establishing design strategies which protect the environment. Panel Discussion—“Ecologically Sustainable
Design—Finding Common Ground” Tuesday 16th August (Evening—8.00) Welcome to Marathon! Travis Roberts, chairman, Marathon History Museum As a member of a longtime area ranching family, Travis Roberts has been a witness to much of Marathon’s history and tradition of people’s struggle to survive on this rugged land. Learn the story behind Marathon’s friendly and close-knit community.
Wednesday 17th August (Morning—9:00-12:00) Birding at Post Park (inclusive with registration) The Post Park is a major site of surface water for the Marathon area, and a prime birding location. Join local birding expert Jim Hines, who will be your guide at this beautiful site, located just five miles south of Marathon. “Living in Paper” Papercrete Workshop ($75.00 per person)Join Barry Fuller, project research manager of paper block testing procedures at Arizona State University Fulton School of Engineering Research, and Clyde T. Curry, of Marathon’s Eve’s Garden B&B and Ecology Resource Center, to learn about their work rebuilding small-town America for a sustainable future. Proceeds of this workshop will benefit the resource library at Eve’s Garden. A complimentary brunch buffet will be available. For more information call 432/386-4165 or visit www.evesgarden.org. Randolph Ranch Eco-tour (9:00-1:30) ($50.00 per person) Visit the Randolph Ranch, once part of the Combs Cattle Company until it went to the Savory Method of range management in 1983. The Savory system is an holistic (and controversial) philosophy predicated on the idea that, to be healthy, rangelands need to be high-intensively grazed for short periods of times, and that domestic livestock can be a means to land reclamation and biological revitalization. Ranch owner Robert Randolph will explain his Savory-inspired practices for range improvement which have resulted in an economically sustainable and profitable operation. Transportation from Marathon provided within fee. Because of the length of time this excursion will require, box lunches will be provided at an extra nominal cost. Wednesday 17th August (Afternoon—2:00-6:00) Sustainable Economic Development Rural Economic Development (keynote)
Mr. Wood oversees the Texas Department of Agriculture’s new Rural Economic Development Division and, as such, assists agricultural and non-agricultural businesses with needs such as business planning, education, and financing. His division administers the Texas Capital Fund and works with communities to enhance their economic development efforts through TDA’s new Texas Yes! program. Mr. Wood will describe some of the most significant trends in how ranchers, businesses, and entrepreneurs are improving the economy of the Transpecos region. An Endowment for Sustainable Economic Development Dan Dailey, principal consultant, Pro Bono, Inc. (Marathon, TX) West Texas has extraordinary natural assets that are currently endangered by inappropriate development pressures fueled, in part, by the difficulty that many citizens face in surviving economically and a lack of viable alternatives. Mr. Dailey will present recent findings developed through a white paper he produced for a community planning process initiated by the National Park Service among its “gateway communities.” He will also provide a preview of a strategy for sustainable economic development which is being developed in partnership with area land owners, community and business leaders, academics, and major Texas foundations, calling for the creation of an endowment to serve as a catalyst for desired planned change. Heritage Tourism Stephen Mbutu, associate director, Center for Big Bend Studies at Sul Ross State University (Alpine, TX) With over 350,000 people visiting Big Bend each year, tourism is currently the base of the Big Bend region’s economy. How can this base be strengthened and grown by optimizing more of the region’s diverse assets? Dr. Mbutu will share recent work by the Center for Big Bend Studies into the promise of “heritage tourism” as an integrating strategy for economic growth and efficiency. “Clean” Industry for the Big Bend Bobby Duncan, president, “embroideryco.com” (Marfa, TX) A few years ago, former financial services executive Bobby Duncan decided to leave the big city and relocate to the Big Bend where his heart guided him. He has since become a shining example of how the entrepreneurial spirit can transform the economy of the region without endangering our valued natural, cultural, or social resources. Mr. Duncan will describe how his embroidered sportswear business is growing into a productive and successful employer—as well as an example of what a “can-do” attitude can create. A Worldwide Environmental Commitment George Ross, director of training, Forever Resorts (Scottsdale, AZ) The Forever Resorts family of companies owns and operates more than 55 unique vacation and entertainment properties located in or near recreation areas, national forests, and national parks (including Big Bend National Park) in the United States, as well as more than 20 properties in Europe and Africa. Wherever it does business, the company is committed to exceeding all applicable environmental, health, and safety standards and has, in fact, shown through its experience that it is good business to do so. Mr. Ross will illustrate the company’s environmental commitment in Forever Resorts’ worldwide operations. Panel Discussion—“Sustainable Economic
Development—What Matters?” Wednesday 17th August (Evening—7:30) Presentation & Banquet On the Wing ($30.00 per person) Alan Tennant, nature writer (Marathon, TX) When Alan Tennant is not flying around the country promoting his popular books or receiving awards for them, one can find him in his “nest” in Marathon. His latest book, On the Wing: To The Edge Of the Earth With The Peregrine Falcon (Simon & Schuster), is not really a bird book at all, but a romantic adventure that has been bought for a feature film by Robert Redford, in partnership with Sunflower Films, and National Geographic Feature Films. Hear about Mr. Tennant’s extraordinary adventure following a falcon that took him and pilot George Vose to the Arctic, then back to Central America and the Caribbean—and now soon, to Hollywood. This presentation is accompanied with a banquet meal which does require purchase.
Click here for local accommodation options
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