Projects we’re working on

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Big Bend River Rangers

Big Bend River Ranger program engages students in the environment, outdoor activities, and help preserve natural resources for future generations. Students hear from guest speakers about environmental science and take field trips to monitor the water quality of the Rio Grande.

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Big Bend Bird Conservation and Culture Fellow

Dr. Koyana Nakaya Flotte will work with Big Bend Conservation Alliance, American Bird Conservancy, and Rio Grande Joint Venture to center Indigenous voices, stories, and language in the long-term objective of creating avian sanctuaries in culturally significant sites within the Chihuahuan Desert.

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Reclaim Buffalo Rock

Help us ask Presidio County and TxDOT to honor the original name of this landmark. Cibolo, the Spanish word for buffalo, is a term that spans all possible dimensions of Presidio County's identity—”Cibolo Rock” is a place name that will honor the Indigenous peoples and the cibolo herds of La Junta. 

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Vertical Farming for Big Bend Classrooms

Students in Alpine, Fort Davis, Marfa, Presidio, and Terlingua are learning about indoor hydroponic gardening using the “Flex Farm,” a stand-alone vertical farm from Fork Farms.

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Supporting Cementerio del Barrio de los Lipanes

A project in partnership with the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, to protect this sacred burial ground, have the land given back to the Tribe, and to obtain the first Tribally-authored historical marker in the state of Texas. The project to protect the site prevents erosion of the burial mound, creates space for reflection, and teaches about the area’s Indigenous history.

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Light Justice in the Big Bend

The Big Bend has some of the darkest night skies in the world, but light in the region’s towns closely mirrors what we see in larger cities—light pollution is unevenly distributed among communities of color and lower income residents. 

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Shorthorn Light Swap Challenge

Students at Marfa High School participated in a month-long challenge to help preserve the night skies by connecting residents to Big Bend Conservation Alliance’s lighting incentive program.

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Meet the Jumano Nation at Marfa Lights Festival

Big Bend Conservation Alliance in partnership with Jumano Nation of Texas attend the annual Marfa Lights Festival to facilitate dialogue about Jumano history, culture, and family connections. 

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Presidio Planters

Small gardens in public spaces and Presidio schools along with workshops to engage students, families, and elders in planting and growing in La Junta de los Rios.

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Lights Out Texas

Big Bend Conservation Alliance is the regional coordinator for Lights Out Texas, a state-wide initiative that asks Texans to dim non-essential lights to support fall and spring birds during their migration. Pickup a Bird Care Package at area libraries.

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Tree Equity in the Big Bend

Trees make for a healthier environment—one that absorbs pollution and lowers temperatures. The program takes the concept of Tree Equity—an area having enough trees so that everyone can experience the health, climate and economic benefits—and applies it to the rural towns of Far West Texas.

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BBCA Moving Toward a More Equitable Future

Big Bend Conservation Alliance is working with intentionality to become a more equitable organization and leads by sharing power with communities in the Big Bend. Joining the board are Sophia Hernandez, Roberto Lujan, Aimee Roberson, and Oscar Rodriguez.

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Serious Starlight

Big Bend Conservation Alliance’s Serious Starlight program assists homeowners and municipalities in the region that wish to opt-in to night-sky-friendly lighting with fixtures that point light down at the ground rather than up into the sky.

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30 Acres: Marfa Grasslands - Community Planning Phase

Big Bend Conservation Alliance partnered with the Judd Foundation in the first year of the project to coordinate community feedback through a series of focus groups and to raise funds for the planning process, conservation easement, and educational signage that includes Indigenous perspective.

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At Night: Tri-County Education Program

High school students throughout the region participated in this program making connections to the night sky using their cell phones to capture low-light photography.

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