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Santa Fe National Historic Trail Fall 2023 Newsletter

Read the latest project updates and completions from the National Trails Office of the National Park Service (NPS).

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Portrait of a man with dark brown hair, a beard and mustache.
Meet Nick Myers, NTIR Historian.

Photo/N.Myers

National Trails Welcomes New Staff


Nicholas Myers is the newest member of the history team at the National Trails Office (NTIR). He earned a PhD from Cornell University, where he studied the history of Latin America and the U.S. West, and has held research positions at Harvard University and Southern Methodist University. Nick will work closely with partner organizations and the teams at NTIR to collect, interpret, and refine data on the history of our national trails. Currently living in Santa Fe with his family and his two dogs, Nick is an avid skier and climber.

NTIR has a new Administrative Support Assistant, Erica Chavez. Mrs. Chavez was born and raised in the tiny village of Willard, New Mexico. After completing high school in Estancia, she made a life-changing decision to join the Army, where she proudly served for 8 years on active duty. Erica and her husband lived overseas for many years during their time with the Army and she returned to New Mexico to join the NPS in August. Professionally, Erica began her journey as a medic in the Army, later transitioned into the role of a physical therapy assistant, both in the Army and as a civilian. Later she explored the administrative side of healthcare, and she is currently working on her master's degree in human resource management.

A person in a sweatshirt and jeans stands next to a waterfall.
Meet Cassidy Renninger, New American Conservation Experience Fellow.

Photo/Cassidy Renninger

New American Conservation Experience Fellow

Cassidy Renninger started her year-long GIS Fellowship with the office on July 24th. She will be assisting the Resource Information Management (RIM) Team with various mapping/data management projects, with a particular focus on National Historic Trail (NHT) recreational/retracement trail spatial data compiling, field data collection, and map production. This project will help direct the public to these special recreational trails for the Santa Fe National Historic Trail NHT.


Staff Updates

Aaron Mahr continues in his detail at Chamizal National Memorial as Acting Superintendent, while Carole Wendler serves as NTIR Acting Superintendent and Cory Donnelly as Acting Deputy Superintendent.

An intterpretive exhibit with full audio description available.
Full Audio Description of this exhibit is available at go.nps.gov/autographrock.

NPS Image

Autograph Rock

An updated wayside and base have been fabricated and delivered to the Autograph Rock site in Oklahoma. The panel is bilingual [English-Spanish], Audio Described, and contains a new primary image aimed at bringing the trail scene to life. [AD at go.nps.gov/AutographRock]

A screenshot of a GIS map that is displaying recreation spots along a line reprensenting the trail.
This map depicts the Santa Fe Trail with stars representing different types of opportunities at locations along the trail.

NPS Image

New Visitor Use Experience Web Maps


The new Visitor Use Experience Web Maps are complete and almost ready to be posted on the websites! These applications complement the NPS App, and help share a fuller expanse of recreational opportunities along the NHTs. Links from the Santa Fe NHT website will be added in the near future. These web mapping applications can also be embedded within other websites like the association website.

Signage Updates

  • Replacement site identification signs were ordered for the Chavez Murder Site/Jarvis Creek Crossing site and Barton County Historical Society Museum this year.

The D&D and Interpretive Team traveled to Kansas in March 2023 for a series of site and partnership visits, which included meetings with:

  • Fort Larned Historic Park to discuss partnering together on creating a site plan and interpretive media for the Santa Fe NHT satellite site. Joanne Van Covern joined us for this meeting and site visit.

  • Kansas State Parks to meet about the Raise Grant they received to develop a portion of the Flint Hills State Park Trail that aligns directly with the historic route of the Santa Fe NHT. NTIR plans to work with them in the future on signage and interpretive media for the NHT to place along this new stretch of retracement trail.

Two park rangers stand behind a desk, holding up their hands as a child's back is to the camera with their hand up.
Park Rangers and a new junior ranger!

NPS Photo

History/Partnerships and Outreach Coordination

On August 8, 2023, NTIR staff conducted a Santa Fe Trail Junior Ranger Activity at the Citizens' Committee for Historic Preservation Culture and Heritage Center in Las Vegas, New Mexico. This event was part of their 15th annual Heritage Week.

A path winds next to an adobe, one-story buidling.

NPS Photo

On May 17, 2023, NTIR staff and Santa Fe Trail Association (SFTA) members traveled to San Miguel del Vado [Bado], New Mexico, an important historic community located on a crossing of the Pecos River along the Santa Fe Trail. Members of the San Miguel del Bado land grant association gave a tour of the historic buildings associated with the Santa Fe Trail. NTIR and SFTA will be working with the community on trail signage and interpretation.

Virtual Trail Stories & Experiences

Have you been following the trails on social media? You may have noticed an increase in articles, virtual visits, and virtual kids' activities. People can't travel to experience the trails in person, so NTIR has been working to bring the trails to your house. You can check out recent and past articles, become a junior ranger, take virtual visits to learn more about trail sites, and more - click the links below!

Highlights

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    Last updated: September 21, 2023