River Source

Get to know our River Source team better! We recently interviewed the exceptional Kathy Hillock, our Watershed Programs Coordinator. Read her engaging interview:

I’m originally from Philadelphia and moved to New Mexico in my 20s, so I’ve now spent half my life in each place. That means you’re just as likely to find me eating a soft pretzel or hoagie as a sopaipilla or bowl of posole! I’ve worked in conservation and education, and my husband and I have had the joy of raising our daughter — now studying at UNM — here in this beautiful state. I’m grateful for the warm-hearted community I’ve found, including here at River Source.

What has been your favorite moment with students or youth so far at River Source?
Last summer, River Source youth crews camped at Panchuela Campground near the Pecos Wilderness. Some played volleyball for hours, another had her first jam session around the fire with Rich and Las Vegas crew supervisor Louie Mares, and everyone shared meals and swim time at Pink Rock between rain showers, bog violet surveys, and campground maintenance.

The beauty of the work River Source and our partners do is serving as the connective tissue among people caring for, enjoying, and sharing the stories of the land.

If you could transport anyone, dead or alive, to witness the importance of environmental education, who would it be and why?
My dad was my number one environmental educator, despite being raised in a very urban landscape. He taught me to skip rocks on the Delaware River and fish in Barnegat Bay with a rod in one hand and a deli pickle in the other. He always encouraged curiosity about nature and animals.

His health kept him from traveling to New Mexico for several years before he passed away a year and a half ago, but he would have been thrilled to see these amazing young people monitoring and restoring the health of their watersheds. I inherited my curiosity from him, and he would have loved sitting beside a benthic macroinvertebrate sample, marveling at all the organisms. Intergenerational learning is a big part of the magic of this work.

If there is one lesson you hope students learn from River Source, what would it be?
Give yourself the gift of time to appreciate the quiet and notice how being in nature makes you feel. Embrace the knowledge of your teachers, loved ones, and elders about our land, rivers, and forests.

On a recent field trip to the Rio Grande at the Buckman Direct Diversion, I watched our colleague Carlos Herrera lead students in a word association exercise about how they felt by the river. The adults joined in too, and my word was “nostalgia” as I watched students skip rocks and thought of my dad teaching me to do the same. SF Indian School teacher Carlos Santistevan reminded students they were in the “OG classroom” and spoke about the many lessons it offers. It was a beautiful experience for students and adults alike.

If you were a New Mexico tree or plant, what would you be and why?
A female New Mexico privet! I love that it’s resilient, adaptable to many conditions, and can grow in thickets that provide windbreaks, shelter, and food for wildlife through its berries. It’s also one of the first shrubs I learned to identify after moving to New Mexico.

You’re invited to Después del Fuego (After the Fire), a free community event focused on wildfire resilience, restoration, and youth career pathways. This event will feature guest speakers, a panel discussion, hands-on demonstrations, and opportunities to connect with organizations working in natural resource conservation.

🗓️When: Saturday, May 16 from 1-5 PM
📍Where: Luna Community College, Las Vegas NM – Wildfire Resiliency Training Center

Attendees can also enjoy live music from SANJI, along with food and giveaways!

Join us as we bring the community together to learn, share, and build a more resilient future.🌲

Students at the Native American Community Academy engage in our newest addition to our technological lineup - a digital simulation table! Here students are modeling the Sandia Mountains to run a mock-up simulation of how flash floods and forest fires move in watersheds! Thanks to Stephen Guerin for supporting this work. 🌲

Caring for What Sustains Us - https://mailchi.mp/riversource/caring-for-what-sustains-us-14182598