Event Details

Watch history come alive in these monthly programs. Watch a flag raising Ceremony at 10 a.m., take a ranger-guided tour of an area of the site at 11 a.m., and listen to guest speaker Mary Lavin give a presentation about fire ecology, wildfire prevention, reducing wildfire risk, and becoming a Fire-Adapted Community at 1 p.m. in the chapel.

At the lecture, Mary Lavin will discuss how fire has historically been a part of southwest forest ecosystems and how many species, like ponderosa pine, are adapted to frequent, low-moderate intensity wildfires. But overstocked forests coupled with a hundred years of fire exclusion have changed the landscape and its relationship with fire. Prolonged periods of drought and warmer, drier climates have made forests more susceptible to drought stress and insect and disease infestation. These factors combined with a buildup of hazardous fuels and overstocked forests have created an increased risk of catastrophic wildfires.

Mary Lavin is the Manager of the Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan New Mexico. A graduate of the Northern Arizona University forestry program, she began her career on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and now works for NM Forestry Division. She found her niche in environmental education where a love for the outdoors and a passion for natural resource management met with a desire to help people understand why both matter.

Admission to the site and activities is $7 for adults. Admission is free to children 16 and younger, NM disabled veterans, NM foster families, Fort Stanton, Inc. members, and MNMF members.