Hello all,

 

I want to remind everyone about the Volunteer Appreciation Event on October 21, 2022. Please RSVP by clicking the following this link if you have not done so already. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. If you have responded to me or have already RVSP through the link please disregard.

 

Thank you,

 

Antonio S. Garcia

 

 

 

 

 

We hope you and a +1 can join the Sandia District Staff in celebrating the amazing contributions you have made as volunteers this past year! 

 

• When: October 21, 2022 2:00pm – 4:30pm - 2:00pm appetizers and refreshments will be served, ceremony begins at 2:30

 

• Where: Oak Flats, Locust Picnic Area

 

• Directions: South on HWY# 337, east at Oak Flat Picnic Area sign then follow road approximately 1/2 mile to entrance on left, then follow signs to Locust Picnic Area

 

• Please RSVP by October 6^th by following this link

 

We are pleased to be able to offer an optional guided Forest Therapy walk with host Daisy Morgan at noon. Please RSVP at this link to reserve a limited spot in this unique nature experience!

 

Forest Therapy, inspired by the Japanese practice of “shinrin yoku” or “Forest Bathing” supports wholeness and wellbeing of self, community, and our planet. In 2012, The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) was founded by M. Amos Clifford, which standardized the current practice of Nature and Forest Therapy Walks and the program has trained and certified more than 2000 guides around the world. Nature and Forest Therapy Walks support health and wellbeing and can improve sleep, relaxation, ability to focus, lowering of stress hormones, allowing the parasympathetic nervous system to “rest and digest,” aid in burnout, improve sensory awareness, deepening connection to the land, deepening connection to each other, and boosting our immunity through increasing “Natural Killer (NK)” cells, a special relationship between humans and trees.

 

Daisy Morgan is a first-generation college graduate and first-generation scientist. Daisy has spent more than twenty years with New Mexico youth in place-based outdoor learning, environmental education, and supporting the growth of the next generations of stewards. She has taught civics, science, and writing at local non-profits, and city, state, and federal governments, and is currently the Southwestern Regional Volunteer and Service (youth) Program Manager for the USDA Forest Service. Daisy has always been fascinated by the interconnectedness of beings throughout time and space and recently, she deepened her own relationship to interbeing through becoming a Certified Forest Therapy Guide in 2021. She hopes to continue offering place-based opportunities for connecting communities to the land and each other, deepening relationships, exploring the interdependence of forest and human health, and helping restore and revitalize biodiversity through Nature and Forest Therapy.

 

The walk will be slow paced and will not cover a great distance. Please bring anything to aid in comfort outdoors. 

 

 

If you are a group lead please send this out to all your volunteers. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me.

 

Thank you,

 

Antonio S. Garcia

 

 

Antonio S. Garcia (he/him/his - why this matters) VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR & ASSISTANT RECREATION PROGRAM MANAGER Forest Service CIBOLA NATIONAL FOREST & NATIONAL GRASSLANDS, SANDIA RANGER DISTRICT p: 505-281-3304 x5128 c: 505-206-9423 f: 505-281-1176 antonio.s.garcia@usda.gov 11776 Highway 337 Tijeras, NM 87059 www.fs.fed.us Caring for the land and serving people