News
Stopping the embers
The fires that burned hundreds of homes around Los Angeles recently were yet another stark reminder that wildfire risks driven by drought and wind are increasing. Nothing can guarantee a home will survive a massive wildfire in high winds. But fire research has shown several factors can dramatically improve a home’s chances of surviving. Photos […]
NMFWRI turns 20
NMFWRI staff at Luna Community College’s Wildfire Resiliency Training Center simulation lab. By Alan W. Barton, Director As we begin 2025, NMFWRI is proud to announce that we are entering our 20th year of working with New Mexicans to promote effective adaptive management of our state’s forests, and to carry out our mission of […]
Learning from Experience
By Dr. Alan Barton Resiliency. This is a concept that we invoke frequently in our work at the New Mexico Forest & Watershed Restoration Institute. Resiliency goes hand-in-hand with restoration—to a large degree, restoring ecosystems means finding ways to build greater resiliency into their functioning. Resilient systems are built on adaptability, which provides the ability […]
Want to learn about New Mexico Plants?
Plants are an integral part of the world around us. We’ve gathered a collection of resources for identification and care of the plants, trees, and grasses of New Mexico.
Fire history in the Four Corners
Wildfires in the Four Corners have grown larger in the last couple of decades. NMFWRI’s Dana Heusinkveld created this timeline of wildfires in the region encompassing New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.
To see fires that are currently burning in New Mexico along with historic fire info in the NM Fire Viewer, click the button below.
Restoration
The New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute provides technical assistance and practical knowledge in forest and woodland restoration to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire and restore healthy and sustainable forested ecosystems and restoration-based economies.
GIS/Mapping
NMFWRI represents the state’s only dedicated capability for supporting the spatial data analysis needs of external stakeholders in the natural resources sector, as well as the GIS/GPS capacity for Highlands University and for most of northern New Mexico.
Monitoring
Restoration based monitoring of New Mexico's forest and riparian ecosystems is integral to NMFWRI's mission.
Collaboration
The New Mexico Forest & Watershed Restoration Institute supports natural-resource-based collaboration by assisting communities to form collaborative organizations and build the capacity to work together to solve problems and restore natural habitats.