News
Reflections from the NM Workforce Pathways Exchange
By Crystal Medina,NMFWRI Collaboration Program Manager In November 2025, I attended the Workforce Pathways Exchange, hosted by Coalitions and Collaboratives (COCO) and facilitated by PowerCorpsPHL. The gathering brought together employers and workforce partners from across the state to share experiences, challenges, and ideas for strengthening natural resource career pathways. It was designed to support a resilient workforce […]
NMFWRI Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary
By Dr. Alan Barton,NMFWRI Director Over the past year, the staff at NMFWRI has been celebrating our 20th anniversary. After Congress created the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes in 2004, the States of New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona signed a charter that established institutes in each state in 2005. New Mexico Highlands University was chosen […]
Fungi, Fungus Eaters and Forests
By Emily Yannayon, NMFWRI Ecological Monitoring Specialist Some plants have no chlorophyll – the pigment essential for photosynthesis. They are achlorophyllous. Without this pigment, how do these plants procure energy and nutrients? Many achlorophyllous plants are parasites of the mycorrhizal fungi associated with trees. This is known as mycoheterotrophy – the “fungus […]
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.