Wild at Heart No. 12 : IFC
RESTORING THE VISION John Horning he first time I saw a steel-jawed trap was in an old shed on a ranch in southern New Mexico. Though it was rusty and cobwebs filled its mouth where the blood of animals once flowed, there was no mistaking its identity from where it hung on the wall more than 20 feet away. I recall being immediately transported to a place within me of empathy and fear—empathy for the anguish and pain that countless animals likely once experienced, and fear for myself were I ever to encounter one of these cold, efficient devices during one of my many forays onto public lands. Unfortunately, trapping, snaring and poisons are still a hard fact of life across much of the American West, with a few significant exceptions. Many states and the federal government still allow trapping but none are quite as permissive as New Mexico, where nearly 25,000 bobcats have been killed in the last decade for their fur. We aim to change that, and bring an end to the cruel and anachronistic practice of trapping on public lands in New Mexico. We know that our road will be difficult, but we are certain that we have our sight set on the right institution: the New Mexico Legislature. We want the Legislature to permanently ban trapping and we won’t stop until we’re successful, even if it takes a decade or more. Please join W ild E arth G uardians ’ campaign to ban traps and help us create a more compassionate society—not only for one another, but for the fellow wild animals with whom we share the planet. T M ission s tateMent W ild e arth G uardians protects and restores the wildlife, wild places, and wild rivers of the American West. B oard of d ireCtors Robin Smith, P resident Peter Schoenburg, v iCe P resident Shannon Larsen, t reasurer Todd Ringler, s eCretary Mark Rickman Jess Alford Vanessa Scurci Mike Brown Jon Spar Nat Cobb Bill Syme Doug Erwin Stephanie Forrest s taff Whitney Bacon, it G uru Bryan Bird, MS, W ild P laCes P roGram d ireCtor Borge Hamso, i ntern Lori Colt, C ommuniCations d ireCtor Angelisa Espinoza, o ffiCe a dministrator Kevin Gaither-Banchoff, d eveloPment d ireCtor John Horning, e xeCutive d ireCtor Taylor Jones, e ndanGered s PeCies a dvoCate Wendy Keefover, MA, C arnivore P roteCtion d ireCtor Jim Matison, r estoration P rojeCts d ireCtor Jeremy Nichols, C limate & e nerGy P roGram d ireCtor Carol Norton, a ssoCiate d ireCtor Samantha Ruscavage-Barz, s taff a ttorney Mark Salvo, JD, W ildlife P roGram d ireCtor Jay Tutchton, G eneral C ounsel Ashley Wilmes, s taff a ttorney W ild e arth G uardians is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. s anta f e o ffiCe : 516 Alto Street Santa Fe, NM 87501 t el 505.988.9126 f ax 505.213.1895 d enver o ffiCe : 1536 Wynkoop Street Ste. 301 Denver, CO 80202 t el 303.573.4898 o ffiCes also in : Phoenix, Tucson, Boulder C ontriButinG e ditor , Zélie Pollon G raPhiC d esiGn , Janice St. Marie Like Us on Facebook GUARDIAN GIVERS Ray Rafiti and Jon Paul e are often inspired to protect and restore wild places and wildlife after first witnessing its beauty. So we are incredibly grateful to artists like Ray Rafiti and Jon Paul who capture and share with us their stunning images. Ray Rafiti is a long-time G uardian who supports us in so many ways. You have all seen his pictures in our e-communications and publications, and you maybe even have bid on one of his pictures at our annual Gala auctions. For Ray, “wildlife and outdoor photography is the opportunity to borrow nature’s moments on her time.” We feel so lucky to be the recipient of his artistic genius. Jon Paul first shared his photos with G uardians in this year’s annual report. We love the images, his kind generosity, and his intent to improve all of our lives. “The inherent environmental message in my work is obviously very important to me. However, the greatest impact my work has is in the enhancement of individuals’ daily lives. If people can look at one of my fine art landscape images … and enjoy a moment of healthy escape and a realign-ment of perspective, I have made an impact in this world.” Ray Rafiti Jon Paul COMFORTH W C over : Elroy Limmer 100 percent recycled, 50 percent PCW 2 CYNTHIA WATKINS
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