GEM CORPS
  • Home
  • About
    • Board of Directors and Officers
    • Meet our GEM Corps Team
    • Philanthropy
    • Contract Work
    • Our Sponsors
    • Contact
  • Apply Today!
    • GEM Corps Job Board
    • GEM Corps positions >
      • 1100 NM AML GIS Analyst
      • 1103 NM AML Technician
      • 1104 NM AML RHT Geographer's Assistant
      • 1105 NM AML QT Geographer's Assistant
      • 1106 NM Campus Ambassador
    • Volunteer Board Member Positions >
      • Board Member
      • Board Member - Advisory
      • Director of Scholarship
      • Board Officer - Treasurer
      • Board Officer - Secretary
  • Our Programs
    • GEM Corps
    • Field Experience
  • Blog
  • Outreach
    • Events
    • Community Displays >
      • Women in STEM
      • Erupt Your Career in Volcanology
  • Donate
    • Make A Donation
    • Show Your Supppot
    • Wish List
  • Charity Rocks Gallery
  • Public Documents

Blog

Annette's Adventures!

12/3/2021

Comments

 
Picture
Welcome back to Annette's Adventures! While Annette has been on time and active with her adventures, I (Marlena- the editor) have been backed up and behind and I formally apologize for the delay! Without further ado, here is Annette's October Adventure...
Picture
Hello adventurers! Welcome to Annette’s Adventures.
 
I spent most of this last spring monitoring the Cerrillos Hills; I’ve tried not to bore you with all the details, but it is, by far, my favorite place to work. You can read about my introduction to Cerrillos Hills and AML monitoring in my blog from March.
 
 Today I am going to take you back to Cerrillos Hills with the summer intern crew. GEM Corps arranged for the interns to meet with AML Administrators from State and Federal agencies in the Cerrillos Hills, for a walking-talking tour of mine closures.
 
Our day started at the State Park Headquarters in the village of Cerrillos. We met with the administrators and listened while they gave the group some background on Abandoned Mine Lands and the mine closure efforts in the Cerrillos Hills. From there, we went to a trailhead and walked to some closures in the state park. We started with one closure: an old mine shaft covered with wire mesh and a bridge that allows you to safely walk over the mine shaft. We talked about the anatomy of the mesh closures and the engineering behind them. Then we talked about what type of degradation to look for when monitoring closures. We walked to a second nearby closure, where we looked at how the mesh is anchored into the ground and looked for signs of degradation.
​From those two closures, we walked back to our vehicles and drove to some harder-to-access closures. We visited some “puff closures,” backfills, and the second type of mesh closure. The administrators explained the engineering that goes into the different closures and the typical kinds of degradation at each closure type. They also told us some stories from their learning experiences in implementing the different types of closures. 
 
The AML Administrators finished the tour by taking us to some of the oldest mine features in the area. We visited the Mina Del Tiro and Bethsheba mines on our way to the oldest known turquoise “pit” in the area, Mount Chalchihuitl (CHAL CHEE WEE TE). Mina Del Tiro is known as the oldest recorded metal mine in North America. Bethsheba’s claim to fame is that it is the most studied lead mine in North America. Both mines are remarkable for their age, depth, and history.
Picture
​Of all the stops in the tour, Chalcihuitl was the only feature that I had not previously monitored. As such was a special surprise for me. My first impression of the diggings at Chalchihuitl was one of awe and reverence. For me, it was a humbling experience, the idea that this space was held in reverence for thousands of years and countless generations. I noticed that voices were a bit hushed, eyes were wide open, everyone stood around taking in the atmosphere. Our trip to the Cerrillos Hills didn’t last long. Still, the experience will last a lifetime. I’ll be working in the area this winter and look forward to exploring Chalchihuitl and the surrounding area more. Til next time, my friends and followers….
Comments

    Categories

    All
    Annette's Adventures
    Black History Month
    Events
    Explore STEM
    Field Program
    Internships
    Keep America Beautiful Month
    News
    Philanthropy
    Scholarships
    Scholarship Success Spotlight
    Science Stories
    Team Spotlight
    Women's History Month


    Archives

    June 2024
    March 2024
    January 2024
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018


    RSS Feed

G.E.M. Environmental NFP
Geology  -  Engineering  -  Minerals  -  Environmental - Not for Profit
Picture

Community Partners

Programs

Field Program
Internships
Scholarships

Get Involved

Contact
Donate
Philanthropy
Sponsorship
Volunteer

About

Public Reports
Blog
Mission
Our Team
Sponsors

Follow Us

Facebook
Instagram
Newsletter
Twitter
You Tube

Sponsors & Donors

© COPYRIGHT 2017 - 2023.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  G.E.M. Environmental NFP
GEM Environmental, GEM4STEM, GEM Corps, and Charity Rocks are all Registered Trademarks of G.E.M. Environmental NFP.
Any and all use of Trademarks or Copyrights must be authorized.

Picture
Picture

Our New Mexico AML Inventory Team is proudly paid for in partnership through funding from
NM YCC and the
NM EMNRD AML Program.

Picture
Picture

  • Home
  • About
    • Board of Directors and Officers
    • Meet our GEM Corps Team
    • Philanthropy
    • Contract Work
    • Our Sponsors
    • Contact
  • Apply Today!
    • GEM Corps Job Board
    • GEM Corps positions >
      • 1100 NM AML GIS Analyst
      • 1103 NM AML Technician
      • 1104 NM AML RHT Geographer's Assistant
      • 1105 NM AML QT Geographer's Assistant
      • 1106 NM Campus Ambassador
    • Volunteer Board Member Positions >
      • Board Member
      • Board Member - Advisory
      • Director of Scholarship
      • Board Officer - Treasurer
      • Board Officer - Secretary
  • Our Programs
    • GEM Corps
    • Field Experience
  • Blog
  • Outreach
    • Events
    • Community Displays >
      • Women in STEM
      • Erupt Your Career in Volcanology
  • Donate
    • Make A Donation
    • Show Your Supppot
    • Wish List
  • Charity Rocks Gallery
  • Public Documents