By Miriam Rodriguez

Public Affairs Specialist

The White Sands Missile Range community came out to the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail ribbon cutting ceremony June 1 to relaunch the nature trail outside the WSMR Museum. The nature trail was restored with the help of volunteers and community partners as part of Brooklyn Collins’ Gold Award Project. She is part of Girl Scout Troop 545.

Ribbon cutting to relaunch desert trail

The White Sands Missile Range community came out to the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail ribbon cutting ceremony June 1 to relaunch the nature trail outside the WSMR Museum.

The nature trail was restored with the help of volunteers and community partners as part of Brooklyn Collins’ Gold Award Project. She is part of Girl Scout Troop 545.

In her project proposal package, Collins said her goal was to open the trail to the new generation by introducing a modern touch to it using QR codes, which take you to a website she created. The website curates a virtual nature trail using the QR code that shows the hiker a description of what they are seeing.

“I wanted to give inspiration and give the community an opportunity to really understand our surroundings and appreciate what we have here,” Collins said.

During the ceremony Collins thanked her parents, and all the volunteers and community members who helped restore the trail. She thanked the members of the WSMR Fire Department, Troop Leader Carolina Winnegan, and several other volunteers. She also thanked Jim Bowman, with the WSMR Directorate of Public Works, who advised Collins on her project.

WSMR Executive Director Robert Stone presented Collins with a command coin for her work, dedication, and leadership.

WSMR Fire Chief Carlos Soto Jr. presented Collins with the H.E.A.R.T. award for her work, which stands for honor, ethics, accountability, responsibility, and trustworthiness.

“She demonstrated a huge responsibility in taking on this project and in doing so beautified this place and is leaving it better than she found it,” Soto said.

The trail, which was created and maintained by volunteers in the past, needed restoration. The Directorate of Public Works – Environmental Office, the Integrated Training Area Management Program/Environmental Awareness Program, and the Nature Conservancy collaborated on the development of the nature trail. In 2003, the National Public Lands submitted and received funding for an interactive sign project to raise awareness of the distinctive qualities of the Chihuahuan Desert, where WSMR is located. The trail’s construction and upkeep have been done entirely by volunteers. The posts and placards were first installed by a few troops and family members around 2004 and 2005. In 2015, an Eagle Scout spent some time doing maintenance.

Visit the website at: https://www.chihuahuandesertnaturetrail.com/home