We did it! Natural Curiosity owns Hermosa!
We did it! Natural Curiosity owns Hermosa!
Natural Curiosity has successfully purchased and protected the ghost town of Hermosa, its 54 acres, including town site, and cemetery along with the 40 acre Kelsey property on Animas Creek. The land has also been protected in perpetuity with a conservation easement through the New Mexico Land Conservancy. Many thanks to our generous donors & dedicated community!
Renovations have begun with significant, quality improvements made in plumbing, electrical, structural integrity, and aesthetics to the main Hermosa buildings.
In 2023 the Hermosa Field Station hosted Furman University’s three week “Wilderness” course in May and the more ambitious “Wild Semester” from August through December. Students learned ecology, conservation, and wilderness skills while experiencing the wilds of New Mexico and Arizona.
The Hermosa Project
Join us to build an enduring conservation legacy for generations to come.
Although we have purchased and protected Hermosa, the fundraising video below still does a good job of introducing the site and our organization. We are still accepting donations to help us restore this historic town into a working field station.
Hermosa, NM
Located in the Gila National Forest - Hermosa is a gateway to over 700,000 acres of designated wilderness:
Aldo Leopold - 202,016 acres
Gila - 558,000 acres
Since 2005 Hermosa has been used as a venue for a semester long conservation education program called the “Wild Semester” and a 3 week field program called “Wilderness”. More than 110 students and teaching assistants have benefited from these experiential programs. Many of those students have gone on to career paths in conservation, including top level jobs in the U. S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, state game and fish agencies, conservation nonprofits, and outdoor schools. So far these programs have only been offered every other year and only to college students of the hosting university.
Our plan is to restore the Hermosa ghost town and complete renovations to make it working field station that offers and hosts educational and research programs year-round from many organizations and institutions.
We are continuing the work to make this special place available for students and people of all ages and backgrounds, especially underrepresented groups in the conservation world.
Hermosa Field Station
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Indoor Classroom
Hermosa is an off-grid property that runs on solar power and propane. The Mercantile can be used as a modern lecture hall that still has plenty of historic charm. The large fireplace is a favorite gathering spot for evening storytelling or book discussions. We use the back half of the great room as indoor lab space.
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Outdoor Classroom
Hermosa’s backyard is 3.3 million acres of national forest and wildland, including over 700,000 acres of designated wilderness. The nearby streams, trails, and ecological diversity make Hermosa an incredible place for students to experience the natural world, where they can learn, see, and practice any and all manner of conservation knowledge and backcountry skills.
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Backcountry Wilderness Adventures
Hermosa is surrounded by National Forest and is located only three miles from the Aldo Leopold Wilderness boundary. Trails heading west from Hermosa lead up to the Continental Divide. A signature adventure for our programs is a 27 mile loop hike from Hermosa to Reed’s Peak and back for a 5-6 day backpacking trip supported by a mule pack train.
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Wilderness Field Skills
We will teach backcountry skills that empower students to recreate and work for conservation in the backcountry. On the trail and in the wild we will teach wilderness first aid, orienteering, knot-tying, biological survey techniques, horse/mule packing, cross-cut sawyer training, and wilderness survival skills.
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Field Research
Astonishing biodiversity and vast wildlands make Hermosa an idyllic base for biological research. We plan to conduct our own field research program based out of Hermosa that will interface with our educational programs. We will also host outside researchers at the facility.
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Partners in Conservation
We will operate the property as a sustainable field station that prioritizes good stewardship of the private and public land around us. Over the years we’ve cleared over 100 miles of trail while teaching students the use of crosscut saws and other hand tools as well as the value of hard work. We will continue to partner with our neighbors and USFS to maintain the trail system in the surrounding wilderness area and lend a helping hand to other conservation projects.
