Article by Cari Powell, Desert Arboretum and Pollinator Habitat Enhancement Project Manager
Sometimes the smallest decisions can completely rearrange the course of your life. For me that happened in the fall of 2020 when I was invited to a workday at the Desert Arboretum. I was immediately hooked. It was COVID times; I was in between jobs, there wasn’t much else going on, and I decided I would just volunteer until something happened. Even after finding new employment, I was still able to volunteer almost weekly for over a year. And what eventually happened is that the Friends Executive Director offered to give me a part-time job managing the Desert Arboretum. The rest, as they say, is history. I’ve now been with Friends of Bosque del Apache for over five years, working fulltime to manage the Desert Arboretum, the Pollinator Habitat Enhancement Project, and Festival of the Cranes.
Long before I moved to New Mexico, before I knew that Bosque del Apache existed, Daniel Perry was working as the refuge’s Outdoor Recreation Planner (1998-2011), where he helped acquaint the public with the refuge’s unique birds and desert plant habitat. Daniel and his partner Socorro Gonzalez-Valdez lived in what is now the Friends House for several years, and during that period they built the Desert Arboretum with help from many dedicated volunteers. Today the Arboretum is a mature exhibit of diverse native plants that attract birds and butterflies, desert mammals and reptiles, human visitors, and photographers. It is also the site of one of the refuge’s most visited and easily accessible trails.
During the year I volunteered, I worked closely with long-time volunteer Tom Hyden, learning how to care for the plants at the arboretum. Tom also introduced me to Daniel around this time. I was able to visit Daniel’s greenhouse, learn from him, and even buy enough plants to start my own greenhouse and small business at home. I have met many people who live in the Middle Rio Grande Valley and beyond, who knew Daniel and were inspired by his kindness and incredible knowledge of plants, birds and this amazing area we call home.
My path to living in Socorro was winding, and I am so thankful that chance led me here. I love my work with Friends of Bosque del Apache. I love teaching others about the Chihuahuan Desert, about the symbiotic relationship between pollinators and plants, and digging in the dirt with the incredible cadre of volunteers who make my work possible. I’m so proud to be able to expand and continue Daniel’s work to engage and educate the public about this special place.
I think the best that any of us can hope for is to leave a legacy for the future, even if we have no idea what that future could look like. I have a full and beautiful career, amazing native plant and cacti friends throughout New Mexico, and my own opportunity to positively impact Bosque del Apache, all because Daniel laid the foundation.
Daniel passed away suddenly in January 2025 and many friends still miss him dearly. In honor of Daniel and in his memory, we have installed a memorial plaque near the south entrance to the Desert Arboretum.
I encourage you to learn from Daniel; lead with kindness and passion, learn the Latin names of your favorite plants, and create a legacy worthy of the future. Thank you, Daniel, for your friendship and the future!
“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they may never sit.” –Traditional Greek proverb