New Mexico State University may not have become a national leader in reforestation research without the generosity of Frank and Delicia Trambley. In 1972, the couple forged a relationship with NMSU and allowed researchers from the Agricultural Experiment Station to use their land to establish a forestry research center in the village of Mora.
For the next five decades, NMSU leased the land – more than 120 acres – and strengthened its ties to the Trambley family, who watched as the center, now known as the John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center, grew into a premier research facility and the largest producer of forest seedings in the Southwest. To date, it is the only facility in the Southwest dedicated to reforesting lands burned by catastrophic wildfires.
Earlier this year, NMSU acquired the land from the Trambleys’ daughter, Josephine Meadows, to continue, in perpetuity, its critical mission to advance reforestation research for New Mexico and the entire Southwest region.
“Without the Trambleys’ support, we would not be where we are today,” said Owen Burney, a forest regeneration scientist and director of the forestry research center. “Their foundational support provided us the opportunity to build our program on their land.”
NMSU will honor Meadows and her parents, who both died in 2015, during the center’s field day in June. It will be the center’s first open house since last year’s devastating wildfire season burned more than 900,000 acres across New Mexico and nearly destroyed the center itself.
Community members may stop by the center between 9 a.m. and noon Wednesday, June 14, to get an up-close look at the facility, learn about ongoing research projects and meet staffers. The event will feature presentations on current reforestation efforts and future needs in the Southwest and an opportunity to talk with collaborative forestry partners from New Mexico. It will conclude with a ceremony to celebrate the Trambley family’s contributions to NMSU’s reforestation efforts, followed by lunch.
“Their legacy will forever be a part of every tree planted in New Mexico,” Burney said.
Now that NMSU owns the land, Burney said he sees the center’s full potential on the horizon.
He said he expects more investments and commitments to fund long-term reforestation research at the center – which no longer sits on leased property. Long-term research, such as provenance studies and genetic testing on trees, can take decades to complete but is critical to the future of forests.
“This research allows us to look, over a long timeframe, how different seed sources perform in a changing climate, so we can make better decisions on how we transfer seeds across the region,” he said. “The value of that alone is worth every penny we spent on buying the property, and we can expand on that type of experimentation.”
NMSU's forestry research center is also part of a group developing the proposed New Mexico Reforestation Center. The group also includes the New Mexico Department of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources’ Forestry Division, New Mexico Highlands University and the University of New Mexico.
“The mission of the New Mexico Reforestation Center is to meet current and future reforestation needs in the southwestern region through its comprehensive seed bank, nursery and planting operations, combined with research, education and outreach activities,” Burney said.
For more information about the upcoming field day, call 575-387-2319 or visit https://morasc.nmsu.edu/.