The Benedictine monks at Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery near Silver City, New Mexico, are taking proactive steps to reduce wildfire risk in their community, as reported by the USDA Forest Service.
The monastery, founded by Father Cyprian Rodriguez in 1988, has grown from 20 acres to 600 acres of forested land.
Over the years, the monks have worked to restore the forest, which had become overgrown due to historic mining operations and fire suppression efforts.
Brother Lawrence, a monk at the monastery, described their efforts: “When we first came here, everything was overgrown.
“It’s part of the nature of the Benedictine order to restore.”
These restoration efforts have expanded to include reducing fire risk not only on monastery grounds but also in the surrounding community, in collaboration with the Gila National Forest.
The monks have been instrumental in the Gila Landscape Collaborative, an initiative formed roughly ten years ago to unite the community around wildfire prevention.
Brother Santiago highlighted the importance of partnerships in their work: “Partnership is very important in order to maintain an ecosystem and battle against devastating fire.”
The monastery’s involvement has helped to secure community buy-in for Firewise practices, which include thinning and clearing brush around homes to reduce fire hazards.
The collaboration between the monastery, the Gila National Forest, and local landowners has demonstrated the effectiveness of these fire prevention strategies.
Daniel London, a Fuels Planner on the Silver City Ranger District, emphasized the value of having non-governmental voices like the monks advocating for these efforts: “They live here. They have a special connection to it.”
The monks also recognize the role of fire as a tool for managing the forest.
Brother Santiago stated: “We’re re-managing how we address the forest and its health by using fire as a tool, not just as a destructive element.” This approach requires careful planning and collaboration to ensure that controlled burns are conducted safely and effectively, benefiting the entire community.
Their work has become increasingly urgent in the face of large-scale wildfires like the Whitewater Baldy Fire in 2012, which left lasting scars on the monastery’s land.
The monks continue to play a critical role in educating the community about the importance of fire management and prevention.
Looking ahead, the monks and their partners plan to expand their outreach to engage more community members in wildfire risk reduction.
The Firewise program, led by the National Fire Protection Association in conjunction with state and federal agencies, has been a key part of these efforts, offering homeowners practical steps to protect their properties from fire.
The Forest Service, with its resources and expertise, supports these initiatives, but it acknowledges that preventing wildfires requires the active participation of the entire community.
Brother Lawrence reflected on the broader significance of their work: “Management is something that’s been given to man by God.
In Genesis, man is put as a steward over nature.”
The Benedictine monks at Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery in New Mexico have been leading efforts to reduce wildfire risk in their community, as reported by the USDA Forest Service.
Through their involvement in the Gila Landscape Collaborative, the monks have played a key role in promoting Firewise practices and restoring the overgrown forests around their monastery.
Their work includes using fire as a management tool and engaging the local community in wildfire prevention strategies.
The Forest Service continues to support these efforts, recognizing the importance of community involvement in managing wildfire risk across diverse landscapes.
