Center for Wildlife Law
Institute of Public Law
University of New Mexico School of Law, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Special thanks to our funders:

The New Mexico State Legislature
The Frost Foundation, Ltd.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Public Service Company of New Mexico
Wild Oats Community Markets
The Deer Creek Foundation
and to
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which provided funding for
the pilot Wild Friends program (1991-1993)

Mission: What we are all about...

Wild Friends is a network of students, teachers and mentors who support wildlife and seek common-ground solutions to wildlife issues. We are active in New Mexico, and we welcome connections with others across the USA and in other countries. Wild Friends take a pledge to protect the wild creatures among us.

Wild Friends Participants:

experience how law and government work and how citizens can make their concerns known to elected officials;
learn about wildlife, habitat and related issues;
meet people with different points of view and discuss common ground perspectives;
express their views publicly (orally, in writing and through performing arts);
interact with mentor models and explore career choices related to land and wildlife;
understand how to exercise power and control over their own futures.

Wild Friends are recognized and respected for bringing people together on wildlife issues and for facilitating the public discourse that is so necessary to healthy communities and a democratic society.

Wild Friends Student-initiated Legislation

Wild Friends accomplishments include legislation passed in the New Mexico Legislature: a 1995 Senate Joint Common Ground Memorial and a 1996 Senate Joint Anti-Poaching Memorial. In 1997, Wild Friends saw their Anti-poaching bill passed by the legislature, signed by the governor and enacted into law.  In 1998, there was the Wild Friends Whooping Crane Memorial -- House Joint Memorial 12. And, in 1999, the Wild Animal Cruelty Prevention Memorial.

Click here to go to the New Mexico Legislature's Home Page (find your legislator's name, address, phone number and in some cases, e-mail).

Click here to find your New Mexico Congressperson and Senator in Washington, DC.

	Wild Friends members get:
1.	Individual membership cards to emphasize their connection with other Wild Friends.
2.	Inspired about actively working on behalf of wildlife and joining with others who care about wildlife.
3.	Educated about local, national and international issues.
4.	Informed about how to make real changes to protect wildlife.
5.	Opportunities to call, write or speak to legislators about their concerns and to have an impact on the legal system.

	Wild Friends members give:
1.	Commitment to environmental and wildlife topics according to their own concerns and interests.
2.	Time according to their own schedules.

	Wild Friends members can:
1.	Select their own club projects.
2.	Find out about what wildlife needs protecting in their own community.
3.	Research a wildlife topic.
4.	Invite speakers.
5.	Call, write or visit legislators, newspaper editors and others.
6.	Help write real legislation to submit to the state legislature.

For further information, see our Wild Friends Idea Sheet.
To find out how to become a New Mexico Wild Friend and do some fun things, see our Summer Fun Sheet.

Wild Friends		Following are activities related to wildlife and civics. All have been done by various Wild Friends groups. A Wild Friends team can come to your group or classroom to help you get started on any of these activities.
Activities
•Visit from or to your state representative or senator  • Imaginary legislative debate  • Drafting legislation and finding out about laws and writing one. • Field trips, camping trips and other activities  • Wildlife and environmental presentations  • Letter writing  • Informational interviews with wildlife professionals  • Interviewing newspaper editors  • Community radio and television programs  • Playwriting and puppetry-- click here for Wild Friends play about Whooping Cranes!  • Student choreographed dance presentations  • Poster making  • Field trips to the state legislature  • Testifying before legislative committees

What they are saying about Wild Friends...

"We appreciate what you Wild Friends are doing. You are making a real big difference."

Tom Rutherford, Senate Majority Leader, New Mexico State Legislature

"I am very proud of all the students that participated in the drafting process. I felt great knowing that I was helping teach some of our young people their first real lesson about government and the legislative process."

Raymond G. Sanchez, Speaker of the House, New Mexico State Legislature

"Every legislature in the West needs a similar program."

Ed Marston, Publisher, High Country News

"This program fills a critical environmental education niche. New Mexico is fortunate to have the Wild Friends program."

Susan George, Attorney, Defenders of Wildlife

"[Wild Friends] find out that protecting wildlife and preserving their habitat are not simple matters. They find different groups of citizens have different opinions."

John Pickering, retired book editor and Wild Friends Mentor

"Wild Friends provides young people the opportunity to learn how to do something positive about the environment. Students hear so many negative things that they can easily have an attitude of 'Why bother?'. Wild Friends learn that they do have power and control over their futures. I think the program is great."

Debra Loftin, High School Biology Teacher

Other Great Wildlife Lynx:
Click to travel to some great places!

	Leopards, Etc. Live Cat Educational Programs			EarthSystems Animal health, well-being, and rights World Wide Web Virtual Library
	US Bureau of Reclamation manages water  resources west of the Mississippi River. Besides being the largest wholesale supplier of water in the United States, the agency is the nation's sixth largest hydroelectric power generator.			United States Fish and Wildlife Service whose mission is to conserve, protect, and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people
	New Mexico Game and Fish Dept.			New Mexico State Legislature Home Page
	Biodiversity and Ecosystems Index The World Resources Institute Biodiversity Site			EECNET Environmental Education and Communication Network
	National Geographic Website for kids			NALGES North American Linkages to Global Environmental Strategies
	International Wolf Center Education about wolves is their best protection.			How Laws are Made in Congress
Minnesota Frog Project	Students in Minnesota are looking at the connection between pollution and frog deformities. You can Join the effort!			Ranger Rick's Home Page

Note: If you are interested in adding your site here, send your URL and a brief but pithy description to Carolyn Johnson at the Institute of Public Law.

For further information contact: Carolyn Byers, Camy Condon or Ruth Musgrave Center for Wildlife Law University of New Mexico School of Law 1117 Stanford NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131 Telephone: (505)277-5006; Fax: (505)277-7064

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