On January 16, 2021, Nancy Morton died peacefully at her home in Albuquerque from complications due to ALS.
Nancy was a founding Board member of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and served as Chair, Secretary, and part of the executive committee over her 23 years of volunteer service on the Board. During her tenure, New Mexico increased its designated Wilderness areas by 389,576 acres.
She was a volunteer wilderness activist for more than 40 years, working to protect Wilderness in California and New Mexico. To honor Nancy’s inspiration, generosity and relentless commitment to Wilderness and wildlife, New Mexico Wild has established the Nancy Morton Wilderness Internship to keep her fiery heart for Wilderness burning. More on Nancy's life and legacy from Rewilding Earth.
We're now accepting applications for our 2025 Nancy Morton Wilderness Internship! Click here to apply.
This paid position will focus on the outreach and communications needs related to New Mexico Wild’s mission of protecting New Mexico’s Wilderness, wildlife, and water. This will include conducting community outreach, social media engagement, and more.
The Wilderness Intern will also complete data and information management assignments related to our online hiking guide and a river guide we’re developing.
Past Interns
Caitlin Curry, Wilderness Intern - 2024
During her time with New Mexico Wild Caitlin received one-on-one training with our GIS Specialist, worked to update Wilderness inventory area maps, and helped get us started on a GIS storymap to show the impacts of the proposed Caja del Rio Transmission line. She also got to join us in the field for a hike and an invasive plant removal project in the Gila. Her timing was great to take advantage of Wilderness First Aid training.
Kineo Memmer, Wilderness Intern - Conservation GIS Specialist, 2022-2023
Kineo Memmer joined New Mexico Wild under the Nancy Morton Wilderness Internship in the summer of 2022, helping to develop the Wilderness Defenders Program. View Kineo's work in our 2022 Dave Foreman Wilderness Defenders Program End-of-Year Report.
Isa Nellos, Santa Fe - Pecos Wilderness Ranger Intern, Summer 2021
Isa Nellos was the first awardee of the Nancy Morton Wilderness Internship and joined New Mexico Wild during the summer of 2021. Read about Isa's experience as a Nancy Morton Winderness Intern here.
