“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” Wendell Berry, Poet, novelist, and environmentalist.

Each April, Earth Day reminds us that protecting the land is a shared duty, not only for today but also for future generations.
In Questa, that idea manifests in practical, local actions. Neighbors volunteer for community cleanups, local groups organize beautification projects, and students work alongside adults to care for the landscape that has shaped life in this valley for generations.

At LOR, we’re proud to support projects rooted in that connection to the land; ideas that help people protect, learn from, and keep it accessible now and into the future. The projects we fund come from local champions—folks of all ages who recognize an opportunity and take steps to improve the lives of their friends, family, and neighbors.

One recent example is the effort to restore the La Junta Trail, a historic route to the confluence point where the Red River and the Rio Grande meet. Severe erosion and unsafe stairs have kept the trail closed for over ten years, limiting access to public lands that generations of local hikers and hunters have used.

Earlier this year, the Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument reached out to LOR with a plan to complete the final phase of the trail’s restoration. With $10,000 in funding, the group will hire an engineer to design and a builder to install new stairs that address erosion and drainage issues. The project will help reopen the trail while safeguarding the surrounding canyon terrain.

Other projects have focused on caring for the landscape closer to home. In 2025, the Village of Questa partnered with LOR to organize community clean-up days that allowed residents to dispose of bulky items, like tires and appliances, at no cost. Without a local option for disposing of these materials, residents often face high fees to offload them. Providing roll-off dumpsters and covering landfill costs make it easier for people to keep their community clean and reduce illegal dumping. Dumpsters will be available in Questa on April 24 and 25 as well as May 8 and 9.

These kinds of projects reflect the Questa community’s strong commitment to caring for the land and working together to protect it.

At LOR, we know the best ideas for strengthening rural communities come from the people who live there—people like you! So, if you have an idea that could support, protect, or celebrate the natural environment surrounding Questa, we’d love to hear it.

To get started or learn more about how LOR can help bring your idea to life, contact Maria Gonzalez at maria@lorfoundation.org or (575) 665-2001. Because if we are truly borrowing this land from our children, this is work worth doing together.