UNM-Taos FDMA debuts Adventure Safety Series

Taos, N.M. - The UNM-Taos Film and Digital Media Arts (FDMA) program is excited to premiere the informational and beautifully produced Río Grande del Norte National Monument Adventure Safety Series at Bataan Hall, Civic Plaza Drive on Saturday, Aug. 24 from 2-5 p.m. Admission is free.

Created in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Public Lands Interpretation Association, FDMA students have created five short, educational videos to inform international and regional visitors how to stay safe and travel with a respectful curiosity when they visit the Río Grande del Norte National Monument.

After UNM-Taos released Río Grande Serenade in 2021, the Public Lands Interpretative Association contacted Peter Walker, FDMA program coordinator and instructor, asking if his students could produce an adventure safety series for the Río Grande del Norte National Monument.

A multiyear film project was born.

"Students from a variety of backgrounds, skills and classes worked on it," Walker said. "Many students, staff and faculty in the FDMA program have contributed to this five-part series."

Each semester, advanced students filmed on the river and participated in filming events around the entire monument. As the project came closer to completion, students worked on the post-production phase of the project.

They also introduced two animated characters, Joey and his dad, who show what not to do in the monument. These animated characters were created from scratch and 3D modeled in Blender by FDMA faculty member Lorenzo Lopez. Also, alumnus Hunter Tripp worked on an animated map.

UNM-Taos Associate of Pre-Science Degree graduate Nathan Oswald, aka Ranger Oz, is a BLM Park Ranger and the featured tour guide in the first episode.

"Episode 1: Tour of the Monument" introduces visitors to the monument's rich history and wildlife, notable peaks, waterways, fees, hunting and other regulations, recreational opportunities and safety guidelines as they travel with Ranger Oz on a loop around the Río Grande del Norte National Monument.

The remaining videos focus and expand upon a topic introduced in the first episode- "Episode 2: River Safety," featuring water's meaning to and role in the Indigenous people's settlement of the area narrated by UNM-Taos educator Turquoise Chenoa Velarde (Oswald and Velarde also appear in other episodes.); "Episode 3: Fire Safety"; "Episode 4: Trail Safety at Wild Rivers"; and "Episode 5: Wildlife in the Monument."

After the live debut, the episodes can be seen at www.unmtaosfdma.com.