Field Notes: A New HQ, A New School, and A Cinematic Call to Action

From the Bus to a House: Catena Grows Up

It’s official: Catena has a new home! After months of rugged mobility operating out of our field bus, we’ve parked it (for now) and moved into a well-insulated headquarters. This isn’t just a change of address; it’s a quantum leap for our capacity. The bus was a symbol of our field-ready ethos, but this new house represents our commitment to building lasting infrastructure for New Mexico’s soil and water future. It gives us the space to scale our operations, from assembling educational kits to hosting planning sessions for our biggest project yet.

Announcing CineSuelo: Where Soil Science Meets the Silver Screen

As we build towards the Congreso de las Acequias on December 5-6, we're excited to launch CineSuelo: Soil & Cinema Nights—a direct, hands-on application of our core themes.

This initiative perfectly bridges last year's call to "Measure, Monitor, Manage" with this year's vision for "Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities." How? By transforming a landowner's field into a living classroom and community hub. Each event features a live expert soil pit demonstration—the ultimate "measure and monitor" activity—followed by a magical outdoor film screening that sparks conversation about building healthy urban and rural spaces.

And the impact is immediate and tangible for hosts:

• Win a $10k Monitoring System: Every host who secures their event is entered to win a state-of-the-art on-farm weather and soil moisture station from Meter Group—powering your ability to "manage" with precision data.

• Unlock $25k in Grants: The professional soil health assessment from the event provides the foundational data needed to apply for up to $25,000 through the NMDA Healthy Soil Program in 2026.

The contest runs until December 4th, with the winner announced on World Soil Day, December 5th—aligning perfectly with the start of the Congreso. This is for dedicated stewards ready to leverage data and community for deeper resilience.

[Ready to host? Fill out our interest form!]

Transitioning from Field to Classroom: The Forensic Pedology Kits

With a new home base, we're also scaling our educational mission. Our new, seasonal headquarters is the perfect hub for finalizing and deploying our Forensic Pedology/Environmental Detective Kits.

These hands-on kits, developed from real-world case studies like Storrie Lake, are designed to bring the thrill of environmental science directly to K-12 students. They transform complex concepts into engaging, Sherlock Holmes-style mysteries, teaching students how to "read" the landscape and understand its history and vulnerabilities.

Building on Our Case Studies: The NM Erosion Control School

Building on the forensic foundation of our field work, we are proud to announce the official launch of the New Mexico Erosion Control School. This initiative is born directly from the urgent needs we’ve documented across the state.

Our curriculum is being built around real New Mexico case studies. These real-world examples will form the backbone of our training, ensuring it is practical, relevant, and immediately applicable for land managers, contractors, and agency staff.

Meeting the Moment: NMED Watershed-Based Planning Deadline

This expansion of our mission comes at a critical time. The December 18 deadline for NMED Watershed-Based Planning grants is fast approaching. Our work provides the vital data and proven strategies that communities need to build strong, fundable plans.

The New Mexico Erosion Control School will be a key resource, training the workforce needed to implement these plans. From understanding the science to applying the right intervention, we are creating a pipeline from planning to action.

Stay tuned for more details on CineSuelo events, kit availability, school registration, and how we can support your watershed planning efforts.

Here's to a new chapter of growth, learning, and resilience for New Mexico.