Kristen Fox recognizes Los Padillas students with county proclamation for wildlife sanctuary program

Kristen Fox opened the county recording and introduced students from Los Padillas Elementary who were being honored with a proclamation from Bernalillo County commissioners for their work as wildlife sanctuary guides.

The teacher addressing the county (identified in the transcript as a teacher at Las Paredes Elementary School) said the sanctuary is a five‑acre site used for outdoor learning and hosts a third‑grade field experience for Albuquerque Public Schools students. "We have a 5 acre wildlife sanctuary where, all kids at Las Paredes, go for outdoor learning enrichment," the teacher said, adding that a bus tour visited the campus as part of a "sustaining of the future" grant pathway.

Student speakers described what they learn at the sanctuary. "I love about the sanctuary is that we get to learn a lot about animals and plants," said student Melvin Franks. He said students sometimes take field trips and do hands‑on activities such as measuring trees.

Another student, Wilder Greiner, identified himself as one of the community helpers who assisted Bernalillo County in connecting with the Los Padillas Wildlife Sanctuary. Greiner highlighted local species and plants he has studied: "I learned about this fascinating thing called a cochineal bug," he said, and described how the insect lives on cacti; he also mentioned learning about yucca and how fibers can be produced from it.

Kristen Fox thanked the students and applauded their work, saying the group is "an inspiration" and noting the county's recognition. The recording concluded with Fox inviting listeners to follow Bernalillo County on social media.

The county's proclamation was described in the recording but no formal vote, ordinance number, or written text of the proclamation was included in the transcript.