From America’s First Designated Wilderness to Washington, D.C.
My name is Elysha Montoya and I have lived in Grant County for my entire life, 28 years. I come from a family of miners, musicians, activists, and nature enthusiasts. My family has been here for over ten generations.
Currently, I work for National Center for Frontier Communities (NCFC), where I serve as the Community Engagement Coordinator. Prior to my position with NCFC, I worked as an Education and Outreach Coordinator for Heart of the Gila, an environmental education non-profit. With Heart of the Gila, I led hikes for children and adults, taught the children nature activities, things like building boats out of natural material, skipping stones, making mud people, and more and showed them how to identify native plants.
Growing up, I spent a lot of time at the Gila River, which is only about a 40-minute drive from Silver City. As an adult, it is still my favorite place to take my kids. It has always been a place for our family to bond and connect with nature and with each other. My mom would take me there often—we would soak in the hot springs at night and play in the river during the day. One of my favorite things to do as a kid was collect moss and sing to it. I also enjoyed building small dams with my cousins or finding dams that beavers had made—those were always the best swimming spots.
Today, I take my kids to the river as often as we can. They love the Gila. If they’re not jumping off rocks into deep holes, they’re skipping stones, covering themselves in mud, or searching for tadpoles. I teach them about the yerba buena that grows along the river and about willows and their many uses. We also teach them to respect other habitats and to stay on trail as often as possible.
The Gila River is a major natural resource for our frontier community. Many people who visit our town are on their way to the Gila River and its wilderness.
In March, I had the privilege of traveling to Washington, DC alongside several others—including New Mexico Wild staff, members and representatives of the Fort Sill Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache Tribe, American Rivers representatives, and American Whitewater representatives—to advocate for the protection of the Gila River. I had the opportunity to meet with all our New Mexico congressional leaders and their staff to thank them for their ongoing support in working to designate the Gila River as a Wild and Scenic River. I shared stories and photos from my own experiences there to remind them why this precious gem that flows through the desert must be protected.
Not only is the Gila River vital to the health of the plants and animals that surround it, but it is also essential to the health and well-being of the people who live here. The Gila is a place where we can step away from society and our everyday tasks to immerse our minds and bodies in an environment free from cell phones, traffic, and light pollution. There, you hear only the sounds of nature, see the stars clearly at night, and can soak in the hot springs, leaving behind the responsibilities waiting at home. It is a place to relax, be present, and truly take a break. There are not many places left where you can experience that kind of peace and renewal.
Protecting this place through the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act would help ensure that future generations can experience the natural beauty it offers. It means the Gila will never become just a memory—it will remain a place we can always return to.
