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This week on Voices of Taos, please enjoy this repeat presentation of a conversation between former copy editor and reporter Emery Veilleux and Nan Fischer, lifelong grower, founder of the Taos Seed Exchange and author of "A Monthly Guide to Growing a Sensational Garden in Northern New Mexico and the Rocky Mountains." This episode originally aired on March 29, 2025.

Fischer discusses growing food in Northern New Mexico, from difficult environmental conditions to well-suited plants to best practices for conserving water. As Taos comes out of a dry winter, Fischer and Veilleux discuss adapting to growing food in a changing climate. Fischer, who has kept garden journals for 20 years, shares some of the climactic trends she's tracked over time.

"It used to be challenging here but predictable, and now it's challenging and unpredictable," Fischer says.

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This episode marks the beginning of our new, monthly release schedule. The next episode of Voices of Taos will be released on May 5, 2026.

This week on “Voices of Taos,” reporter Olivia Lewis sits down for a conversation with Ted Wiard, licensed therapist, certified grief counselor, and founder and director of Golden Willow Retreat in Arroyo Hondo. He was also the Taos News Citizen of the Year in 2020.

Ted retired on April 1, 25 years after opening Golden Willow retreat with his wife, Marcella, and says that it’s time to open things up for change — both for him and for the nonprofit. He plans on travelling, and is working with Genevieve Oswald on a second book about “emotional sobriety” and how balancing the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual parts of life can help us make better decisions and be better people.

Lewis and Wiard discuss the importance of recognizing loss as a natural part of life that teaches us about transition and growth. Golden Willow Retreat aims to provide a space for healthy grieving and healing for anyone experiencing a loss.

Learn more about Red Willow Retreat

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This week on "Voices of Taos," copy editor and reporter Emily Sender sits down with Charles Curtin, conservation practitioner, educator and author who has lived for 3 decades in New Mexico. Charles’ recent book, “Place-Based Solutions: The Power of Regenerative Thinking in the Face of Crisis” examines what Curtin calls “‘prosilience’ — the capacity not just to endure crises, but to leap forward through them.”

Emily and Charles discuss the book, Charles’ work as a conservation practitioner in New Mexico, Maine, Kenya and beyond, as well as his perspective on finding hope and solutions in a world of complex, interconnected crises. They also discuss Charles’ upcoming book event at SOMOS on March 27 (Friday).

Learn more about Charles Curtin's work

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This week on Voices of Taos, reporter Stephanie Gates sits down for a conversation with Nick Streit, owner of Taos Fly Shop and executive director of Friends of the Rio Grande.

Nick and Stephanie talk about how this year’s warm, dry winter has affected fly fishing in the region and what further changes in the climate could mean for fishing and river health going forward. They also discuss how the potential for forest closures and wildfires could affect fishing in the region.

Nick also talks about his work with Friends of the Rio Grande, a nonprofit that works on the preservation and stewardship of the Upper Rio Grande Valley. He and Stephanie talk about a virtual fencing project being done with Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos that uses electronic collars to train cattle to avoid ecologically sensitive areas to help protect riparian and watershed health.

Learn more about Friends of the Rio Grande

Read more about the fly fishing season

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This week on "Voices of Taos," Tempo editor Lynne Robinson talks to monologist Steve Rose and director Cynthia Straus about Rose's performance of "A Piece of Monologue: A Samuel Beckett Experience"

An adaptation of Beckett's "A Piece of Monologue," the one-man show is a telling of a 90-year-old man on his final walk, returning to the seaside Irish village where he grew up. Along the way, the man reflects on his life, recalling the adventures he’s had and characters he’s met.

Rose and Straus also discuss her direction of the piece, as well as the process of developing it for the stage.“Beckett has a wonderful saying and I felt this the first time I tried to do a Beckett monologue — it’s ‘Fail again, fail better,’” says Rose. “Once the curtains are drawn, once the piece starts, there’s an energy there that’s alive and dangerous.”

For tickets and more information visit wildflowerplayhouse.org/events

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This week on Voices of Taos, editor Geoffrey Plant sits down with Audra Rodgers, band leader, vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the band Big Violet.

Rodgers talks about her musical influences — everything from classic rock to Mozart — and the love of music she’s had since childhood. Audra has been a part of many bands over the years, and played a wide variety of genres. Geoffrey and Audra also discuss the art of songwriting, the magic of being on stage, and what life is like on tour.

Big Violet recently recorded their eponymous first album in New Orleans, and will play an album release party on March 7 at Mary’s Place at Taos Lifestyle at 7 p.m. Attendees will receive a private streaming link for a copy of the full album, and have an opportunity to purchase the band’s first merch.

Get tickets for the show ($15) at holdmyticket.com and visit bigvioletmusic.com for band news, to check out singles, band bios and for booking information.

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This week on "Voices of Taos," please enjoy this repeat presentation of a conversation between Laura Martin Baseman and J.R. Logan, Taos County Forest and Watershed Health Program Manager. Logan shares how his experience at the Taos News and the LOR Foundation laid the groundwork for his current role managing natural resources through contracts with Taos Soil and Water Conservation District and Taos County.

One of the projects Logan helps coordinate is the Forest Mayordomo Program, which employs locals adjacent to Carson National Forest to thin areas at risk of severe fire. Even with good management, Logan candidly warns that Taos County will likely see a catastrophic fire in the near future. He hopes this honesty won't paralyze people with fear, but encourages them to prepare. There are a lot of things people can do to protect their homes and land, including visiting the New Mexico State Forestry website on defensible space.

On Saturday, March 7, the Del Fuego Project invites the community to an interactive evening of film, dialogue and reflection on the role of wildfires in shaping Northern New Mexico. The event will be held at the TCA from 7 to 8:30 p.m.. You can reserve your seat at tcataos.org/calendar.

Learn more about the Del Fuego Project

How to protect your home from wildfire

Climate Grief Resources

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This week on “Voices of Taos,” editor Geoffrey Plant talks with Contessa Trujillo, project manager of the Cultural Treasures Project, and Jessica Stern, director of the Taos County Economic Development Department and director of the Cultural Treasures Project.

The Cultural Treasures Project is a community-led initiative that works to catalogue the places, practices, and people that define the region’s identity. Through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, community members can help to identify and preserve what makes Taos so special.

Through community engagement, the Cultural Treasures Project team is working to identify and map cultural assets, such as acequias, cultural venues, stories, lost places, language, cultural practices, art forms, and anything else that residents may find valuable to the local community. This data will then eventually be used to help create policies and educational tools to guide responsible sustainable tourism and growth, safeguarding Taos County’s unique cultural and natural heritage.

Fill out the Cultural Treasures Project Survey

Read more about the Cultural Treasures Project

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