Last school year the students of Collins Elementary created an art installation that brought awareness to the conservation of Castner Range.
Castner Range is a 7,000 acre piece of land here in Northeast El Paso which was once used as an artillery range for Fort Bliss in the 1960’s.
The land, which is currently owned by the U.S. Department of Defense, is home to various plants and wildlife that are important to the Chihuahuna Desert ecosystem.
The U.S. Department of Defense no longer has a purpose for Castner Range and has decided to sell the land. Since the Northeast is currently developing and changing there is an ever growing fear that the land will be developed for commercial use, therefore displacing wildlife and altering the ecosystem.
Each student created a unique postcard that was sent to Washington D.C. in order to demonstrate their dedication in the preservation of the range. On the back of each postcard students wrote a short letter to President Obama voicing their overall concerns for Castner Range and their need for federal assistance in preserving the land.
Student postcards received immediate attention from Congressman Beto O’Rourke, the person responsible for creating and submitting the Castner Range National Monument Act to the U.S. Congress to try to make the land a national monument.
On Thursday, September 22, O’Rourke presented student artwork before the U.S. Congress during his speech regarding Castner Range. We are so proud of our students for their hard work in creating their postcards and their dedication in helping to make changes within our community.
