For 20 years, the Wakeem/Teschner Nature Preserve at Resler Canyon has quietly offered moments of stillness, wonder, and connection. Tucked into the heart of El Paso, this urban canyon is a sanctuary where desert blooms surprise us with their resilience, wildlife roams freely, and people of all ages find joy in the open desert.
Families walk the trails together. Students learn about the desert’s fragile ecosystems. Birdwatchers scan the skies. Bobcats, quail, and lizards still call this place home.
It’s hard to imagine now, but Resler Canyon was once threatened by large-scale real estate development. Its future was uncertain – until a group of concerned citizens stepped forward. In 2004, they founded The Frontera Land Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the land, waters, and wildlife of the northern Chihuahuan Desert. One year later, in 2005, Wakeem/Teschner Nature Preserve (Resler Canyon) became Frontera’s very first conservation project.
That decision changed the future of conservation in El Paso. Resler Canyon became more than just a trailhead or a preserve. It became a symbol of what’s possible when a community comes together to protect the places that matter.
A legacy that grew beyond one canyon
From those beginnings, The Frontera Land Alliance has grown into a trusted leader in land conservation. Today, Frontera directly manages more than 1,500 acres of desert land across the region, while also helping to protect over 8,000 acres of public open space.
This past year marked new milestones:
- Conservation beyond El Paso: Frontera launched a project in Jeff Davis County and began work to protect 2,200 acres in Presidio County.
- Community connections: More than 4,000 people engaged with nature through educational hikes, youth programs, and restoration events.
- Caring for the land: Frontera and its volunteers monitored 14+ miles of trails and stewarded wetlands, grasslands, and Chihuahuan desert lands at area nature preserves.
Why El Paso Giving Day matters
The Chihuahuan Desert is one of the most ecologically significant deserts in the world — home to more cactus species than any other desert, as well as golden eagles, mountain lions, black bears, and countless migratory birds.
But this richness is fragile. Development, climate change, and habitat loss continue to put pressure on the desert. Every year, more open space disappears – along with the opportunities for people to connect with wild places like Resler Canyon.
That’s why El Paso Giving Day matters. This annual day of giving brings our community together to support the causes we care about most. For Frontera, it is a chance to raise funds that directly support conservation, education, and stewardship in the desert we call home.
El Paso Giving Day is on Thursday, Oct. 16, with early giving beginning Oct. 9. Frontera’s goal is to raise $20,000 to continue protecting lands like Resler Canyon and expand into new conservation opportunities across West Texas.
Your donation will help:
- Protect more open space, from desert canyons to mountain foothills.
- Grow educational programs that inspire the next generation of desert stewards.
- Steward trails, and preserves so they remain safe, clean, and thriving for all.
Why your gift is part of the story
When you give to Frontera, you are not just donating – you are joining a legacy that began 20 years ago with Resler Canyon.
This preserve has remained protected because people believed in the power of open space, quiet beauty, and community action. It is a living reminder of what we can accomplish when we act together. With your support, Resler Canyon will continue to nurture life, beauty, and community for generations to come – and new conservation efforts will take root across the desert.
As we celebrate 20 years of Resler Canyon, we invite you to be part of the next chapter.
This El Paso Giving Day, let’s come together once again — just as the community did in 2004 and 2005 — to protect the desert we call home. Whether you give early starting Oct. 9 or on Giving Day itself, your gift will ensure that the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Chihuahuan Desert remain protected for the future.
Together, we can keep the desert wild — for Resler Canyon, for El Paso, and for the generations yet to come.
The post Resler Canyon: 20 years of protection, 20 years of community appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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