Owing to recent and on-going community measures to help control the viral (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic of COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the CWP BioBlitz & BBQ until 2022 (Date TBA). Thank you for your understanding and support.
The CHARLIE W. PAINTER BIOBLITZ & BBQ is an annual event to honor the life and work of Charlie and as a fundraiser to support research through the CHARLES W. PAINTER GRANT in HERPETOLOGY
BioBlitz [bahy-o-blits]
noun
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A BioBlitz, also written without capitals as bioblitz, is an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area. Teams of volunteer scientists, naturalists, families, students, teachers, and other community members work together to find and identify as many species of plants, animals, microbes, fungi, and other organisms as possible during an intensive field study over a continuous time period (e.g., usually 24 hours). There is a public component to many BioBlitzes, with the goal of getting the public interested in biodiversity. To encourage more public participation, these BioBlitzes are often held in urban parks or nature reserves close to cities.
Bar·be·cue [bärbəˌkyo͞o]
noun
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A meal or gathering at which meat, fish, or other food is cooked out of doors on a rack over an open fire or on a portable grill, often accompanied by laughter, friendship, and great stories!
Charles W. Painter (1949-2015), was a well-known, respected and beloved expert on the reptiles and amphibians of the southwestern United States. Professionally, Charlie is perhaps best remembered for serving as the first State Herpetologist for New Mexico, where he worked for over 25 years. In that capacity, he established numerous conservation partnerships with local, state and federal agencies, universities, tribes and private landowners, and developed conservation plans for the Jemez Mountain Salamander, Sacramento Mountain Salamander, Chiricahua Leopard Frog, Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, New Mexico Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake, and Boreal Toad, among others. He developed a strong relationship with the Museum of Southwestern Biology at the University of New Mexico, and in the process, helped Biology at the University of
of New Mexico, and in building one of the premiere herpetological research collections in the United States. Charlie served on numerous thesis and dissertation committees, authored over 80 peer reviewed articles, served as editor for Herpetological Review, authored the 1996 book Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico, and received the 2013 Alison Haskell Award from the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation for his passion, work and tireless dedication to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles. Charlie was also known for being an exceptional friend to many, a legendary camp chef, a strong supporter of the Chiricahua Desert Museum and its mission, and a talented artist.
Dr. Geoff Carpenter's talk about Charlie from the 2017 BioBlitz
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