By Arlette Guerrero, Biochemistry Major, Mentor Marisa Repasch. The Rio Grande is the lifeblood of New Mexico, shaping our landscapes, communities, and ecosystems while providing water that millions depend on. The health of our river extends beyond water availability alone. The soils along its banks, which absorb plant material, trap sediments, and lock away organic matter over time, play a quiet but critical role in our climate by storing carbon or releasing it back into the atmosphere as greenhouse gas. Dr. Marisa Repasch of Earth and Planetary Sciences department at UNM, and her team at the University of New Mexico are seeing exactly how this process unfolds along the Middle Rio Grande. By collecting and analyzing sediment cores from floodplain sites, tracking how water availability and erosion affect soil carbon storage, her team aims to understand whether our river’s floodplain is helping absorb carbon or contributing to its release and what that means for the future of our region under a warming, drying climate. In this project, research will be turned into a 9-month wall calendar (April 2026–December 2026) that anyone can pick up and understand. Each month will feature a photo or map from the field alongside a short, plain-language explanation of what the researchers are studying and why it matters. The calendar will also include local environmental events happening around Albuquerque so readers can stay informed and get involved in the decisions that affect their community. This calendar aims to make environmental research feel relevant and approachable. Because this science isn’t just happening in a lab. It’s happening right here, along our river, for all of us.
