Ethics
Outdoor and Sensitive Site Ethics
As you join New Mexico Jeep Tours in experiencing the wonders of the Land of Enchantment, there are a few principles we would like to share with you in how we approach the land and all it has to offer.
Long before you and I entered this landscape, the Ancestral Puebloan people called these lands their home and left evidence of their history in the earth. We are privileged to visit some of these sacred sites on our tours. Any artifacts and pottery that we see must stay at the site and should not be disturbed. It is a federal crime to remove artifacts from or disturb a ruin site.
Please note: New Mexico Jeep Tours occasionally changes tour locations and offerings, so some of the sites mentioned here may not be on our current tours.
Look, Never Touch
The Ancestral Puebloan people also left their mark on the land in the form of petroglyphs. These ancient pictures and symbols etched into stone must be respected. Please refrain from touching the petroglyphs, and never scratch the surface of the stone anywhere near them. These too are sacred sites and need to be treated as such.
Some places contain sensitive geological formations or objects. In areas like these we try to leave the landscape and objects in as good a shape as we find them. We do not climb on, deface, or otherwise harm any of these formations. In fact, we try to leave places in better shape than we find them by removing any litter or trash we see. If everyone respects these places, they will be around for years to come so that others, or maybe even you again, can come and enjoy them.
Every Bone Tells a Story
Fossils, such as the giant Seismosaurus, have been discovered in New Mexico; the bones recovered from the Seismosaur site are now on display in the Museum of Natural History in Albuquerque. There is the potential of seeing fossils on any of our tours, because we hike in areas where very old earth has been pushed to the surface. Should we see any vertebrate fossils, we will not disturb them and must leave them where we find them. Each bone tells a story, and if we move it, the story is ruined. After the tour, we inform the proper authorities of the location.
New Mexico Jeep Tours works in collaboration with local and federal authorities to protect all of these cultural and natural resources, and has committed to reporting any suspicious activity or evidence that sites are being disturbed.
We have a great respect and appreciation for the Land of Enchantment and consider it a privilege to share it with you. We ask that you respect the opportunity you have to enter this ancient land, and give those who come after you the same opportunity, by practicing sound outdoor and sensitive site ethics.
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