Outdoor Business Accelerator & Paid OR Internships
Updates from the NM Outdoor Recreation Division
ORD Newsletter | April 24, 2024
Dispatches from New Mexico's
Outdoor Recreation Division
In the Outdoor Recreation Division’s biweekly newsletter, find the latest on office and New Mexico’s outdoor recreation initiatives.
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Letter from the Deputy Director
ORD has two exciting outdoor industry initiatives to share with you this week!
We recently contracted with CNM Ingenuity for a new accelerator program aimed at helping outdoor recreation businesses at ANY stage. Whether you have owned your business for 40 years or 4 days or simply have a grand idea, we want to help you grow! The ActivatOR Outdoor Recreation Growth Accelerator is set up to support a variety of goals and participating is free.
The program will run for 14 weeks, with workshops and one-on-one mentorship designed to keep you working while to work the program. The application opened on May 1 and applying early is encouraged to secure your spot in the program. Finalists will be announced in mid-June.
The second initiative we are thrilled to share with you is our paid outdoor industry internship program. We recently announced the third cohort of high school graduates and recapped some of the successes. This program started with three interns. Nearly 70 students have now gained valuable paid experience in the outdoor industry and fourteen employers have been supported by their hard work. ORD is grateful for this successful partnership with Future Focused Education, which runs the program. If your business or nonprofit is interested in an outdoor internship placement, read our announcement for details on how to participate.
More details can be found below on both of these ORD programs.
Happy trails,
AJ Jones
ORD Deputy Director
In Other News
Applications are open for the new ActivatOR Outdoor Business Accelerator
ActivatOR accelerates growth for small businesses in the outdoor recreation sector. Companies at any stage seeking growth are welcome, from ideation to established businesses to owners seeking a successor. Our program supports your growth goals, whether that is customers, revenue, jobs, succession, or more.
ActivatOR is FREE, fully funded by the Outdoor Recreation Division of the New Mexico Economic Development Department. ORD has contracted with ActivateNM, part of CNM Ingenuity, to run the ORD Outdoor Business Accelerator Program. Applications opened May 1, 2024, and companies are encouraged to apply by May 27 to secure a spot.
Company Criteria for Accelerator:
For-profit or nonprofit business (sole proprietorship is acceptable)
Small business (from 0 to 100 employees)
Headquartered in New Mexico or seeking to grow in New Mexico.
Seeking growth. What about your business do you want to grow? E.g. revenue, customers, jobs, succession, or acquiring or taking over a business.
Business model with revenue from outdoor recreation: directly delivering outdoor recreation, products or services for outdoor recreation, or channel partners in outdoor recreation.
Any stage - developing an idea, startup, owner seeking a succession plan, prospective entrepreneur seeking to buy or take over a business, established enterprises.
Learn More & Apply
67 Interns Graduate from Outdoor Economy Workforce Training
ORD announces the third cohort of high school students to graduate from New Mexico’s first paid outdoor industry internship program. The program, sponsored by ORD, is run by Future Focused Education (FFE), an Albuquerque-based nonprofit that seeks to better connect underserved and nontraditional students to college and careers.
“This innovative program serves as a bridge, linking aspiring young minds in New Mexico with rewarding careers within the state’s flourishing outdoor industry,” Karina Armijo, director of the Outdoor Recreation Division, stated. “In an era where our outdoor recreation sector is expanding rapidly, this initiative provides invaluable exposure for our youth and opens pathways into diverse fields such as environmental science, outdoor education, hospitality, conservation, and beyond.”
Press Release
Ribbon Cutting for the Hemesh Path to Wellness at Jemez Pueblo
On April 24, the Hemesh Path to Wellness at Jemez Pueblo was opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The project was completed by the Jemez Department of Transportation and was partially supported by funding from an ORD Outdoor Recreation Trails+ Grant awarded in the first round of this fiscal year.
The project included the construction of the NM 4 multi-use "Hemish Path to Wellness" pedestrian trail, including the addition of a 1.8-mile, 8- to 10-foot-wide asphalt-paved trail along the existing NM 4 roadway. Improvements added two mid-block pedestrian crossings and two pre-manufactured pedestrian bridges to span over existing drainage washes, as well as drainage improvements, lighting, and trail signage. The Hemish Path to Wellness provides the Pueblo of Jemez with needed pedestrian facility improvements that are fully ADA-compliant.
Trails+ Grant Announcement
Trail Highlight
Be sure to tag @NMOutdoorRec when you get #NMOutside
Catwalk Recreation Area
Glenwood, New Mexico
Chiricahua Apache and Pueblo Land
Trail Uses: Hiking, picnicking, wildlife viewing.
About the Trail: Take a partially suspended trek through Whitewater Canyon, over the creek. This is a short hike, under one mile, but one you won’t forget. A great thing about this trail is the accessibility of the catwalk. The views aren’t too bad either. The trails are open year-round and spring or fall are the best times to visit. It is a popular destination for New Mexico, so you are unlikely to have the place to yourself.
Know before you go: Wheelchair accessible for a half mile (first photo). Beware of high water in the spring and check local conditions on the day you go, access roads are sometimes flooded. Pets are allowed on leash. Plan to practice Leave No Trace ethics.…