ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico is known for its beautiful outdoors. This year, one area is celebrating a century of beauty.

“It’s really an honor to be a part of the Gila and part of the rich history and culture that we have here,” said Maribeth Pecotte, public information officer of the Gila National Forest. 

Pecotte and the rest of the Gila National Forest is getting ready to celebrate a major milestone. The Gila Wilderness is celebrating 100 years in 2024, but what does wilderness mean? 

“They’re unhindered and free from modern human control and or manipulation. They’re undeveloped, they’re essentially free from permanent improvements other than historic resources,” said Pecotte. 

Pecotte says the Gila Wilderness is the first one in the country, and it set the precedent for future wilderness spaces.

Aldo Leopold is to thank. He pushed for the wilderness to be preserved in the 20s after logging and road construction threatened it. 

Now, Pecotte says there are celebrations for this untouched natural beauty all year.

“We’ve been working with a wide variety of partners and other interested parties to develop a series of events to observe the Gila Wilderness Centennial,” Pecotte said. 

The first event starts in February. Then, in May, the Centennial Week will have several events around the wilderness. 

Pecotte says the best way to celebrate a century of nature is to be in it. She says the whole concept of the wilderness is to work with the land, not against it. 

“To be more holistic in our approach to how we manage what’s at the root of, of the land is water, let’s have healthy watersheds and restore forests to a condition where they can withstand fire,” said Pecotte. 

For more information on Gila’s Centennial Week events, click here.