The Churro Sheep is an icon of resilience and adaptability in the Southwest deserts. First introduced by Spanish conquerors, the Churro became a sacred part of the pastoral Diné or Navajo way of life, and was essential to Indigenous tribes and Hispanic communities of New Mexico and Mexico.

Recently, we have discovered Churro sheep have an important role in mitigating climate stress on ecosystems, especially in their homeland desert regions. They are an essential part of regenerating dryland regions and fragile desert ecosystems, contribute to the health of bio-crusts and bear cultural significance for the many traditional pastoral communities of the Southwest.

Jennifer Douglass, Founder and Executive Director of Rio Milagro Foundation, will discuss her work with her primitive Churro flock on her farm in Southwest New Mexico. She will discuss the unique phenotype and adaptions of the primitive genetics of the Churro and why its inheritance and preservation matters for restoration ecology, cultural legacy and future generations.

Jennifer Douglass is a social practice artist, shepherd, and environmental activist that has committed her life to protecting ecology in the West and creative ways of bridging ideologies between loss of biodiversity, and human impact. She is Executive Director for Rio Milagro Foundation www.riomilagro.org and runs a women-led farm (Rio Milagro Farm www.riomilagrofarm.com, dedicated to conservation in both restorative ecology and the preservation of the landrace primitive genetics of Churro sheep in the Southwest. She has spent most of her adult life devoted to understanding the role landraces like the Churro have in carbon sequestering and soil regeneration in arid regions.