Wakeem/Teschner Nature Preserve at Resler Canyon
Photo by Scott Cutler
Resler Canyon was The Frontera Land Alliance’s first land preservation project. Its story is one of inspiring generosity and community cooperation.
Ribbon cutting for Wakeem/Teschner Nature Preserve
The 91-acre Resler Canyon was The Frontera Land Alliance’s first land preservation project and is owned and managed today by The Frontera Land Alliance, El Paso’s only 501(c)3 nationally-accredited land conservation organization. Its story is one of inspiring generosity and community cooperation.
For two decades, this urban canyon—once threatened by large-scale real estate development—has remained protected because people like you believed in the power of open space, quiet beauty, and community action. Resler Canyon is more than just a trailhead or a view—it’s a symbol of what we can protect when we come together. Today, Resler’s desert trails are walked by families, birdwatchers, students, and hikers alike. Wildlife like bobcats, quail, and lizards still roam here. Desert blooms still surprise us with their resilience.
Since 2005 we have worked with schools, organizations, businesses, universities and so many more volunteers to manage the land. Together we have installed wattles to ensure a large, disturbed area would regenerate plants, and today that area looks amazing. With help from many volunteers, we’ve installed one-rock-dams to reduce erosion and ensure the trails are safe. We have planted many native plants, removed invasive species, and picked up hundreds of bags of trash. We have added educational signs and we’ve created a 2-mile-long hiking trial loop. In sum, the Charlie Wakeem and Richard Teschner Nature Preserve of Resler Canyon is a wonderful place to visit!
Creosote in bloom, July 2, 2025
Back Story: The Wakeem/Teschner Nature Preserve was established in late 2004 as a refuge for plant and animal species within an urban area of El Paso. Today the preserve, privately owned by The Frontera Land Alliance, has two miles of trail where people are invited to enjoy this natural area for walking and nature observation. We ask that people and their pets stay on maintained trails to avoid detrimental impacts on the local ecology. Some trails may be closed or re-routed from time to time to protect sensitive habitats.
In January 2004, Dr. Richard V. Teschner, a professor of linguistics at the University of Texas at El Paso and a resident of the Coronado Townhomes (located just to the north of Resler Canyon itelf), began working behind the scenes to purchase the arroyo. Dr. Teschner had recently received a substantial inheritance from his deceased parents. He independently decided he wanted to use his newfound wealth to “Save the Canyon”—an unconventional choice without a doubt, and one that would have a profound influence on the progress of El Paso’s preservation efforts in general and The Frontera Land Alliance in particular. In the spring of the previous year (2003), Charlie Wakeem—a native El Paso businessman who at the time was the President of the Coronado Neighborhood Association (whose multi-neighborhood West Side El Paso territory included all of Resler Canyon)—had initiated the canyon-preserving campaign, which generated considerable support from Coronado residents, including many residents of the Coronado Townhomes. From 2003 to the end of 2004, membership in the CNA had grown tenfold, from 25 to at least 250.
In the spring of 2005, Dr. Teschner made known his plans to members of Frontera’s board. The land trust evaluated the site and determined that Resler Canyon would be a good fit for achieving the organization’s mission. Dr. Teschner involved Frontera in subsequent stages of negotiation, and he and ultimately donated $1.87 million to Frontera for the land trust to purchase the property directly. And El Paso’s city government played a pivotal role in the deal by earmarking $347,500 for much-needed repairs to drainage structures feeding into the canyon. On December 23rd, 2005, the final transaction was completed, and Frontera became the owner of the 91 acres now known as the Charlie Wakeem and Richard Teschner Nature Preserve of Resler Canyon, or “the Wakeem/Teschner Nature Preserve” for short.
Community Inspiration: Residents of established neighborhoods often assumed the arroyos would remain in their natural state forever, but recent rapid growth placed acute pressure on privately owned arroyos. Resler Canyon was one of the first to be slated for development.
When plans were put forward to construct approximately 195 (later revised to 140) single-family homes in the 91-acre canyon, the City of El Paso became caught up in a struggle between the adjacent Coronado Neighborhood Association (led by the aforementioned local businessman and preservationist Charlie Wakeem) and the canyon’s owner and would-be developer, the Hunt Building Company. Efforts to reach a satisfying compromise ground to an impasse and protracted litigation seemed imminent.
It took the determination, cooperation, and goodwill of many parties: Hunt Building Company, Dr. Teschner and his attorneys at the ScottHulse Law Firm, the City of El Paso staff and elected officials, the Coronado Neighborhood Association, and Frontera’s board all worked hard to bring about this happy conclusion. The culmination of a year of intense negotiations was a manifold accomplishment: preserving an arroyo of key significance to El Paso, maintaining the character of several well-established neighborhoods, and demonstrating that preserving unique natural features is valuable and achievable goal. Based on the success of Resler Canyon, the City of El Paso went on to initiate a public planning process for city-wide open space preservation.
Resler Canyon is managed and owned by Frontera as a nature preserve. It is open to the public for walking, meditation, wildlife observation, and similar low-impact activities. In accordance with Dr. Teschner’s wishes, there are no plans to construct visitor facilities or additional trails. Frontera holds biannual community clean-up days in the spring and fall and works to re-vegetate areas of the canyon impacted by erosion, illegal dumping, and drainage repair work.
Water that flows from from El Paso’s six-peak Franklin Mountains to the east and then all the way through Resler Canyon directly feeds the Keystone Wetland, a city-owned, privately-managed natural area and the site of the archeological remains of a 4000-year-old Native American village. The mile-long length of Resler Canyon’s soils and plants provides vital filtering that enhances the water quality for this rare desert wetland.
Photo by Scott Cutler
Uses Allowed with Prior Permission
The following activities require advance written permission. Please contact janae@fronteralandalliance.org to find out how to obtain permission.
Educational Programs and Field Trips: Organizations and school groups may use them for environmental programs and educational field trips. Interested parties larger than 12 people should contact the Frontera office.
Research and Field Study: Individuals from educational, research, academic, governmental, or other recognized institutions can conduct non-destructive field study and research with prior written permission. The following are required: 1. Submit Request stating: Non-invasive sampling. Purpose of research, how will use the land (impact), time frame, a number of times to access the site, who will oversee research at the site, will you be taking anything from the land, leaving anything on the land. Other details to help the Frontera Board of Directors make a decision. For each research project, we request the following: 1. Copy of the final report. 2. Copies of any publications resulting from or including work done in the preserve.
To ensure the plants and animals are protected, all vehicles (motorized, peddled, or otherwise) are prohibited. Exceptions include emergency vehicles or utility companies accessing their infrastructures. Also prohibited are the following: Camping, fires, feeding of wildlife, trapping, baiting, shelters, dogs off-leash, collecting, hunting, and fishing.
In the past, El Paso’s development occurred mainly on tablelands (mesas). Residents of established neighborhoods often assumed the arroyos would remain in their natural state forever, but recent rapid growth placed
Below is an incomplete list of plants and animals that make their home at the Wakeem/Teschner Nature Preserve. If you identify a new species on a visit to the canyon, please contact us and we’ll add it to the list.
Birds: Golden Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Gambel’s Quail, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Great Horned Owl, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Western Kingbird, Verdin, Cactus Wren, Northern Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch
Other Animals: Black-tailed Jackrabbit, Desert Cottontail, Coyote, Mule Deer, Texas Horned Lizard, Collared Lizard, Checkered Whiptail
Native Plants: Littleleaf sumac (Rhus microphylla), Silverleaf bahia (Bahia absinthifolia), Desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata), Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis), Mountain peppergrass (Lepidium montanum), BSi-colored mustard (Nerisyrenia camporum), Spectaclepod (Dimorphocarpa wislizenii), Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp.), Barrel cactus (Ferocactus wislizenii), Viscid acacia (Acacia neovernicosa), Honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), Ocotillo, (Fouquieria splendens), Scorpionweed (Phacelia spp.), Ratany (Krameria spp.), Stinging cevallia (Cevallia sinuata), Blazingstar (Mentzelia multiflora), Sacred datura (Datura wrightii), Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), Lechuguilla (Agave lechuguilla), Soaptree yucca (Yucca elata), Torrey yucca (Yucca torreyi), Mormon tea (Ephedra spp.), Fluff grass (Dasyochloa pulchella)
Exotic Plants: Tumbleweed (Salsola tragus), Mexican palo verde (Parkinsonia aculeata), Yellowbird of paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii), Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila), Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus)
Preserve Rules
Wakeem/Teschner Nature Preserve at Resler Canyon is owned and Managed by The Frontera Land Alliance.
Take only pictures, leave only footprints
No hunting
No dumping
No camping
No vehicles
No bicycles
No plant collecting
No fires
El Paso Electric is committed to environmental stewardship! Team EPE partnered with The Frontera Land Alliance to beautify Resler Canyon and ensure that this natural habitat is preserved and maintained. Watch Video
Owned and managed by The Frontera Land Alliance
For information call 915-351-8352 or visit www.FronteraLandAlliance.org
