When everything else in Burque is falling apart, you can still walk along a ditch

These are tough times in our beautiful city.

Violent crime is rising, and Burquenos are worried about it. They have reason to be. Our state already ranks among the worst in the nation on crime, domestic violence and drug addiction.

Then, this week came the news that a major mental health provider – an organization that treated thousands of people in Albuquerque, many of them low-income – would close its doors.

Another gaping hole in our city’s safety net.

Too often, our coffers are empty, our resources overstretched, when it comes to helping the neediest among us.

But there is one resource we have in abundance, one that studies have found could help reduce the risk of depression: our beautiful natural environment, with 310 days of sunshine a year.

It is no replacement for food, shelter, medical treatment, counseling, drug treatment, policies or laws addressing public health needs. We are going to have to find ways to make more of all those things accessible to our residents, or stay at the bottom of every list forever.

But being in the natural world more is one thing that could help many people in Albuquerque, at least a little, at least for a moment. Maybe that little boost could help more people continue the endless search for the more elusive resources they need.

The wilderness is as near and accessible here as it is almost anywhere in the country, but it is still not accessible to all.

Walking through a gate into the wilderness is usually free, or cheap. But you typically need a car to get there, and gasoline, and some basic gear for when you arrive (proper outdoor footwear, compass, map, extra food and water.) You also need time. If you’re juggling multiple jobs, working every day, a full-time caregiver, a hike can quickly edge out of the realm of possibility.

But there is one natural resource within immediate walking distance of virtually every person in Albuquerque.

Ditches.

There are 1,200 miles of irrigation ditches and acequias carrying water throughout the Middle Rio Grande Valley, according to the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. Some were first used by Native Americans 500 years ago. Others were built by Spanish settlers in the 1600s.

In a land where water was extremely scarce, people found ways to get the most precious of resources to people who need it.

If you have half an hour, you can spend time walking alongside a ditch. If you have more time and access to a bicycle, your options for exploring the paths along the city’s ditch network multiply. (To state the obvious: stay away from ditches and out of arroyos after we’ve been blessed with abundant rain, and respect the water’s power always.)

All ditch paths are not created equal. In Albuquerque’s agricultural valleys, you’ll walk under massive cottonwoods and see birds and ducks frolicking.

I saw more wildlife on a five-mile ditch path walk Saturday than I usually see in a day in the mountains or the open desert. Plus goats. And reading material.

In some neighborhoods, the closest ditch might be accompanied by a concrete path under the baking sun.

All ditch paths provide direct access to sunlight and fresh air, for free, in a matter of moments.

Our coffers may too often be empty, but, this year at least, our ditches are full.

May we find solace in walking alongside them, and may this abundant resource inspire us to build a network of resources where all the people of Albuquerque can get the help they need.