Rising Circle Ranch Camp: Horses, Land, & the Wisdom of Place

As our Santa Fe Program Director & Facilitator Lead, Mary’s an experienced leader of mission-driven organizations and initiatives that benefit individuals and communities and strive to advance a more hopeful, caring, and connected world.

As a facilitator and strategic advisor, she’s coached teams and facilitated multi-year projects to transform communities, created and led training and dialogues across the country, and worked for 15+ years with research-practice bridging organizations including Challenge Success and the John W. Gardner Center, both Stanford University-affiliated research organizations.

Before joining MEA in 2024, Mary took a mid-career sabbatical to reflect on purpose, study Spanish, travel, and volunteer with whale shark research and conservation. She also serves as a Senior Advisor with Heartwise Learning, and works with both corporate and educational clients in strategic planning and values alignment. She’s thrilled to be based back in Santa Fe after a 22-year stint in the Bay Area!

Joanna Nichols is the Ranch Manager at MEA, where she leads a hands-on ranch program focused on horsemanship, regenerative practices, and meaningful guest experiences.

Her connection to horses began at age four, growing up riding, caring for animals, and competing in horse shows. She later became a collegiate tennis player and art major, with a lifelong passion for creativity.

After working as a teaching tennis professional and decorative artist in Austin, Texas – where she also built a successful 1,500-member networking community – Joanna felt called back to her roots. That path came full circle when she met her husband, a renowned horse trainer, and returned to ranch life.

At MEA, she’s built a growing program that includes cattle management, regenerative grazing, and guest experiences such as trail rides, cattle drives, and carriage rides – bringing her lifelong passions together in a purposeful way.

Christian Talamantes is a modern‑day cowboy whose work is rooted as much in the land as it is in the horse. Based in the Galisteo Basin of northern New Mexico, he brings a rare blend of science, stewardship, and traditional ranch skills to everything he does.

With a background in biology and decades of hands‑on experience, Christian is a true land steward – reading the ground, the grasses, and the animals as one connected system. His work spans holistic range management, vegetation analysis, and regenerative practices, with a deep understanding of how cattle, sheep, and goats can help restore and revitalize the land.

At Rising Circle Ranch, Christian leads regenerative grazing efforts, shaping a program that brings life back to the soil through thoughtful animal impact and careful observation. His approach blends science with instinct, combining formal training with years spent working the land.

Alongside his stewardship, Christian is an accomplished horseman and working farrier. He has spent decades shoeing and caring for horses on working ranches and training horses for real‑world ranch and backcountry use. His horsemanship is quiet, capable, and deeply respectful – built on understanding rather than force.

A lifelong artist, he spent nine years touring with his band and now brings music into the ranch experience at MEA. Whether playing at special events or around a fire, his music adds a layer of connection and authenticity that can’t be faked. Christian represents a rare kind of presence where cowboy tradition, ecological awareness, and creative spirit come together.