On a December morning in 2021, I stood at the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park, where the Rio Grande slips between limestone walls that rise as much as 1,500 feet (457 m) above the water. The river was so calm that morning it held a perfect reflection of the cliffs and the narrow ribbon of sky between them. What I remember most is the silence — the kind that makes you lower your voice without anyone asking.
This week, that memory collided with the news. On August 4, federal contractors moved bulldozers and trucks into the park near Cottonwood Campground, a short drive downstream from where I made this photograph, and by the next day crews had begun grading roads. The work falls under a $1.7 billion border-security contract — one of the largest ever awarded — that calls for vehicle barriers, surveillance technology, and up to 200 miles (322 km) of new patrol roads, some as wide as 24 feet (7.3 m), across the park. To clear the way, the federal government waived 28 laws in February that protect natural and cultural resources. Officials say no wall will be built inside the park itself, but barriers and roads on this scale will leave their own lasting mark.
A reel I watched on Instagram showed a javelina family — collared peccaries (Dicotyles tajacu) — hurrying away from the machines. That small scene stayed with me. Big Bend is one of the last places in Texas where wildlife still moves freely along the river corridor: black bears and mountain lions returned to the park from Mexico on their own four feet. For them, the Rio Grande has never been a dividing line. It is a lifeline, and barriers and wide roads carve it into pieces.
Standing where I stood that December morning, the question asks itself: with walls like these, fifteen hundred feet (457 m) of solid limestone, why do we need one made by human hands? Nature spent millions of years raising this wall, and still left a river-sized door in it.
I am not alone in asking. More than 130 conservation groups, outfitters, and local businesses — joined by voices from across the political spectrum in the border communities that know this land best — have asked Texas leaders to halt the project. A former superintendent of the park now leads a group called Keep Big Bend Wild, working to do exactly what its name says.
I will not pretend this post comes easily; sadness and anger both had their say in the first draft. But when I look in the mirror, I am at peace with the choices I have made for nature and the environment, and I would rather end with conviction than with anger. The canyon has stood for millions of years and will outlast all of us. The question is what we allow to stand beside it. If you love Big Bend as I do, you can learn more — and add your voice — at nobigbendwall.org and keepbigbendwild.org.
That is the story behind the shots. For more like this, enjoy these related stories: Big Bend NP, Landscapes, National Parks, Rio Grande, Santa Elena Canyon, and Texas. Until the next shoot, keep chasing the light and the wonders it reveals.
Sources:
• Marfa Public Radio — Border project contractors arrive in Big Bend National Park as Texas lawmakers call for a pause — https://www.marfapublicradio.org/news/2026-08-04/border-project-contractors-arrive-in-big-bend-national-park-as-texas-lawmakers-call-for-a-pause
• The Texas Tribune — No border wall in Big Bend, CBP commissioner says — https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/08/big-bend-national-park-border-wall-construction-cancelled/
• Sierra Club — Sierra Club Slams Trump Over First-Ever Waiver-Backed Border Construction Inside a National Park — https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2026/08/sierra-club-slams-trump-over-first-ever-waiver-backed-border-construction
• No Big Bend Wall coalition — Letter to Senator Cornyn, Senator Cruz, and Governor Abbott — https://nobigbendwall.org/2026/08/03/letter-to-senator-cornyn-senator-cruz-and-governor-abbott-protect-big-bends-river-recreation-economy-public-river-access-and-texas-natural-heritage-stop-needless-border-barrier/
• Keep Big Bend Wild — https://keepbigbendwild.org/
• National Park Service — Big Bend National Park — https://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm
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restlessjo
That is outrageous, Egidio! Please sign petitions, do whatever you can to stop this. I’m so sorry. It was such a stunning scene xx
Tra Italia e Finlandia
Peccato per tutta la natura che viene persa…
Pepper
This makes me so sad, Egidio. I understand your concern. Thanks for bringing awareness to the issue through your post.
Egidio Leitao
Pepper, thank you for your concern and feedback.
Anne Sandler
So sorry Egidio. Sometimes in the name of progress, heritage and beauty is lost. Most decisions are politically engineered.
Egidio Leitao
It’s so disrespectful, isn’t it. Thanks for your words.
pamperrault21
Oh, Egidio, this powerful post makes me so incredibly sad. When I read the title and saw your beautiful image, I’d no idea what the narrative would reveal, but I was sure it would be positive and uplifting, as are all your posts. It seems very easy these days for governments, touting “greater good” to ignore and even trample ecological protections. I hope and pray that the groups fighting this are successful, it would be a travesty if they are not. Thank you for writing this piece. You did good work here! pp
Egidio Leitao
Pam, as I indicated in the post, my first draft was full of anger. This is one beautiful park and very dear to my heart. I appreciate your supportive words. They mean a lot to me. Thank you!
pamperrault21
I signed:
You just signed Stop the construction of the “smart” wall in the Big Bend Sector, Big Bend National Park, and that’s a big deal. Change happens when people like you take action.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Pam.