Nature in Winter Festival at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park

By EMNRD

The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department State Parks Division is hosting a Nature in Winter Festival at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park on Saturday, January 11. Start the new year off by creating an inviting habitat for our wild neighbors. Come learn how to create a space on your porch or set-up your entire yard to help birds, insects, and other pollinators not only survive, but thrive.

 

Speakers include representatives from The ABQ Backyard Refuge Program, the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program, and Justin Stevenson from RD Wildlife Management will present on bats. Representatives from Albuquerque Open Space and the Sandia Mountain Natural History Center will also be in attendance. There will be a kid’s craft area and the children Discovery Room will be re-dedicated after an extensive renovation.

Nature Center volunteers will lead bird and nature walks throughout the day. Wildlife Rescue Inc will be in attendance with live birds discussing their important work. Central New Mexico Audubon Society will set up in the observation room to help with bird identification.

 

The $3/vehicle day-use fee or display of annual permit applies. Festival events are free.

 

 

NATURE IN WINTER FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

 

8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Bird walks with Nature Center volunteers

10:30 a.m. Nature walk with Nature Centervolunteers

10:30 a.m. Presentation: ABQ Backyard Refuge Program- Education Building

12:00 noon Re-dedication of children’s Discovery Room in the Visitor Center

12:30 p.m. Presentation: Becoming a Citizen Scientist- Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP) – Education Building

2:00 p.m. Presentation: Bat Conservation in New Mexico with Justin Stevenson – Education Building

3:00 p.m. Nature walk with Nature Centervolunteers

 

In the Visitor Center 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

 

• Nature Shop
• Bosque Bits Table
• Kids Crafts
• Live Birds with Wildlife Rescue Inc. of New Mexico
• Bird identification with Central New Mexico Audubon Society

 

In the Education Building 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. representatives from:

 

• ABQ Open Space Division
• RD Wildlife Management
• Sandia Mountain Natural History Center