Events
All events are FREE, open to the public, and take place at Valle de Oro's visitor center
unless noted otherwise. All times are in Mountain Time. Check websites and
our Facebook/Instagram pages for more information.
Electric Shuttle Tours
Starting in April, tours of the refuge in
our open-air electric shuttle will be
available on the first and last Saturdays
of each month, as well as the first Friday
of each month. Tours are led by
volunteers, take about 45 minutes and
are available on demand by checking in
at the visitor center front desk.
Tour Days:
Friday April 3
Saturday April 4
Saturday April 25
Friday May 1
Saturday May 2
Saturday May 30
Friday June 5
Saturday June 6
Saturday June 27
9:30 am to 2:00 pm each day
Sat. March 28
Weed Warriors
Volunteer Work Party
Join us for an afternoon spent
caring for the habitats around
the visitor center as we work to
remove invasive weeds from
around native plants. Tools are
provided. Bring your own work
gloves, a water bottle, and
layers of clothes to be prepared
for varying weather conditions!
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Fri. April 3
Nature Tots
Children ages 3-6 with an adult are
welcome to explore nature through
stories, simple activities, movement,
and outdoor time.
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Fri. April 10
Nature Kids
Children ages 6-10 with an adult are
invited to participate in hands-on
nature activities, guided exploration,
and creative projects connected to
refuge habitats.
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Sat. April 4
Backyard Habitat Chat
Come to Valle de Oro to chat with our
volunteers about the program, get help
certifying your backyard refuge (bring
pictures of your space!), and tour our
habitat garden at the visitor center.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Sat. April 11
Spring Plant Walk
Join Ranger Dakota for an easy walk
around the visitor center to learn
about native plants and their amazing
adaptations for living in the desert.
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Fri. April 17
Dark Sky Week Star Party
Join The Albuquerque Astronomical
Society for an evening of star gazing
and telescopes at Valle de Oro! Partner
organizations will have information
tables and there will be an educational
astronomy webinar at 7 pm.
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Sat. April 18
Community Earth Day
Join refuge staff and community partners
for a special day celebrating the resiliency
of the South Valley community. There will
be tours of the Mountain View
neighborhood, tours of the refuge,
tamales for lunch, speaker panels, and
giveaways of shade trees and seeds!
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
April 21-25
Earth Week Sunflower Kit Giveaway
Drop by the visitor center any time during
open hours this week and pick up a free
sunflower growing kit for your home
while supplies last!
9:00 am to 4:00 pm each day
Wed. April 22
Earth Day Volunteer Planting Project
Celebrate Earth Day and give back to the
land this year by helping the refuge
biology team and the Audubon Society
put new native plants in the ground at the
refuge! Space is limited and participants
must sign up by sending an email to
Ranger Dakota at:
dakota_dominguez@fws.gov
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Wed. April 22
Shade Tree Giveaway
Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps will
be giving away free shade trees as part
of an ongoing effort to increase canopy
cover in Albuquerque. You must live in
one of these zip codes to claim a tree:
87102, 87104, 87105, 87121
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Sat. April 25
Weed Warriors Volunteer Party
Help us combat invasive plants growing
at the visitor center and spend a couple
hours as a weed warrior! We will be
pulling invasive plants that challenge
native plants for space and resources.
You’ll learn to identify invasive plants
and tools, work gloves and snacks are
provided. Plan to cover your arms and
legs, wear closed-toed shoes and
protect yourself from the sun with a
hat or sunscreen.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Fri. May 1
Nature Tots
Children ages 3-6 with an adult are
welcome to explore nature through
stories, simple activities, movement,
and outdoor time.
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Sat. May 2
Saturday at the Refuge: Wind
Chimes
Create your own wind chime using
natural materials like sticks, seed pods,
and other found objects. As we build,
we’ll explore how wind moves across the
refuge landscape and how nature
creates its own music. This hands-on
craft is perfect for curious kids and
creative adults alike.
10:00 am to 1:oo pm
Fri. May 8
Nature Kids
Children ages 6-10 with an adult are
invited to participate in hands-on nature
activities, guided exploration, and
creative projects connected to refuge
habitats.
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Sat. May 9
World Migratory Bird Day
Join the refuge biology team for World
Migratory Bird Day. The conservation
theme this year is Every Bird Counts –
Your Observations Matter. Learn about
the importance of citizen science
programs that gather important data for
bird conservation, including fun apps
like Merlin! Afterwards, join the Bio
Team on a guided bird walk in our
restoration area.
7:30 am to 10:00 am
Sat. May 16
The Nature of Tea: Observing Nature
Through the Art of Brewing Tea
Tea (the infused leaves of the Camelia
sinensis plant) is the second most
consumed beverage in the world after
water, and since tea leaves come from
tea trees, the flavors and scents of the
teas we drink are shaped by natural
cycles of renewal and decay that we can
find in every ecosystem on Earth. Join
us for a unique ranger program where
four teas will guide us in learning about
seasonal cycles in the Middle Rio
Grande Valley ecosystem. We’ll learn
what plants and animals are doing and
what to look for in different seasons,
and we’ll learn the art of “gongfu” tea
brewing as a way of observing nature
through taste and smell. Space is
limited! Register by sending an email
to: dakota_dominguez@fws.gov
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Sat. May 23
Star Party with The Albuquerque
Astronomical Society
Come out to the refuge for a night of stargazing,
telescopes, and learning about the night sky!
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Fri. June 5
Nature Tots
Children ages 3-6 with an adult are
welcome to explore nature through
stories, simple activities, movement, and
outdoor time.
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Sat. June 6
Saturday at the Refuge: Pressed
Flower Bookmarks
Celebrate the beauty of wildflowers by
making your own pressed flower
bookmark. Using preserved flowers and
leaves, participants will create a simple
piece of nature art while learning about
the plants that grow around the refuge. A
peaceful, creative activity for all ages.
10:00 am to 1:oo pm
Fri. June 12
Nature Kids
Children ages 6-10 with an adult are
invited to participate in hands-on
nature activities, guided exploration,
and creative projects connected to
refuge habitats.
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Sat. June 13
Summer Shuttle Volunteer
Orientation
Sign up for this in-depth orientation to
become a tour guide and refuge shuttle
driver this summer! Send an email to:
dakota_dominguez@fws.gov to sign up
or ask questions.
10:00 am to 12:30 pm
Sat. June 27
Plant Adaptations Talk with Judith
Phillips
Join us for a talk about our local
survivors- exploring the many ways
desert plants have adapted to the
extremes of heat, cold, and inconsistent
moisture.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm