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Helping to restore the Rio Grande Floodplain with Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge

Audubon New Mexico is requesting volunteers to join a day of habitat restoration and environmental education at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.
White faced Ibis Photo: Rick Strait
Get Involved

Helping to restore the Rio Grande Floodplain with Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge

Audubon New Mexico is requesting volunteers to join a day of habitat restoration and environmental education at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.

Thanks to a generous grant from Coca-Cola through the replenish program and Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Audubon New Mexico is working in partnership with Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) to restore and enhance wetland, riparian, and upland ecosystems in the Middle Rio Grande floodplain for birds, wildlife, and the communities that love them. The refuge is located five miles south of downtown Albuquerque on 570-acres formerly managed as Prices’ Dairy and serves as important stopover habitat for migrating shorebirds and waterfowl in the Central Flyway. The Rio Grande flows, adjacent to the site, historically flooded the grounds creating seasonal wetlands that supported native plants and provided habitat where birds could forage and rest. Today, more than 80% of wetlands have been lost to development and degradation, but working together, we have an opportunity to bring a portion of it back.  Please join us in caring for this valuable landscape by volunteering at our July 28th restoration day

Overview and Details

Meeting Time: Saturday, July 28th 8am - 2pm 

Location: Valle de Oro NWR7851 2nd St SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105

What to Bring: Sunscreen, closed toe shoes, water - lunch will be provided 

The day will begin with a guided bird walk  followed by getting our hands dirty by  planting native shrubs and grasses, and ending with a freshwater education overview  that will engage volunteers in the history of the Middle Rio Grande and how Audubon New Mexico, Valle de Oro NWR, and others plan to work together to protect it. Audubon New Mexico has been leading Rio Grande conservation solutions for over 15 years; focused on the Middle Rio Grande Basin through precedent-setting water transactions for environmental flows and other innovate methods that support restoration and resiliency in the floodplain. The future of our Rio Grande’s societal-ecologic ecosystem is greatly dependent on what we do in the next decade. As a member of the public, you can affect the health and function of sensitive ecosystems by volunteering to help build a wildlife sanctuary in one of the most developed regions of New Mexico. RSVP today as space is limited - additional details will be sent upon RSVP.

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