Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge

01/27/2023

Welcome to this week’s , your weekly opportunity to learn about all the exciting projects happening on and around YOUR Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.

We had our first day of our Visitor Center Pond Clean up today and the volunteers did an incredible job! The volunteers removed cattails, algae and tumblew**ds to help improve the health and visibility of the pond. Many of the materials will be reused for gardens or composted. Check out these pictures from volunteer Morgan. We'll be doing the project again tomorrow from 12:30-3:30 so if you want to join the fun, come on out!

Speaking of volunteers, the Friends of Valle de Oro are looking for volunteers to help in their nature store. If you would like to help out please reach out to [email protected]

Lots of exciting things are happening at Valle de Oro, thanks for being a part of our transformation! Don’t forget you can sign up for these updates via email by dropping us a line at [email protected] or just check in with us on Facebook every Thursday. We hope to see you on the refuge soon and in our new Visitor Center (Now open Tues-Sat 9am-4pm).

01/26/2023

Welcome to this week’s edition of

​Taking time to reflect on all the memories and hard work that went into the refuge this past year, our staff came across a small little gem in the photo album. Looking back at this time last year, it seemed like just yesterday that we were knee deep in the pond at the visitor center, taking care of cattail. Looking out onto the pond now, we can see how much the cattail was able to grow within the past year.
​With this amount of unexpected growth from the cattail in the past year, here at the refuge, we realize managing cattail in the pond would be one of our goals for the new year. As lovely as the cattail has been, our goal is to make room for other native species we want to see take up space and hope to establish in the new year around the visitor center. In order to accomplish this goal for the new year, the refuge is planning a volunteer event for a pond clean-up this week.
​This Thursday and Friday January 26 & 27, volunteers are invited to help out with pond clean-up by removing the excess cattail and algae growth on either afternoon between 12:30 to 3:30 pm. For any further questions about the event, please reach out to Park Ranger Dakota at: [email protected]


Photos courtesy of K. McVey and K. Murphy

01/25/2023

If you are planning to come to the pond cleanup event tomorrow (or Friday) starting at 12:30 PM, please remember to bring warm clothes that you don't mind getting messy! It will also be a good idea to bring waterproof boots, and insulated work gloves if you have them. It's going to be muddy, and chilly, but we'll still have fun!
We'll have some snacks and warm drinks, as well as a few pairs of boots/waders that volunteers can borrow.

01/20/2023

Welcome to this week’s , your weekly opportunity to learn about all the exciting projects happening on and around YOUR Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.

Tonight was a special night at the refuge as we had the honor of celebrating the amazing volunteers that make Valle de Oro run. Thirty volunteers for the refuge, Friends of Valle de Oro and the Albuquerque Backyard Refuge Program gathered for dinner and celebration of a great 2022! Special awards were given to outstanding volunteers in each program: Nature Store- Bryan and Denise, Landscaping- Pai, Welcome Desk-Joe and Corrinne, Backyard Refuge Program- Debbie, Stasia and Miranda, and Management support- Sandy. Thank you to all of our volunteers for being the heart of Valle de Oro!

Speaking of volunteers, we have a new opportunity available. If you are the kind of person who enjoys organization, printing, filing and other administrative tasks, check out our administrative support volunteer position. We could really use your help!

And finally this week a message from our Valle de Oro Environmental Justice Leadership Team. We were hoping to have an Environmental Justice Strategic Plan update session this week but are postponing it to March to allow for more time for review, reflection and collaboration. We are looking forward to sharing more in a couple months.

Lots of exciting things are happening at Valle de Oro, thanks for being a part of our transformation! Don’t forget you can sign up for these updates via email by dropping us a line at [email protected] or just check in with us on Facebook every Thursday. We hope to see you on the refuge soon and in our new Visitor Center (Now open Tues-Sat 9am-4pm).

01/13/2023

www.volunteer.gov

We are seeking a Volunteer Administrative Assistant!

A lot goes on behind the scenes in running a wildlife refuge, if you have some experience with general clerical/administrative tasks, we could use your help! Learn more about this opportunity and apply to join our volunteer team on volunteer.gov

Follow this link:
https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a093d000000kp0LAAQ/admin-assistant-volunteer

01/13/2023

Welcome to this week’s , your weekly opportunity to learn about all the exciting projects happening on and around YOUR Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.

Are you an educator looking for a great local based curriculum to help connect your students to the bosque and the Rio Grande? If so, come join our Bosque Education Guide Training on Saturday, January 21st. The curriculum provides classroom-based and field activities for students grades K-12. Newly updated activities include Next Generation Science Standards/NM STEM Ready! Science Standards and Spanish language materials.

Along the Rio Grande this week, Valle de Oro staff and volunteers helped support our US Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Game Bird Coordinator with Sandhill Crane banding at the Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex. Staff and volunteers learned the importance of banding birds like Sandhill cranes to help understand their health and how ready the birds are for migration. Our team got hands on practice learning how to catch and band larger birds, a big change from the smaller birds that we normally band at Valle de Oro. Here's a picture of our team getting the net ready to safely catch the cranes and a beautiful Mountain Bluebird the team saw while waiting for the cranes.

Speaking of our biology program, we currently have a job opening for a year long individual placement through our partners at Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps. Check it out and please share the opportunity along to a young indigenous person looking for a career in conservation.

Finally, Valle de Oro and our partners are hosting a Middle Rio Grande Conservation Career Fair on February 11th. This will be a great opportunity to learn about summer jobs and get to meet people from many conservation employment organizations in the Albuquerque area. Mark your calendar!

Lots of exciting things are happening at Valle de Oro, thanks for being a part of our transformation! Don’t forget you can sign up for these updates via email by dropping us a line at [email protected] or just check in with us on Facebook every Thursday. We hope to see you on the refuge soon and in our new Visitor Center (Now open Tues-Sat 9am-4pm).

01/12/2023

Happy Thursday 😊 We love to create content YOU want to learn about!

Drop a comment or send us a message with a question or topic you’re curious about when it comes to Valle de Oro NWR 🌿



Photo credit: B. Chavarria//USFWS

01/12/2023

Annual Member Meeting | Friends of Valle De Oro

Annual Member Meeting | Friends of Valle De Oro

« All Events Annual Member Meeting February 4 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm « Birds & Breakfast Conservation Careers Fair » Save the date for our Annual Member Meeting! Join us as we review 2022 and look forward to 2023! Expect presentations about how the Refuge will evolve in the next year and how you c...

01/06/2023

Welcome to this week’s , your weekly opportunity to learn about all the exciting projects happening on and around YOUR Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.

Did you make a New Year's Resolution? Was it to give back more to your community? Get more involved? Learn something new? Get outdoors more? Try a new job? Well Valle de Oro can be just the place to accomplish these goals. Here's how!

If you are looking for a way to give back to your community and to the environment, come volunteer at Valle de Oro! We have a pond clean up event scheduled for the end of the month and you're invited to come help. If that event doesn't fit your schedule, reach out to our volunteer coordinator Dakota to learn about other opportunities ([email protected])

If you are wanting to get outdoors more or learn something new, check out all of the events happening over the next 3 months at Valle de Oro. There is something for everyone from kids to individuals and families. We'll have interpretive hikes, story time, art events, ways to learn about environmental justice and more!

If you are a young person looking to start your conservation career, Valle de Oro is hiring a Biological Technician through our partners at Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps. You can find out more about the job here: https://jobs.silkroad.com/ConservationLegacy/Careers/jobs/3881

Lots of exciting things are happening at Valle de Oro, thanks for being a part of our transformation! Don’t forget you can sign up for these updates via email by dropping us a line at [email protected] or just check in with us on Facebook every Thursday. We hope to see you on the refuge soon and in our new Visitor Center (Now open Tues-Sat 9am-4pm).

01/05/2023

Good afternoon Valle de Oro neighbors, friends and visitors. Its time for us to share our invasive plant management plan for the month of January. Check it out! As part of this work we are looking for volunteers to come help us clean up the Visitor Center pond by removing cattails and some algae. Come get muddy with us!

01/02/2023

✨Happy New Year✨ from your friends at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge! May this year bring you much happiness, wellness, and success!

We’re happy to introduce you to our new . We hope you enjoy the series as much as we do!

Our new event calendar for January through March is also now available! Please let us know if you have any questions about any upcoming event.

(Pictured: A Western Meadowlark singing while wearing a clip art New Years hat)

12/30/2022

Welcome to this week’s , your weekly opportunity to learn about all the exciting projects happening on and around YOUR Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.

As the year comes to a close, we are looking back at a great year of accomplishments. This was a big year for Valle de Oro and we are so grateful to all of our staff, volunteers, Friends, partners and community members who played a role in the many successful projects this year. Here are some of our big highlights:

We celebrated the refuge's 10th birthday with the opening of our brand new Visitor Center!

We finished the construction of two new wetlands and added 35,000 willows, 800 cottonwood, 43,904 salt grass plugs, 2,198 sacaton plugs (two species), 2,212 lbs of wetland seed, 766 shrub species of many varieties, 50 upland desert plants of many varieties, 30 yuccas and over 40 transplants of showy milkw**d and yerba mansa to the refuge as part of our habitat restoration work.

Our partners at AMAFCA completed the large stormwater swale through the refuge, one step closer to protecting the neighborhood from flooding and creating habitats with the flood waters.

We supported our commitment to Environmental Justice with two months worth of our Environmental Justice Community Day events, opening our Environmental and Economic Justice Library and started a new air quality monitoring partnership with the Pueblo of Isleta and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

We hosted many visitors to the refuge this year from neighbors, school groups, tourists, US Fish and Wildlife Service staff from across the country and dignitaries like Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.

Our partners at ALMA completed two new mosaic sculptures (fish) on the west side of the refuge, you can see these by walking or biking on our new Bosque Loop trail!
There were so many things that happened this year on Valle de Oro, we can't name them all. What was your favorite?

Final reminder, there is just a little time left to get your photos submitted for our annual photo contest. If you have a great picture of wildlife, people, landscapes or the transformation of the refuge (like any of the activities above), make sure to submit them by the end of the year. All photos must be taken on the refuge and there is still some time to get out to Valle de Oro to take those winning pics.

If you love Valle de Oro and want to work with us to help 2023 be as great a year as 2022, this is a reminder that we have a summer job opening at the refuge. We are looking for someone to join our maintenance team for 6 months starting this spring. You can find out more and apply here: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/693268800

Lots of exciting things are happening at Valle de Oro, thanks for being a part of our transformation! Don’t forget you can sign up for these updates via email by dropping us a line at [email protected] or just check in with us on Facebook every Thursday. We hope to see you on the refuge soon and in our new Visitor Center (Now open Tues-Sat 9am-4pm).

12/28/2022

We are hiring!

Valle de Oro is currently recruiting for a 6 month temporary position in our maintenance program starting Spring 2023.

Learn more and apply on USA Jobs here: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/693268800

12/23/2022

Reminder that the visitor center and nature store will be closed tomorrow (Saturday, December 24th). We will reopen to normal hours on Tuesday December 27th.
Happy holidays!

12/23/2022

Welcome to this week’s , your weekly opportunity to learn about all the exciting projects happening on and around YOUR Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.

A huge thank you to everyone who came out to our luminaria event and star party last Friday night. We had over 200 people visit the refuge and had a great time sharing hot chocolate and looking at the stars and luminarias with our friends and neighbors. We also want to give a big shout out to our friends at The Albuquerque Astronomical Society for bringing out the telescopes, teaching us all about the stars and helping us all enjoy the dark skies at the refuge. If you took some pictures at the event, we would love to see them. Make sure to tag us or share with us on Facebook or Instagram.

And speaking of pictures, there is just a little time left to get your photos submitted for our annual photo contest. If you have a great picture of wildlife, people, landscapes or the transformation of the refuge, make sure to submit them by the end of the year. All photos must be taken on the refuge and there is still some time to get out to Valle de Oro to take those winning pics. Check out the flyer for more details and contest rules.

If you love Valle de Oro and want to work with us, this is a reminder that we have a summer job opening at the refuge. We are looking for someone to join our maintenance team for 6 months starting this spring. You can find out more and apply here: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/693268800

Finally, a reminder that we have special holiday hours coming up. The Visitor Center will be closed this Saturday, December 24th so our staff and volunteers can spend time with our families. The refuge itself is still open 1 hour before sunrise to 1 our after sunset every day if you want to come for a walk or bike ride.

Lots of exciting things are happening at Valle de Oro, thanks for being a part of our transformation! Don’t forget you can sign up for these updates via email by dropping us a line at [email protected] or just check in with us on Facebook every Thursday. We hope to see you on the refuge soon and in our new Visitor Center (Now open Tues-Sat 9am-4pm).

12/21/2022

ICYMI- Check out these fun fish and wildlife themed holiday cards! You can see the whole collection here: https://fws.gov/library/collections/holiday-cards-anglers-fishers-and-fish-lovers

12/21/2022

Thank you to everyone that attended last Friday’s luminaria walk and star party! If you have any photos from the night you would like to share with us, please send them our way 😊

Here’s just a few of our favorites- the visitor center with a starry night sky, Puddles and friends rockin’ their holiday sweaters, story time in the exhibit hall, and another great shot of the luminarias 📸

We look forward to seeing you all again at future events!

**Check out our Fall Calendar in our photo section and our Winter Calendar will be available soon!

Photo credit: D. Dominguez and B. Chavarria // USFWS

12/16/2022

Job alert!!! We are looking for someone to join our maintenance team for 6 months starting this spring. You can find out more and apply here: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/693268800

12/16/2022

Interested in learning more about the refuge's story? Bundle up and join us tomorrow, December 17th at 10 AM as Ranger Dakota will be leading the last interpretive walk of 2022!
This easy 1 mile guided walk will follow our Field Mural Loop as we discuss the unique story of the Southwest's first Urban National Wildlife Refuge and the ongoing restoration work as we transform this former dairy farm into a refuge for wildlife and people.
The group will meet by the refuge amphitheater at the visitor center at 10 AM and return to the visitor center by 11:30 AM.

12/16/2022

Welcome to this week’s , your weekly opportunity to learn about all the exciting projects happening on and around YOUR Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.

We want to start this week by giving a big thank you to everyone who came out to make luminarias with us last Saturday. We are getting really excited about our luminaria event and star party tomorrow. Come join us from 6pm to 9pm to see the community designed luminarias, look through telescopes with the Albuquerque Astronomical Society, enjoy some hot chocolate and warm cider and make some holiday crafts. As always all events at Valle de Oro are free and family friendly so grab your family, friends and neighbors and come visit!

Also, coming up this weekend is the short term closure of our Visitor Center and bathrooms due to water line construction near by. After the Visitor Center closes on Saturday afternoon at 4pm, the water will be shut off to the refuge until the evening of Wednesday, December 21st. The refuge lands will be open but the visitor center and bathrooms will be closed during this time. We appreciate your understanding. Check out our other December Visitor Center and Friends Nature Store closures for the holidays.

Finally we want to let you know about a summer job opening at the refuge. We are looking for someone to join our maintenance team for 6 months starting this spring. You can find out more and apply here: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/693268800

Lots of exciting things are happening at Valle de Oro, thanks for being a part of our transformation! Don’t forget you can sign up for these updates via email by dropping us a line at [email protected] or just check in with us on Facebook every Thursday. We hope to see you on the refuge soon and in our new Visitor Center (Now open Tues-Sat 9am-4pm).

12/09/2022

Welcome to this week’s , your weekly opportunity to learn about all the exciting projects happening on and around YOUR Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.

Just a reminder that this Saturday, December 10th from 9am - 4pm you are invited to join us to make plant and wildlife themed luminarias. Our community luminarias will then be on display the next Friday, December 16th from 6pm - 9pm for our first ever luminaria walk and star party. We will have snacks, crafts, story time, a star party with the Albuquerque Astronomical Society and of course luminarias all around our new visitor center. Come experience the beauty of the refuge at night!

In construction news AMAFCA is continuing construction on the north end of the refuge working on the Barr drain and Barr spur improvements. You can find out more about the project here: https://amafca.org/projects/vdo-barr-improvements/

Because of this project water to the refuge will be shut off for a portion of time in December and therefore our Visitor Center and bathrooms will be closed from the evening of December 17th through the evening of December 21st. Please check out our holiday hours before planning to visit the Visitor Center or Friends of Valle de Oro Nature Store but know that the refuge lands are always open 365 days a year.

Lots of exciting things are happening at Valle de Oro, thanks for being a part of our transformation! Don’t forget you can sign up for these updates via email by dropping us a line at [email protected] or just check in with us on Facebook every Thursday. We hope to see you on the refuge soon and in our new Visitor Center (Now open Tues-Sat 9am-4pm).

12/03/2022

Hi there Valle de Oro Neighbors and Visitors. Its the start of a new month and even though it is cold and rainy outside today, we are still thinking ahead to the work we need to do this winter to manage the invasive plants on the refuge. Check out this map to see where we are focusing our time with mowing, w**d whipping and manual removal. If you have any questions, let us know. We hope all this work will prepare us for a beautiful spring at the refuge!

12/02/2022

Welcome to this week’s , your weekly opportunity to learn about all the exciting projects happening on and around YOUR Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.

As the days get shorter and colder it is starting to feel like winter and that makes us excited for winter things like luminarias and the Christmas Bird Count. Good thing we have both of those on our winter schedule!

We invite all of our neighbors and friends to join us next Saturday, December 10th from 9am - 4pm to make plant and wildlife themed luminarias. Our community luminarias will then be on display the next Friday, December 16th from 6pm - 9pm for our first ever luminaria walk and star party. We will have snacks, crafts, story time, a star party with the Albuquerque Astronomical Society and of course luminarias all around our new visitor center. Come experience the beauty of the refuge at night!

The on Friday December 30th we will host our Valle de Oro Christmas Bird Count. Experienced birdwatchers and new birders alike are invited to participate. Section packets can be sent and returned via email or in person at Valle de Oro NWR. The count will happen from 7am to 5pm and we are going to try to count as many birds as we can in our 15 mile circle. To participate, and for more information about how we are making our event COVID-safe, email us at [email protected]

Lots of exciting things are happening at Valle de Oro, thanks for being a part of our transformation! Don’t forget you can sign up for these updates via email by dropping us a line at [email protected] or just check in with us on Facebook every Thursday. We hope to see you on the refuge soon and in our new Visitor Center (Now open Tues-Sat 9am-4pm).

As a reminder, now that Bernalillo County is in CDC COVID Community Level High, masks are required in all refuge buildings. Thanks for helping us keep everyone safe!

11/30/2022

Mark your calendars! 🗓️

Stop by any time from 9am to 4pm at the Valle de Oro NWR visitor center on Saturday, December 10, 2022 to design your own luminarias!

The luminarias you make will then be featured around the visitor center for a viewing walk on Friday, December 16, 2022. Enjoy hot chocolate, make crafts, and listen to some winter stories while admiring all the beautiful community created luminarias! ☕️📖 The Albuquerque Astronomical Society will also be hosting a star party during the event. ⭐️ The Friends of Valle de Oro Nature Store will also be open to help you get some holiday shopping done. 🎁

These events are free and open to the public, no registration necessary. Masks will be required in the building to keep everyone safe for the holidays. Message us with any questions!

See you soon! 😊

11/19/2022

We wouldn't be where we are today without so the work of volunteers that help us with projects across the refuge. This year, we partnered with New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors for work day filled with problem solving and great teamwork to dis-assemble old wooden walkways that once connected our portable office buildings. These portables were removed last winter to free up that area for eventual habitat restoration, but the walkways remained! The volunteer group was able to disassemble and organize the lumber to be used for future projects at the refuge, and even finished early with enough time to help pull goat head w**ds from along out bike path.
A big thanks to the NMVFO volunteers that came out, and to all of the volunteers that have given their time and their sweat to care for this place.