Sandia Mountain Natural History Center

09/09/2026

The Environmental Education of New Mexico - EENM NM Outdoor Learning Summit is this Saturday!

Registration closes tonight (9/9) at midnight, with limited slots opening up the day of the summit- 9/12, for on-site registration. Free for public and charter school teachers. It is being held at Albuquerque Public Schools Berna Facio Professional Development Center in Albuquerque.

https://eenm.org/nmols/

09/08/2026

Mini-grants (up to $2,000) are available to support Indigenous high school youth to develop projects to address environmental resilience, adaptation and related natural resource conservation in their home communities.

Learn more at:
nycalc.org/minigrants

National Conservation Training Center
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
New Mexico Wildlife Federation

09/04/2026

Happy ! We put the focus on wildlife daily here, talking about how cool they all are, looking for their evidence, and using our trail camera photos to provide insights into who's around and what they're up to.

For the first time ever, we got a photo of a desert spotted skunk. Check out that awesome patterning! There have only been 11 observations made on iNaturalist.org in the Sandias/Albuquerque area, and only 7 actual skunks. Now we have had 3 skunk species here- striped (most common), hognose (common in the last couple years), and desert spotted.

09/01/2026

Did you know that in addition to all of our programs in the Sandia mountains, our New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science staff also travels around the state teaching Traveling Ecology Field Programs?

We are very glad to be able to provide these programs to the 5th graders of New Mexico for free with funding from the NM Outdoor Recreation Division Outdoor Equity Fund and New Mexico State Parks Kids 'n Parks grant.

Here are quotes from teachers' who participated in our program with their students last school year:

"Truly, an amazing experience that provided an opportunity for everyone to appreciate the beauty of the world around us." -Maria Donata Ameliz Kinatac-an, Tony E. Quintana Elementary (Espanola, NM)

"It provides the students the opportunity for investigating an area they may not ordinarily have the chance to do." -Nancy Taranto, Cubero Elementary

"The activities using their science notebook were very engaging and I was impressed with my students' willingness to participate." -Miss Nagle, Pojoaque Valley Intermediate

"It helps them get out of the classroom and view content in a hands-on way." -Michelle Owen, Park Avenue Elementary (Aztec, NM)

08/28/2026

We're welcoming back schools to the SMNHC this week for our Ecology Field Program!

Teachers prepare their students for coming in a variety of ways.

To get A. Montoya 5th graders ready for their program today, Faye Spruance worked with them to create this anchor chart.

Kira Murphy used our ecology classroom kit with her Kirtland Elementary 5th graders before their visit on Tuesday.

Start off your ecology unit with our lessons & activities so your 5th graders are ready to get on trail:
https://www.aps.edu/sandia-mountain-natural-history-center/planning-your-visit/in-class-lessons

Albuquerque Public Schools
APS Education Foundation

08/27/2026

Calling Albuquerque Public Schools elementary educators who want to learn how to make outdoor learning part of your everyday teaching. You have until Sunday to apply!

TOTAL NM's Growing Outdoor Leaders for Change is a six-month professional learning and leadership opportunity designed to support 15 APS outdoor educators in the making.

Through professional learning, coaching, relationship-building, leadership development, and practical tools, educators will work together to transform their schoolyards into meaningful outdoor learning environments.

Through the Growing Outdoor Leaders for Change program, 15 educators will receive professional learning, coaching, leadership development, and practical tools to help transform schoolyards into engaging outdoor classrooms. Together with APS Outdoor Learning and the UNM Evaluation Team, we’re build...

08/12/2026

Update: Event full. We hope you can make our next public event.

Join us to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night 2026!

Learn about moths and observe nocturnal insects with Sierra Necessary. Gaze at the moon and stars with our New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science and The Albuquerque Astronomical Society.

Register to park:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/5ka7y4h/lp/09d358b2-ee75-4736-ad44-e49aa79a3cd6

Gates open at 6pm, moth presentation at 6:30 pm, and night moon/star/insect viewing from 8:00 to 9:00pm. Everyone is welcome to this free event, but please no pets. A parking registration is required. Cash donations appreciated.

08/07/2026

climbing and chilling. These consist of about 8,000 species! They are related to crickets. Katydids are good at communication and camouflage.

08/06/2026

Professional Development Workshop by Explora! for educators, early childhood teachers, librarians, and out-of-school time staff.

Register by Sept 9 for kit pick up or shipment for first 20 registrants.

Please contact Explora with questions - [email protected]

Register here:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoHpC6Ed1gkvElUPokkYPpb3ALUSyRKzXt_bf1tBJS7rw7tw/viewform

08/02/2026

In Santa Rosa, New Mexico, a rural community and a botanist join together to save the endangered Pecos sunflower and a unique, disappearing ecosystem in Saving Beauty, a film by Christina Selby.

Watch the film here: https://vimeo.com/603314252?&signup=true

Ciéngas are a unique type of wetland found in arid lands of North America. They are among the most rare and endangered ecosystems of the American Southwest.

https://www.christinamselby.com/saving-beauty-project

This is "Saving Beauty_ Learning to live with the rare ones among us 2048x1080" by Christina M. Selby Photography on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.