Upcoming 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.
-Sat. Apr 19- Junior Duck Stamp Award Ceremony
Students and families are invited to participate in the announcement of 2025 NM Junior Duck Stamp winners! 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
-Fri. Apr 25- City Nature Challenge
Come learn how you can take part in a global citizen science project happening throughout the weekend! Ranger Dakota will give a talk about the refuge, educators from the Institute for Applied Ecology will go over using the iNaturalist app to participate in the City Nature Challenge, and we'll practice identifications on a tour of a monarch butterfly recovery habitat at Valle de Oro! Register by sending an email to: dakota_dominguez@fws.gov 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
-Sat. Apr 26- Community Earth Day
Join us and our community partners for family- fun activities to celebrate Earth Day. Free food will be provided by the Friends of Valle de Oro NWR. 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
-Fri. May 2- Nature Tots
Children ages 3-6 and an adult are invited to explore nature with a refuge volunteer! 10:00 am to 11:30 am
-Fri. May 2- Weed Warriors Volunteer Project
Become a volunteer weed warrior and spend a couple of hours helping refuge staff remove invasive plants to make more room for native species. Send an email to dakota_dominguez@fws.gov to register. 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
-Fri. May 9- Nature Kids
Children ages 7-10 and an adult are invited to explore nature with a refuge volunteer! 10:00 am to 11:30 am
-Sat. May 10- Saturday at the Refuge
Join us for a ranger-led activity, arts and crafts, and fun for the whole Family! Free refreshments will be provided by the Friends of Valle de Oro. 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
-Thurs. May 22- Community Open House
Talk with our team members and local partners to learn about all that is happening to transform Valle de Oro during this free open house. Food will be provided by the Friends of Valle de Oro. 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
-Fri. May 23- Mural Loop Ranger Walk
Join Ranger Dakota for an easy 1-mile walk along our Field Murals trail to learn how these works of art represent our community's dreams of habitat restoration at Valle de Oro. 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
-Fri. Jun 6- Nature Tots
Children ages 3-6 and an adult are invited to explore nature with a refuge volunteer! 10:00 am to 11:30 am
-Fri. Jun 13- Nature Kids
Children ages 7-10 and an adult are invited to explore nature with a refuge volunteer! 10:00 am to 11:30 am
-Sat. Jun 14- Saturday at the Refuge
Join us for a ranger-led activity, arts and crafts, and fun for the whole Family! Free refreshments will be provided by the Friends of Valle de Oro. 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
-Fri. Jun 20- Solstice Weed Warriors Volunteer Project
Give back to the Earth this summer solstice and spend a couple of hours on this longest day of the year helping refuge staff remove invasive plants to make more room for native species. Send an email to dakota_dominguez@fws.gov to register. 7:30 am to 9:30 am
-Electric Shuttle Rides at Valle de Oro
Starting mid-April, we will be starting our free, volunteer-run electric shuttle service on the refuge! The open-air electric shuttle seats up to nine visitors and will operate on Fridays and Saturdays with regular departure times from the visitor center. The shuttle makes a stop at the west side of the refuge where you have the option to get off and explore trails in the Rio Grande bosque or stay on the shuttle to complete your tour of Valle de Oro NWR