Latino Conservation Week Fiesta in the Park
2024-09-21 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Denver)
RESULTS: Five NMVFO volunteers joined a tabling event for Albuquerque’s first LCW Fiesta in the Park, organized by Latino Outdoors, at Barelas Park. We set up a sawbuck and helped people try out a 2-person crosscut saw.

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Join us at Barelas Park, alongside many other outdoor nonprofits, for Latino Conservation Week Fiesta in the Park. The event is sponsored by Latino Outdoors NM and the Continental Divide Trail Coalition.
If you would like to volunteer to help staff our booth, please email j.sells@nmvfo.org. We will set up a 2-person crosscut saw demonstration, that was a great success at our recent tabling event at Canteen Brewhouse.

Pecos River Cleanup (National Public Lands Day)
2024-09-28 08:00 - 17:00
RESULTS: 9 NMVFO volunteers spent National Public Lands Day in Pecos Canyon cleaning up a mile of Pecos River frontage, an area heavily used by anglers. We also cleaned trash from Rt. 63 frontage and the Dalton Canyon dispersed camping area. We partnered with the Upper Pecos Watershed Association and Santa Fe National Forest on this project.

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Description: Saturday, Sept. 28th, is National Public Lands Day! Since launching in 1994, Public Lands Day has been the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands.
For our part, NMVFO is again teaming up with The Upper Pecos Watershed Association, removing litter along the beautiful Pecos River north of Pecos, NM. The cleanup project is part of a larger one-day effort, “Pecos 2 Pecos” which will have volunteer crews cleaning up the river from Pecos, NM all the way to Pecos, TX. NMVFO’s work will take place on USFS land in the scenic Pecos Canyon. Litter pickers, visibility vests and trash bags will be provided, and the USFS will remove collected trash at the end of the day.
Volunteers should dress in layers, including long sleeved shirts and long pants, sun and rain protection, eye protection/sunglasses, work gloves, sturdy boots, a day pack, lunch and/or snacks, and water.
More information will be available to volunteers closer to the date.
Please Contact Dan Potter d.potter@nmvfo.org with any questions.

Difficulty:
Group Size: 15
Sign up below by September 26.

Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

La Ventana Arch (Rio Puerco BLM)
2024-09-28 11:00 - 15:00
RESULTS: 14 volunteers worked with the BLM on National Public Lands Day to clean up the area around the parking area for La Ventana Arch and installed 2 park benches.

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Description: Join NMVFO and the Rio Puerco BLM for a project on National Public Lands Day. This project will be at La Ventana Arch, on the south east side of El Malpais National Monument. You will go west of Albuquerque, about 70 miles to exit 89 for highway 117, just before getting to Grants. From there drive south on 117E for 18 miles. We will work from 11 to 3. The project will be installing benches and signs, closing user trails, and cutting weeds in the parking area. The BLM will have drinks and snacks, but you should bring your own lunch.
Wear work gloves and eye protection (sunglasses okay) while working. All tools will be provided.
Pets are not allowed on NMVFO projects.
Difficulty:
Group size: up to 20
To sign up, click on the button below and fill out the form. If the project is full, you can email the project leader to be put on a wait list.
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Grand Enchantment Backpack Small Group Project (Magdalena RD)
2024-10-01 08:00 - 2024-10-31 17:00
RESULTS: One volunteer logged and lopped and backpacked on Shipman Trail and Apache Kid Trail in the Apache Kid Wilderness for an entire month. 10.7 miles of trail were cleared of deadfall.

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What is a Small Group Project? We organize several off-schedule short-notice word-of-mouth projects during the trail season. If you show up to a large number of projects, mention to your project leader that you are interested.

Manzano Crest South Small Group Project (Mountainair RD)
2024-10-03 08:00 - 16:30
RESULTS: Five volunteers joined a day project on the Manzano Crest Trail to finish the downfall removal and lopping on the Crest Trail for about 1.25 miles south of the junction with Trail Canyon Trail. This completes the work on the 3-mile section of the Manzano Crest Trail between Trail Canyon and Capilla Peak that was started by NMVFO in early August.

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What is a Small Group Project? We organize several off-schedule short-notice word-of-mouth projects during the trail season. If you show up to a large number of projects, mention to your project leader that you are interested.

Juan Trail (Santa Fe National Forest)
2024-10-05 08:00 - 16:30
RESULTS: Eight volunteers from NMVFO and Santa Fe Fat Tire Society cut back vegetation and installed numerous erosion-control structures on this two-mile long well-used trail near Santa Fe. Two SFNF staff joined us on this project.

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Description: Join NMVFO and the Santa Fe Fat Tire Society as we collaborate on a one-day project to improve the tread of the two-mile long Juan Trail (#399) in the Santa Fe National Forest. The Juan Trail has been damaged by years of use. We will reshape the trail tread to improve drainage, fill in entrenched areas, and remove rocks that are obstructing traffic using pick/mattocks and McLeod hoes. We will also do some light lopping and limbing to cut back brush and tree limbs that are encroaching onto the trail. All tools will be provided.
The Juan Trail can be reached from the Little Tesuque Trailhead at Coordinates 35.72597, -105.88721. Since parking is limited at this Trailhead, we will meet at the Sierra del Norte Trailhead at Coordinates 35.71094, -105.89943 at 8:00 am then carpool 1.8 miles to the Little Tesuque Trailhead.
US Forest Service rules require all volunteers to wear boots, long pants, long sleeves, hard hats (provided), work gloves, and eye protection (sunglasses okay) while working. Please bring a daypack to carry your lunch, snacks, sunblock, rain gear, and a full-day’s supply of water.
Reminder: Pets are not allowed on NMVFO projects.
The closing date for signups is October 3rd, 5:00 pm
Difficulty:
Group size: Up to 20
Meet at: Sierra del Norte Trailhead, Coordinates 35.71094, -105.89943. Look for the green NMVFO sign along NM 475 (Hyde Park Road).
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Little Whitewater Backpack (Glenwood RD)
2024-10-09 08:30 - 2024-10-14 14:00
Description: Come join us as we partner with Gila Chapter of the NM Back Country Horsemen on a horse-supported backpack on Little Whitewater Trail, for logging, brushing, trail marking & tread work. This is a continuation of a project from last year. This trail is close to Glenwood, making it nice for tourist and locals. Our work will tie into later Forest Service trail work, reopening more loops in the Glenwood District. Most of the repairs are from deferred maintenance and post Whitewater Baldy Fire in 2012.
Optional: camping at a nearby campground the night before the project (please bring your own food and water). Camping options include Bighorn Campground just off of 180, only a few minutes from the meeting place, or Cosmic Campground north of Alma on 180, 20-minute drive to meeting place.
On Wednesday we will meet between 8:00-8:30AM at Glenwood Community Park for introductions, work objectives, safety talk and gear check. We will give the packers our food and a bit of our gear, then drive/carpool to our trailhead. From the trailhead the hike to basecamp is 3.5 miles. This is a dry camp so water will be packed in. We will have our Seek Outside hot tent with us for the cool mornings and evenings. Day temperatures should be pleasant.
Food: Gila BCH homemade vacuum sealed meals (breakfasts and dinners) will be available for this project. We can accommodate meat eaters, vegetarians, and some gluten free diets. But you can also bring your own breakfasts and dinners if you prefer. Everyone will need to provide their own lunches and snacks. Water: Please bring water for the hike to basecamp. We will provide jugs of water at basecamp. There is no water on the trail where we will be working so bring 4-quart water capacity. We will provide: Tools, hard hats, trail and safety training, project supervision, and first aid kit with Wilderness First Responder trained personnel.”
Please see the BCH website description for a packing list and more information! Sign up below by Saturday, October 5.
Difficulty: Up to 6.5 miles per day, a steep climb to basecamp
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Canjilon (Carson NF)
2024-10-10 17:00 - 2024-10-13 12:00
RESULTS: 12 NMVFO volunteers had perfect weather to clear brush, install signs and rebuild cairns on the two-mile Canjilon Mountain Trail (FT 54) to the Canjilon summit. Additional time was spent lopping brush from the Lower and Middle Canjilon Campgrounds and Forest Road 129.

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Description: Join us on a car-camp at Canjilon Lakes Campground on the west side of the Carson National Forest. We will be working at several nearby sites, and may split into groups as needed. One project will be to trim back aspen at the campground and nearby road. Another project will involve tread and lopping on the Canjilon Mountain Trail, starting from the Upper Lakes Trailhead. And finally, a kiosk at the top of Canjilon Mountain needs shingles replaced.
Please bring a daypack to carry your lunch, snacks, sunblock, rain gear, and a full-day’s supply of water. All tools will be provided. All dinners and breakfasts will be provided, but bring your own lunches.
Difficulty:
Group Size: Up to 20. If the project becomes full, please email the project leader to add your name to the waitlist, and we will contact you if a spot opens up.
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Coronado Historic Site
2024-10-26 08:00 - 16:00
RESULTS: Eleven volunteers installed 27 wooden steps made from railroad ties in a steep section of the trail from the uplands to the Bosque at the Coronado Historic Site.

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Description: Join NMVFO on a one-day project to install wooden steps on a steep, highly eroded section of the trail from the uplands down to the bosque at the Coronado Historic Site in Bernalillo, New Mexico.
Please bring a daypack to carry your lunch, snacks, sunblock, rain gear, and water. Since we’ll be working with creosoted railroad ties, we highly recommend wearing long sleeve shirts, long pants, sturdy boots, and gloves. All tools will be provided.
The Project starts at 8:00 am on Saturday, October 26th and ends at 4:00 pm
Meet at: Coronado Historic Site Visitor Center
How to find us: Look for the signs to the Coronado Historic Site on Highway 550 west of I25. After parking in the parking lot, join us on the patio of the Visitor Center.
Reminder: Pets are not allowed on NMVFO projects.
Please sign up by October 23rd. One person per signup.
Difficulty:
Group Size: 15. If the project becomes full, please add your name to the waitlist, and we will contact you if a sp ot opens up.
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Galisteo Basin Preserve 2
2024-11-02 09:00 - 15:00
RESULTS: NMVFO organized a crew of 17 volunteers to remove 1.25 miles of 4-strand barbed wire fence at Commonweal Conservancy’s Galisteo Basin Preserve, near Lamy, NM. This habitat restoration project spooled up a total of 5 miles worth of barbed wire that will no longer endanger wildlife or interfere with wildlife movement, and pulled about 1,000′ of T-posts remaining from a previous project.

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Description: NMVFO returns for the second time this year to the 10,000 acre Galisteo Basin Preserve near the town of Lamy, NM near Santa Fe. We are partnering with the preserve’s manager, the Commonweal Conservancy, a non-profit land conservation organization. As in previous years, our work at the Preserve will focus on removing barbed wire fencing that endangers raptors and impedes free wildlife movement in and across the preserve.
We will meet at the Cowboy Shack Trailhead. After a brief introduction and safety talk, volunteers will hike in and spend the rest of the day removing 2 miles of fencing.
Volunteers should wear long sleeved shirts and long pants, eye protection/sunglasses, sturdy leather gloves and boots, and a day pack. Please bring your own ample water, snacks and lunch.
Additionally, if any volunteers have their own fencing pliers (linesmen pliers work well) please bring them. After the workday, all volunteers are invited to reconvene at a local cafe to enjoy a meal before returning home.
Difficulty:
Group Size: 20. If the project is full, please email the project leader to be put on a waitlist.

Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Organ Mountains Aguirre Springs Recreation Area (Las Cruces BLM)
2024-11-09 08:30 - 2024-11-10 12:30
RESULTS: NMVFO worked 2 trails here, the four-mile Pine Tree Trail Loop Trail and 2 miles of the Baylor Canyon Trail. The work included some brushing, but focused primarily on check-dams to stop sediment loss, grade-reversals to remove water from trail tread, and closing off social trails.

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Description: Come join NMVFO on a car-camp at Aguirre Springs Campground. We will be working with the Bureau of Land Management doing trail work at the Aguirre Springs Recreation Area (Organ Mountains National Monument). We will be working on the Pine Tree Trail Loop and Baylor Canyon Trail. The work will include brushing out overgrown sections of trail, closing braided sections of trail, cleaning out waterbars and check dams, and removal of graffiti/vandalism.

Volunteers can join us for camping on Friday evening.
All tools will be provided. Volunteers should wear wear boots, long pants, long sleeves, work gloves, and eye protection (sunglasses okay) while working. Please bring a daypack to carry your lunch, snacks, sunblock, rain gear, and a full-day’s supply of water. Volunteers will need to provide their own recreational vehicle or camping gear including tent, sleeping bag and pad, camp chair, headlamp, etc., plus a cooler/beverages if desired. Breakfasts and dinners will be provided; volunteers will supply their own lunches and snacks.
Difficulty:

Group Size: Up to 15.
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Petroglyph National Monument
2024-12-03 08:00 - 16:00
Description: Join NMVFO as we restore the native plants garden at the Visitor Information Center of the Petroglyph National Monument in western Albuquerque. We will be pruning, removing, and transplanting existing plants and planting seeds and new plants. We’ll also install some new signs and remove some old signs. All tools will be provided.
We suggest that you wear boots, long pants, long sleeves, work gloves, hats, and eye protection (sunglasses okay) while working. Please bring your lunch, snacks, sunblock, and rain gear (if rain is expected), and water.
Reminder: Pets are not allowed on NMVFO projects.
Please sign up below. The closing date for signups is December 1, 2024.
Difficulty:
Group size: Up to 15
Meet at: Visitor Information Center, Petroglyph National Monument, 6510 Western Trail NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

New Mexico Outdoor Adventure Show Tabling Event
2025-02-14 12:00 - 2025-02-16 17:00
RESULTS: Volunteers staffed the NMVFO booth at this event put on by New Mexico Fish and Game

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Friday, Feb 14, 12 Noon – 6 PM
Saturday, Feb 15, 9 AM – 6 PM
Sunday, Feb 16, 10 AM – 5 PM
Come help NMVFO staff a booth at the New Mexico Outdoor Adventure Show at the Albuquerque EXPO (300 San Pedro Drive NE) from February 14th through the 16th, 2025. The show is sponsored by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Over 10,000 visitors are expected to attend the show, making this a great opportunity for NMVFO to get our name and activities in front of a lot of outdoor-oriented folks.
Staffing the booth is easy and fun as you get to talk with visitors about NMVFO’s wide range of projects, training, and social events, about the camaraderie we experience during our projects, and the satisfaction of giving something back to New Mexico’s outdoors.
Information concerning parking, booth location, passes, etc. will be provided as it becomes available.
Difficulty:
Group Size: Unlimited
Cost: Free!
Please email Mike Timmer at m.timmer@nmvfo.org to let him know when you can attend and then sign up for this event below. (Ignore the total hours in the signup acknowledgement email.)
The closing date for signups is February 12th at 5:00 pm
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Socorro Bosque (FULL/Waitlist)
2025-03-08 08:00 - 16:00
RESULTS: Approx. 30 volunteers cleared trash in the bosque, performed maintenance at three riverine parks, and rebuilt 0.8 miles of trail.

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Description: Join us and our partners on the Save Our Bosque Taskforce (SOBTF) for a trail and park maintenance project in the Socorro Valley Bosque. Volunteers will clear trail corridors, improve picnic areas, replace trail signage, help mitigate fire risk, and collect trash in the vicinity of Bosque Park in Socorro, NM. All tools and supplies required will be provided.
We suggest that you wear boots, long pants, long sleeves, work gloves, hats, and eye protection (sunglasses okay) while working. Please bring your lunch, snacks, sunblock, and rain gear (if rain is expected), and water.
Difficulty:
Group size: 20
Please sign up below by March 6.

Coronado Historic Site - Invasive Tree Removal
2025-03-15 08:00 - 16:00
RESULTS: Twenty-one NMVFO and Friends of Coronado volunteers removed over 400 invasive trees (juniper, tamarisk, Russian olive) from the bosque at the Coronda Historic Site in Bernalillo. They used loppers and hand saws to cut the trees at ground level and piled the cut trees. They also sprayed the remaining trunks of the tamarisk and Russian olive trees with an approved herbicide to prevent sprouting.

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Description: Join NMVFO as we remove invasive trees (juniper, tamarisk, Russian olive) from the bosque at the Coronda Historic Site in Bernalillo. We will be using loppers and hand saws to cut the trees at ground level and piling the cut trees. We will also spray the remaining trunks of the tamarisk and Russian olive trees with an approved herbicide.All tools will be provided.
We suggest that you wear boots, long pants, long sleeves, work gloves, hats, and eye protection (sunglasses okay) while working. Please bring lunch, snacks, sunblock, and rain gear (if rain is expected), and water.
Reminder: Pets are not allowed on NMVFO projects.
Please sign up below.
The closing date for signups is March 12, 2024.
Difficulty:
Group size: Up to 25. If the project becomes full, please add your name to the waitlist, and we will contact you if a spot opens up.
Meet at: Visitor Information Center, Albuquerque, NM 87120
How to find us: Look for the signs to the Coronado Historic Site on Highway 550 west of I25. After parking in the parking lot, join us on the patio of the Visitor Center.
For more information: If this is your first NMVFO project, you can find more information about difficulty ratings and what to expect at Volunteer FAQs or email the project leader.
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Trail Workshop – Classroom (CABQ Open Space) WAITLISTED
2025-03-15 09:30 - 14:30
RESULTS: In a project organized by Larry Benson and Christy Osmon, eighteen NMVFO volunteers and five members of the Albuquerque Open Space Division attended a classroom session in the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center in the morning. They then did some on-the-job training at the Tijeras Canyon Biozone, where under the guidance of Jim Sattler and his staff members from the Open Space Division, they excavated 15 drainage dips across an eroding uphill dirt road that serves as trail for hikers, bikers, and horse riders.

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Description: Learn the fundamentals of building and maintaining trails with Larry, Christy, and Jim Sattler, the Deputy Superintendent of Albuquerque’s Open Space Division. This class is especially designed for beginners, although anyone who would like a skills refresher will be welcome. To follow-up on this introduction, a full-day field training project will be held one week later on Saturday, March 22.
Indoor Class. The workshop will begin with an indoor class at the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center at 501 Elizabeth St SE (located shortly past where Juan Tabo Blvd. becomes Southern Blvd). Larry and Christy will each narrate NMVFO PowerPoint presentations that show the challenges and techniques of building and maintaining trails in terrain across New Mexico. Jim may add additional perspectives on the issues addressed in these slide shows and will follow up using a whiteboard to illustrate the specific trail problems to be dealt with during the outdoor session. You will also receive some handouts about doing trail work.
Outdoor Practice. After the classroom session, we will drive north on Southern Blvd, turn right on Central Ave, and go a few miles east on Old Route 66 (NM 333) to the Tijeras Biozone Open Space at 15600 Central Ave SE. We will meet in front of the old building located there. Jim will briefly summarize the recent expansion of this property, the colorful history of the existing facility, and the city’s plans for the area’s future. He will then demonstrate how to safely use the tools that we will carry a short distance to do some maintenance on an existing trail and (time permitting) build a new section of trail.
Preparations: Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, sturdy boots or work shoes, eye protection (glasses or sun glasses), caps or hats, and outer layers appropriate for the weather forecast. Bring work gloves if you have them (extras will be available to borrow) and a daypack with water, snacks, and sunscreen. An email update will be sent out during the week before the project. Please sign up no later than March 13.
Difficulty:

Sign up by clicking the button below. If this is your first NMVFO project, you can find out more information at Volunteer FAQs. If you have any more questions, or would like to be put on a waitlist if the project is full, you can email the project leaders or call Larry at 505-821-7999.
Group Size: 20
Cost: Free!
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Mimbres River Trail Backpack (Gila NF)
2025-03-20 08:00 - 2025-03-24 14:30
RESULTS: 40 cairns built, 65 logs removed in addition to brushing, and lots o tread work. This trail was affected by the Black Fire and post-fire flooding in 2022.

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Description: Join us for lots of brushing, and some logging/tread/marking on Mimbres River Trail # 77 (map) in the Gila. We will meet at Mimbres River Trailhead and hike to base camp 2.6 miles away. Volunteers should be prepared to hike up to 6.0 miles each day,
Food: Gila BCH homemade vacuum sealed meals (breakfasts and dinners) will be available for this project. We can accommodate meat eaters, vegetarians, and some gluten free diets. But you can also bring your own breakfasts and dinners if you prefer. Everyone will need to provide their own lunches and snacks. Water: Please bring water for the backpack to base camp. We will provide jugs of water at base camp. There is no water on the trail where we will work, so bring a 3-quart water capacity. We will provide: Tools, hard hats, trail and safety training, project supervision, and first aid kit with Wilderness First Responder trained personnel.
Please see the BCH website description for a packing list and more information! Sign up below by Sunday, March 16.
Difficulty:
Group Size: up to 7
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Trail Workshop – Field (CABQ Open Space)
2025-03-22 08:30 - 14:30
RESULTS: In a project organized by Larry Benson and Christy Osmon, sixteen NMVFO volunteers and five members of the Albuquerque Open Space Division led by Jim Sattler, built 650 feet of new trail in rugged hillside terrain above Tijeras Canyon. This required the removal of several dozen rocks to smooth out the new tread and construction of about 20 rock walls to reinforce the trail.

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This session will build upon skills introduced to new volunteers at an indoor class on March 15, but anyone is welcome to sign up for either or both sessions. For those who miss last week’s class, we recommend you review its two PowerPoint presentations at the top of the following webpage: https://nmvfo.org/volunteer/resources/.
Description: This training project will be conducted on Albuquerque Open Space land in the Tijeras Canyon Biozone just east of the city. Experienced Open Space personnel and the NMVFO project leaders will help mentor volunteers as we build a new trail section and close an old one. The trail’s new route will be marked with pin flags that carefully follow the terrain to permit proper drainage. Any large trees in the way will have already been felled with a chainsaw, but we will use hand tools to remove stumps, smaller trees, brush, and intruding branches. We will also reshape and smooth the tread, digging out rocks and roots, and build rock walls as needed to buttress the trail along steep slopes or at drainage crossings. For closing the old trail segment, we will scarify the tread and scatter foliage to limit erosion and block its entrances with rocks, branches, and replanted cactuses where available.
Preparations: Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, sturdy boots or work shoes, eye protection (such as sun glasses), caps or hats, and outer layers appropriate for the weather forecast. Bring work gloves if you have them (but extras will be available to borrow) and a daypack with water, a light lunch and/or snacks, and sunscreen. An email update will be sent out during the week before the project. Please sign up no later than March 20.
Directions: The Tijeras Biozone facilities are located at 15600 Central Ave SE as shown on this map. If coming from Albuquerque on I-40, turn south on Tramway Blvd (Exit 167), then turn left on Central Ave. and continue east on Old Route 66 (NM 333) for 1.2 miles to the parking lot.
Difficulty:
Sign up by clicking the button below. If this is your first NMVFO project, you can find out more information at Volunteer FAQs. If you have any more questions, or would like to be put on a waitlist if the project is full, please email Larry and Christy or call Larry at 505-821-7999.
Group Size: 20.
Cost: Free!
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Ghost Ranch (Carson NF)
2025-04-03 17:00 - 2025-04-06 12:00
RESULTS: A large team of NMVFO volunteers joined up with Ghost Ranch, Carson National Forest and AmeriCorps to cut in a completely new re-route of the popular but badly-eroded Chimney Rock Trail.

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Description: Join us for a dorm-camping event at Ghost Ranch! Yes, a Dorm event! Ghost Ranch is allowing us to stay in the dorm-style accommodations with multiple beds in each room, separate rooms for women and men. If you prefer camping, you are welcome to camp for free. Meals will be provided at the dining hall. Members will need to bring their own lunch!
You can join us on Thursday night Ghost Ranch. We will work on Trail Friday, Saturday and a half day on Sunday.
Work will take place on Friday and Saturday starting with a safety talk at 8:00 am and finishing around 5:00 pm. We will work Sunday, starting around 8:30 and work until 12:00.
NMVFO and work alongside the AmeriCorps NCCC crew at Ghost Ranch to help build new trail re-routes on the Chimney Rock Trail, a recently designated Forest Service Trail. We’ll be focused on creating full bench-cut tread, adding drainage, and making other improvements to ensure the trail is sustainable and accessible for years to come. If you love to work and enjoy hands-on trail construction, this is the perfect project for you!
Required gear: sturdy boots, work gloves, long sleeves, long pants, eye protection (sunglasses okay). Please also bring a day pack, snacks, trail lunches, sunblock, rain gear, and water bottles.
Difficulty:
Group Size: up to 20. Please sign up by March 31.
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

New Mexico Land Conservancy (Santa Fe)
2025-04-12 09:00 - 16:00
RESULTS: NMVFO volunteers improved a one-mile loop trail at the New Mexico Land Conservancy’s Petchesky Conservation Center and removed 100 contractor’s bags worth of invasive thistle.

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Description: Join NMVFO for a trail-improvement project with a new partner, the New Mexico Land Conservancy. We will meet at the organization’s headquarters at 5430 S. Richards Ave., Santa Fe, at 9 AM and work until around 4 PM.
The New Mexico Land Conservancy is a leading New Mexico land trust, with nearly 800,000 acres of land conserved within the state. While many of these lands are not open to the public, their headquarters site is, including an interpretive public trail that NMVFO will be working on.
Work: Our focus is on a one-mile loop trail. Work will include removing invasive thistle, grading the trail, improving drainage and some lopping.
Food/Water: Volunteers should bring their own snacks as well as plenty of water. Lunch will be provided.
Tools/Equipment/Clothing: NMVFO will supply all tools. Volunteers should wear long sleeved shirts and long pants, eye protection/sunglasses, sturdy leather gloves and boots, and a day pack.
Difficulty:
Group Size: 15. If the project is full, please email the project leader to be put on a waitlist.
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Earth Day Tabling Event
2025-04-13 08:30 - 16:00
RESULTS: Eleven NMVFO volunteers supported Albuquerque’s Earth Day event by staffing a table to inform visitors about NMVFO and allow them to sign up for NMVFO’s newsletter. Two former Forest Service employees and long-time NMVFO volunteers brought a collection of saws and other equipment and explained their uses to clear brush and logs from trails. Participants were encouraged to use a two-person crosscut saw to cut through a pine log – probably a one-time experience for many of them.

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Description: Come support Albuquerque’s Earth Day event by helping staff a table at NMVFO’s both to inform visitors about NMVFO and allow them to sign up for NMVFO’s newsletter. Volunteers will also encourage and assist event participants in using a two-person crosscut saw to cut through a pine log – probably a one-time experience for many of them.
Difficulty:

EARTH DAY! Fence Removal WAITLISTED (Santa Fe Conservation Trust)
2025-04-19 09:00 - 15:00
RESULTS: 17 HEROIC volunteers braved snow, rain, wind and temps in the 30s to remove a half-mile of barbed wire fence from SFCT’s Conservation Homestead property near Lamy, NM. This work continues several years of NMVFO efforts with our partners to help open up wildlife movement in the Galisteo Basin.

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Description: Join NMVFO for a fence-removal project with a new partner, the Santa Fe Conservation Trust. Cattle fencing of this type presents a barrier and hazard for wildlife and people. We will meet at the Cottonwood Trailhead at 9:00 AM, then carpool to the worksite. Fence removal will continue to 3PM, or until this section of fence is removed.
Work: Our focus is on a half-mile stretch of 4-strand barbed wire fencing and all metal T-posts. Our work will include cutting and coiling the barbed wire, as well as pulling and stacking all metal “T-Post” fenceposts
Food/Water: Volunteers should bring their own snacks and lunch materials, as well as plenty of water. After completion of the project, all volunteers are invited to share a late-afternoon meal at the historic Legal Tender restaurant in Lamy, NM.
Tools/Equipment/Clothing: NMVFO will supply wire-cutters, loppers for brush-clearing, and post-pullers. If any volunteers have their own fencing pliers (linesmen pliers also work well), please bring them with you. Volunteers should wear long sleeved shirts and long pants, eye protection/sunglasses, sturdy leather gloves and boots, and a day pack.
Difficulty: due to barbed wire hazard.
Group Size: 20. If the project is full, please email the project leader to be put on a waitlist.
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Valle de Oro Habitat Restoration WAITLISTED (NWR)
2025-04-26 08:00 - 14:00
RESULTS: A crew of 13 NMVFO volunteers worked steadfastly at clearing the pond area of a vast amount of tumbleweeds that had ‘tumbled’ into the water. We were able to clear the majority of the pond and the surrounding cattails. The NMVFO crew was augmented by volunteers from the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps. In addition to conducting the project, we participated in a tabling event as part of Valle de Oro’s Earth Day Celebration. Thank you to Valle de Oro for hosting and a special thank you to Ranger Dakota for providing so much gear and for sharing the rich history of the refuge.

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Description: The Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge is the Southwest’s first urban wildlife refuge. It serves as an oasis for both wildlife and people. Established in 2012, the refuge is transitioning from agriculture fields to a diversity of native habitats and visitor amenities.
Help us with habitat restoration at the Refuge by volunteering to clear space for native plants by removing invasive species from the Visitor Center area. Guided tours of the Refuge will be provided by Valle de Oro staff for interested volunteers.
Volunteers must wear sturdy boots (preferred) or shoes (no sandals), long pants, eye protection, and work gloves. Long sleeve shirts are recommended. Bring a hat, sun protection, and other apparel appropriate for the predicted weather. Also bring a day pack with water, snacks, lunch, and other necessities. We plan to finish work by 2:00 pm.
The volunteer group will not exceed 20 participants. Registrants will be updated by email in the week(s) before the project with the latest information. If you have to cancel on the day of the project, please text the Project Leader at 505-705-2584.
Directions: Valle de Oro is located approximately 10 miles south of Albuquerque’s Big I. Coming from the North, take Interstate 25 South to Rio Bravo (Exit 220). Go West on Rio Bravo, then South on Broadway for approximately 2.25 miles. Turn West on Desert, cross the Railrunner Tracks, then turn South on 2nd Street. The entrance to Valle de Oro will be on your right about 0.75 miles. At the entrance, proceed to Visitor Center parking. Please plan to be there a little before 8:00 AM.
Difficulty:
To sign up: Click on the button below and fill out the contact information. If the project is full, you can email the project leader to be put on a wait list.
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Bear Wallow Trail ADD-ON
2025-04-26 08:00 - 17:00
RESULTS: 5 NMVFO volunteers and one SFNF staffer cleared or installed roughly 50 grade-reversal (aka “rolling dip”) erosion-control structures on a mile of the Borrego and Bear Wallow Trails. We also accomplished some minor lopping and sawing of obstructing logs.

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What is an add-on? These are our small impromptu projects, often mid-week, not on our published schedule. If you have attended many projects, you may be invited. Or reach out to the project leader if you are interested.

Bluewater Canyon (BLM)
2025-05-02 18:00 - 2025-05-03 17:00
RESULTS: Twenty-four volunteers worked in Bluewater Canyon to cut back overgrowth and to improve stream crossings

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Description: Bluewater Canyon [Google Map] is in a pretty canyon below the Bluewater dam just west of Grants. It has been designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the BLM. We will improve an existing trail by improving the tread, cutting back overgrowth and making the rock stream crossings better. This is a flat trail and less that 3 miles round trip so we will rate this as an easy project.
We will offer camping for Friday night in the large flat parking area – campers would be OK here. And we will provide food for Friday evening and Saturday morning. We will work from 8:00 to 5:00 on Saturday. You could come for the day without camping. There are no facilities so you will need to bring all your own water and food for the work days.
Participants should wear sturdy boots or work shoes (no sandals), long pants, hat, eye protection, gloves, and bring gear for rain. Pets are not allowed on projects.
Difficulty:
Group size: up to 20
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Manzano Crest Lopping (Mountainair RD)
2025-05-09 18:00 - 2025-05-10 17:00
RESULTS: After one night of camping on the 4th of July Campground, one group of four volunteers cleared more than 15 trees from the 2.1-mile Bosque Trail, while a second group of eleven volunteers hiked 2 miles to the Manzano Crest to remove overgrowth from 1.1 mile of the Manzano Crest Trail. We enjoyed great camaraderie, beautiful weather, and a delicious dinner and breakfast prepared by David Broudy and Michelle Tan. For two volunteers, it was their very first NMVFO project.

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Description: We will lop overgrowth and remove downfall on the Manzano Crest Trail between Trail Canyon Trail and Bosque Peak Trail, picking up where we left off during our September 2024 project. The work will not be difficult but will require a 3+ mile hike with a 1,500 feet elevation gain to the work site (plus return). For this reason, we will rate it as difficult. We will camp at or near the trailhead on Friday and work all day Saturday. It is about 90 minutes from Albuquerque to the trailhead. You are welcome to come on Saturday morning also. We will start at 8:00 am and be back at the trailhead at 5:00.
We will provide food on Friday evening and Saturday morning, but you need to bring your food for the workday. There will be a limit of 15 people (since this is a wilderness area). Participants should wear sturdy boots or work shoes (no sandals), long pants, hat, eye protection, gloves, and bring gear for rain. Pets are not allowed on projects.
Difficulty:
Group Size: Up to 15.
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Sugarite Canyon State Park (ENMRD)
2025-05-16 08:00 - 2025-05-18 12:00
RESULTS: Twelve NMVFO volunteers cleared brush, grass, and deadfall trees from 2.5 miles of the Wapiti Trail and 1.8 miles of the Opportunity Trail at Sugarite Canyon State Park in northern New Mexico on a three-day car camping project. Besides improving the trails, volunteers sighted elk, deer, osprey, and a bear and enjoyed the scenic views and spring flowers.

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Description: Join NMVFO on a car-camping project to improve a hiking trail at Sugarite Canyon State Park in northern New Mexico at a cool 7,200 feet. We will be clearing trees, brush, and grasses and improving drainage from the 2.3-mile Wapiti Trail near Lake Maloya and clearing willows from the shoreline around Lake Maloya angling areas.
Sugarite Canyon State Park was once a coal mine/coal town right on the Colorado border. It offers interpretive trails of the coal town ruins, great hiking trails, and two lakes to fish in.
Camp staff will provide a presentation on wildlife within the park and water resource scarcity in the canyon at dinner one evening.
Volunteers will camp at the Valve Tender’s Group Campground and need to provide their own recreational vehicle or camping gear including tent, sleeping bag and pad, camp chair, headlamp, etc., plus a cooler/beverages, if desired. We recommend that you wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, hiking boots, work gloves, protective eyewear (sunglasses OK) and a sun/rain hat while working. Please bring a daypack to carry your lunch, snacks, sunblock, rain gear, and a full day’s supply of water. All tools will be provided.
NMVFO cooks will provide breakfast on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning and dinner on Friday and Saturday evening; volunteers will need to provide their own lunches and snacks. Chemical toilets will be provided by the park.
While the Project starts at 8:00 am on Friday, May 16th, you can join us Thursday evening (dinner will not be provided), Friday morning or evening, or Saturday morning. Please join us by 5:00 pm on Friday evening if you would like dinner. Join us by 7:00 am on Saturday morning if you would like breakfast. Just let us know what your plans are by contacting the project leader by email or phone.
The project will end at about 12:00 pm on Sunday, May 18th.
Meet at: Sugarite Canyon State Park; Coordinates 36.95522, -104.38739
How to find us: Look for short green NMVFO signs on NM Highway 540 and on HIghway 526 within the park.
Reminder: Pets are not allowed on NMVFO projects.
Please sign up by May 13th. One person per signup.
Difficulty:
Group Size: 20. If the project becomes full, please add your name to the waitlist, and we will contact you if a spot opens up.
For more information: If this is your first NMVFO project, you can find more information about difficulty ratings and what to expect Volunteer FAQs or call/email the project leader.
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Six Mile Canyon Trail (Magdalena RD)
2025-05-17 08:00 - 17:00
RESULTS: 21 Volunteers cleared dead-fall and overgrowth on the Six Mile Canyon Trail in the Magdalena Mountains.

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Description: Join us for some needed maintenance on the Six Mile Canyon Trail in the Magdalena Mountains West of Socorro. We will focus on clearing downed trees and cutting back overgrowth that is obscuring the tread of the trail, starting where we left off last year. The work will require several miles of hiking at altitude. For this reason, we will rate this project as difficult.
We will meet 8AM Saturday at the Water Canyon Campground which is approximately a 90 minute drive from the south side of Albuquerque, and then carpool up.
We have reserved the group site at the campground on Friday, for those of you who want to camp the night before, but meals will NOT be provided, so bring your own dinner and breakfast please.
There will be a limit of 20 people on this project. Participants should wear sturdy boots or work shoes, long pants, eye protection, gloves, and bring gear for rain. Please note that pets are not allowed on this project.
Difficulty:
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.

Black Range Backpack CANCELED
2025-05-19 08:00 - 2025-05-22 14:30
Sorry, the Black Range Backpack has been canceled/postponed due to climate conditions and fire danger.
Description: Join us for lots of brushing, and some logging/tread west and north of Emory Pass, including Gallinas #129, Railroad #128 and Crest #79. We will meet at Railroad Campground and hike to base camp 4.25 miles away. Volunteers should be prepared to hike up to 6.0 miles each day. Refer to the trail map.
Food: Gila BCH homemade vacuum sealed meals (breakfasts and dinners) will be available for this project. We can accommodate meat eaters, vegetarians, and some gluten free diets. But you can also bring your own breakfasts and dinners if you prefer. Everyone will need to provide their own lunches and snacks. Water: Please bring water for the backpack to base camp. We will provide jugs of water at base camp. There is no water on the trail where we will work, so bring a 3-quart water capacity. We will provide: Tools, hard hats, trail and safety training, project supervision, and first aid kit with Wilderness First Responder trained personnel.
Please see the BCH website description for a packing list and more information! Sign up below by Wednesday May 14.
Difficulty:
Group Size: up to 7

Petroglyph National Monument (NPS)
2025-05-23 08:30 - 16:00
RESULTS: Fourteen NMVFO volunteers improved the native plant garden and surrounding areas of the Information Center of the Petroglyph National Monument in western Albuquerque. They removed dead plants, pruned live plants, removed piled up tumbleweeds, and hoed live tumbleweeds.

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Description: Join NMVFO as we improve the area around the Information Center of the Petroglyph National Monument in western Albuquerque. We’ll be trimming and pruning native plants and removing invasive and dead plants including dead tumbleweeds that have piled up. The areas we’ll be working in are different from the areas we improved last year. All tools will be provided.
We suggest that you wear boots, long pants, long sleeves, work gloves, hats, and eye protection (sunglasses okay) while working. Please bring your lunch, snacks, sunblock, and rain gear (if rain is expected), and water.
Reminder: Pets are not allowed on NMVFO projects.
Please sign up below. The closing date for signups is May 21, 2025.
Difficulty:
Group size: Up to 20
Meet at: Visitor Information Center, Petroglyph National Monument, 6510 Western Trail NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120
For more information: If this is your first NMVFO project, you can find more information about difficulty ratings and what to expect at https://nmvfo.org/volunteer/volunteer-faq or email the project leader.
Please read our Volunteer Guidelines before signing up for this project.
On the signup form please leave the "Number of Volunteers" at 1. If you would like to sign up additional volunteers please submit multiple signups.
