Field Trips
There is no cost to attend field trips - sign up at the conference registration table!
We will carpool / caravan from the hotel on Saturday morning.
Santa Fe Botanical Garden
The Santa Fe Botanical Garden features native plants mixed with appropriate non-natives, which are all selected to demonstrate the variety and richness that can be achieved in this region of scarce water. The garden was designed by landscape architect W. Gary Smith.
The site is approximately 19 acres which over 8 acres are developed with walking paths through the distinct gardens: The Orchard Gardens and Art Trail, and our ethnobotanical garden, Ojos y Manos: Eyes and Hands Garden, and the Piñon Juniper Woodland.
Enjoy a docent-led tour that will have you back to the hotel by noon!
Randall Davey Audubon Center & Sanctuary
The Randall Davey Audubon Center & Sanctuary encompasses 135 acres of striking landscapes and wildlife. Bounded by thousands of acres of National Forest and Santa Fe River Watershed land, the Center and Sanctuary provides a peaceful sanctuary for native plants, a variety of local wildlife and our visitors. Ranging from common to rare, approximately 190 species of birds can be found in or over the various ecosystems of this sanctuary.
This birding adventure will be led by Ondrea Hummel - bring your binoculars!
Santa Fe River
Rio Grande Return is collaborating with the Santa Fe Watershed Association and the City of Santa Fe to offer a tour of the Santa Fe River. For more than a decade, we’ve worked together on this 1.5-mile beloved reach. We will have three stops by car between Ricardo Road and Siler Road and will walk in the streambed to various sites. Field trip topics will include Santa Fe’s Living River Flow Ordinance, stormwater capture and infiltration, riparian restoration, and the dynamics of rock structures, flooding and drought. 9 to 11:30am. There are nearby options for lunch afterward.
Erosion Control Workshop at the Institute of American Indian Arts
This will be a hands-on workshop creating rock and earthen structures to reduce soil erosion and increase water retention on lands that are primarily pinon-juniper, with patches of native grasses. This workshop will take place on the campus of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is about ~15 minute drive from where the conference will take place.
After getting an overall introduction of the site and project, participants will work collectively to build several erosion structures. Instruction and guidance will be provided on site. This project is a multi-year, collaboration between IAIA’s Land Grant department, USFWS’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, and other partners to help reduce soil erosion, increase soil moisture, and bring back native grasses over time. Erosion is caused by water and wind, but a significant influence is foot traffic, especially from a local disk golf course that is established on site. The other priority of this project is to provide community restoration events and educational opportunities.