Birds in This Story
American Avocet
Latin: Recurvirostra americana
For the last two years, Audubon New Mexico, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), and other partners have offered opportunities to restore and enhance critical riparian habitat along the Rio Grande with community members while learning in the field. Due to the 2020 global pandemic these hands on activities must be put on hold, but this pause gives us a moment to imagine new ways of supporting habitat restoration and being more inclusive. The Rio Grande Nature Center joins us in testing a new idea: volunteers caring for native seedlings at home!
Interested? Please sign-up here before the volunteer orientation on July 10th
Project Overview
We will continue to create, enhance, and restore valuable habitat for birds and wildlife by working with dedicated volunteers and community members. Volunteers will receive a kit with everything they need to grow roughly ten native plants from seed. Participants will receive support and get a chance to communicate with other volunteers throughout the project. Viable seedlings will be transplanted to sites in the Rio Grande Floodplain at the Rio Grande Nature Center and Valle de Oro NWR for National Public Lands Day in late September 2020. Volunteers will drop off their seedlings or plant them as a community if it is safe to do so.
Volunteer Commitment
- Grow and care for seedlings to the best of their ability
- Attend a volunteer orientation on July 10th at 4pm MDT
- Complete an experience survey to help us prepare for a larger project launch in 2021
- Log volunteer hours
- Return viable seedlings in September for planning (Keep two for your home garden!)
Sound doable? Sign-up here before the volunteer orientation.
Additional Materials and Support
- Planting guide
- Information about past community restoration projects
- Orientation Recording
Thank you to our wonderful partners on this effort - please visit their websites to learn more
