August 2010
Nature
Menu of this month's listings, stories and columns
Family Camp Out Adventure — El Paso Parks and Recreation Department will host the family overnight event 4 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, July 30-31, at Memorial Park Reserve area, 3251 Copper. Cost is $5 for ages 17 and under, and $10 for others, which includes hot dogs, entertainment and more. All campers must bring their own tents and sleeping bags. Information: 240-3310 or elpasotexas.gov/parks.
The event features picnic, swimming, overnight movies and dancing, games and more. Security provided onsite.
Bugfest! — The El Paso Zoo, 4001 E. Paisano, hosts its annual weekend expo Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7-8, with close-up bug encounters, games and activities for the whole family. Zoo admission is $10 for ages 13 to 61; $7.50 for ages 62 and older and active duty military (including spouse) with ID; $6 ages 3 to 12; and free for ages 2 and under. Zoo members admitted free. Information: 532-8156, 521-1850 or elpasozoo.org.
El Paso Zoo — 4001 E. Paisano. Zoo summer entrance hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Zoo admission is $10 for ages 13 to 61; $7.50 for ages 62 and older and active duty military (including spouse) with ID; $6 ages 3 to 12; and free for ages 2 and under. Zoo members admitted free. Information: 532-8156, 521-1850 or elpasozoo.org.
A giraffe exhibit has joined the new Africa section’s lion exhibit, meerkat habitat and the El Paso Electric Kalahari Research Center.
BugFest is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7-8.
Military, Law Enforcement and Fire Day is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21.
Daily encounters include California Sea Lion Training and Meet the Keeper presentations at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Asian Elephant Training Encounters scheduled daily. Information: elpasozoo.org/takeaction.
Garden Talks at Ardovino’s Desert Crossing — Ardovino’s Desert Crossing, One Ardovino Drive in Sunland Park, will host free talks on various aspects of gardening with Texas AgriLife Extension Service Master Gardeners 8 to 8:30 to 9 a.m. Saturdays on the patio during their weekly farmers’ market. Information: 240-7414.
• Aug. 7 — “Rainwater Harvesting” with Bill Hodge
• Aug. 14 — “Getting Roses Ready for Fall” with Bill Hooten
• Aug. 21 — “Fall Gardening” with Jim Hastings
• Aug. 28 — “Composting” with Ed McElroy.
Butterfly Release — White Mountain Meadows Pavilion, off Gavilan Canyon Road in Ruidoso, will host its 5th annual Monarch butterfly release benefiting Ruidoso Home Care and Hospice Foundation 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14. Butterflies will be distributed at 11 a.m. and releaesed at 12:15 p.m. Cost per butterfly is $12. Information: Nancy Lee (575) 258-0028.
Master Gardeners Second Saturday – Texas AgriLife Extension Service’s second Saturday lecture is 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 14, at the El Paso Garden Center, 3105 Grant. August’s program is “Get Your Roses Ready for Fall” with Master Gardener Bill Hooten. Admission is free. Information: 240-7414.
Butterfly Flutterby – The Asombro Institute for Science Education at Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, 56501 N. Jornada in Las Cruces, hosts its 8th annual celebration of butterflies 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 21. There will be new stations and activities this year, including kids’ arts and crafts, butterfly sponge toss and face painting. Guests can make a butterfly watering plate, stroll along the Desert Discovery Trail or browses the bucket auction. Proceeds auction benefit Institute’s education programs and site development. Admission: $2. Information: (575) 524-3334 or asombro.org.
Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park — The park, part of Asombro Institute for Science Education, is northeast of Las Cruces, off Jornada Road. Admission is free; donation box at trailhead. Park hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Information: (575) 524-3334 or asombro.org.
The 8th annual Butterfly Flutterby is 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 21. This year’s event includes kids’ arts and crafts, butterfly sponge toss and face painting. Proceeds from a bucket auction benefit Institute’s education programs and site development. Admission: $2.
To get there: Take I-25 in Las Cruces and head east on U.S. 70. Take the Mesa Grande Road exit (at Oñate High School). Make a U-turn under the highway to head west, and stay in the right lane. Turn right (north) on Jornada Road. Follow Jornada Road for 6.5 miles and turn left at the park sign. Follow the entrance road to the parking area and trailhead.
Asombro Institute for Science Education is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing scientific literacy by fostering an understanding of the Chihuahuan Desert.
White Sands Institute — White Sands National Monument and NMSU-Alamogordo hosts a new series of community education classes during the summer months, ranging from art to natural history. All classes meet at White Sands National Monument. Information/registration: (575) 439-3842 or commed@nmsua.nmsu.edu.
Classes are geared towards grade 10 through adult, and include easy-level hikes, with some off-trail walks.
Upcoming classes:
• “By The Dune’s Early Light” photography workshop with Jim Spencer and Ron Robertson, Aug. 24-26. Cost: $550.
• White Sands Watercolors Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 21-23, instructed by Dan Stouffer. Cost: $175.
Master Gardener Course — The Texas AgriLife Extension Service will host an 11-week master gardener course 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 9-Nov. 18, at El Paso Garden Center, 3105 Grant, in Memorial Park. The course offers intensive horticultural training in exchange for at least 60 hours of volunteer service after the course’s completion. Application fee: $150 ($195 for those in the horticulture industry). Fee covers course text and various handouts. Enrollment space is limited; application deadline is 5 p.m. Aug. 30. Information/applications: 860-2515 or elp.tamu.edu.
Municipal Rose Garden — The garden at 3418 Aurora (at Copia), opens to the public 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 30, except for official holidays. The Garden, which opened in 1958, has many types of roses at the sprawling park area with a water fall, shade canopy and many other amenities. Admission is free. Information/rentals: El Paso Parks and Recreation, 541-4331.
El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society trips — The society hosts field trips to various birding sites in the region. Non-members and guests welcome on all field trips. Bring lunch, binoculars, and dress appropriately for weather and terrain. Information: 526-7725 or trans-pecos-audubon.org.
• A Reservoirs in the Valley tour in East El Paso meets at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, at Feather Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, 9500 North Loop, to tour waterbird haven McNary Reservoir and other areas. Information: Mark Perkins, 637-3521 or mperkins4@elp.rr.com.
Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park — 5000 Calle del Norte in Mesilla. Guided Bird tours are 7:15 to 8:45 a.m. the first Saturday of every month, hosted by Mesilla Valley Audubon Society’s Nancy Stotz. Day use fee: $5 per vehicle ($40 annual pass). Information: (575) 523-4298 or nmparks.com.
• Friends of the Mesilla Valley Bosque Park meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 2. Park fee waived for those attending meeting. Information: (575) 523-8009.
• A ranger-guided bird tour is 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 7. Bring hat, water, binoculars and insect repellent.
• State Entomologist Dr. Carol Sutherland will present “Common Arthropods in the Mesilla Valley” at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, in the park classroom.
• Richard Quick, Naturalist for the Museum of Natural History, will give a presentation about amphibians and reptiles at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, in the park classroom.
Keystone Heritage Park and El Paso Desert Botanical Garden — 4200 Doniphan (across from Frontera). Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays year round. Admission: $2 ($1 children, seniors and military). Information: 584-0563, keystoneheritagepark.org or elpasobotanicalgardens.org.
The park’s 2-acre Botanical Garden, funded by the Rotary Club of El Paso and the Junior League, features native plants, amphitheater, butterfly garden, wedding garden, children’s maze, and a Butterfly House.
Keystone Heritage Park has 189 species of migratory and local birds, and a 4,500-year-old archaeological site.
The site is open for bird watching at dawn on the last Saturday of the month and dusk on the last Sunday of the month.
Keystone’s Chihuahuan Desert Experience (immediately west of the wetland) is open daily from 7 a.m. to noon for walking and bird watching.
The El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon will be at the Observation Deck 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14 and 28, for anyone interested about the chapter or area birds.
El Paso Astronomy Club — The club meets 7 to 9 p.m. the third Friday of every month at EPISD’s Gene Roddenberry Planetarium, 6531 Boeing. Meetings include guest speakers and workshops to aid beginners in the use of telescopes and identifying objects in the night sky. Everyone is welcome. Admission is free. Information: 779-4317 or elpasoastronomy.org.
El Paso Ridge Walkers — The hiking club offers hikes every weekend, choosing from two dozen hikes around the region, including hikes in the Franklin and Organ Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, as well as flatter hikes along the Rio Grande and Stahmann’s Pecan Orchard. Day trips range from White Sands to Albuquerque. Hikes range from 6 to 10 miles. Information: Charlie Topp, 755-7789 or elpasoridgewalkers.com.
Sierra Club hikes — The El Paso Regional Group of the Sierra Club offers field trips almost every weekend; open to non-members. Most outings have a limit of 12 persons. The club encourages donations of at least $2 or $3 per person per event to help with publicity and administrative expenses. Web: texas.sierraclub.org/elpaso/.
The general meeting is at 7:30 p.m. on the last Wednesday of every month; location varies. Information/location: 309-5419.
Franklin Mountains State Park — The 24,000-acre park extends north from the heart of El Paso to the New Mexico state line. The highest point is North Mt. Franklin, 7,192 feet above sea level.
Most hiking and mountain-biking trails begin in the Tom Mays area, off Transmountain Road on the west side of the park (east of I-10).
Entry fees are $4 per person, free for age 12 and under (with family). Group rates available. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Information: 566-6441.
Guided nature hikes begin at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7-8 and Aug. 21-22. Cost is $7 for ages 13 and up and $1 for ages 5-12 (includes park entry fee). Hikes range in distance and difficulty. Reservations required: 566-6441, ext. 24 or kelly.serio@tpwd.state.tx.us (tours also may be given any weekend by advance reservation).
• A Junior Ranger Hike is 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 14. Cost is $7 for ages 13 and up and $1 for ages 5-12 (includes park entry fee). Call for reservations.
• A Moonlight Hike is 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21. The trail hike is rated moderate.
• Camping in the Tom Mays Area of the park, with both traditional tent sites and RV areas (no hookups). Site fee is $8 (limit of four campers), plus the park entrance fee.
• Picnicking in the Tom Mays Area, with picnic tables and restrooms that are accessible to the handicapped.
No ground fires are permitted.
Feather Lake Wildlife Sanctuary — 9500 North Loop, near Loop 375. The 43.5-acre site is managed by El Paso’s Audubon Society. A variety of migratory birds, as well as some year-round species, can be seen there. The sanctuary is open to the public 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and 2 p.m. to dusk Sundays. Admission is free. Information: 545-5157 or 747-8663.
Directions: Take I-10 East to Americas (Loop 375), go south 1.2 miles to North Loop, turn right and go 0.4 miles to the sanctuary entrance, on the left at 9500 North Loop at Bordeaux.
The next public workday session is 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 7. Everyone is invited.
Rio Bosque Wetlands Park — UTEP’s Center for Environmental Resource Management offers free guided walking tours and other activities at Rio Bosque Wetlands Park in El Paso’s Mission Valley. Tours last about two hours. Information: 747-8663 or riobosque.org. Upcoming events:
• Bird Tour, 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 8.
• Introductory Tour, 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 15.
• A Community Workday is 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21.
• Monthly faunal monitoring is 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 28.
Meeting place is a bridge crossing Riverside Canal. Take Americas Ave. (Loop 375) to Pan American Drive, turn left and travel 1.5 miles.
Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site — The site is famed for many Native American rock paintings and unique geology. Summer hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Admission: $5 (free for children 12 and younger). Additional cost for tours (including birding tour and morning hike): $1 for ages 5 and older. Information: 857-1135 or texasstateparks.gov.
The park’s campground will be closed for utility upgrades through the month of August and possibly early September.
Pictograph, rock-climbing bouldering and hiking tours are available at 9 and 11 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday, by prior arrangement. Call 849-6684.
The monthly birding tour is 7 to 9 a.m. on the third Saturday of the month (Aug. 21). Advance sign-up encouraged.
An early morning nature and pictograph tour is 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 14. The strenuous hike is about 3 hours long. Participants should wear sturdy shoes and bring water. Registration required.
To get there: Take Montana Avenue (U.S. Highway 62-180) all the way into the Hueco Mountains then turn left on Ranch Road 2775.
North Mountain is available for self-guided day use, for up to 70 people at a time. There is an annual orientation program for visitors. Guided access is offered to the rest of the site. Picnicking allowed at ten tables closest to headquarters. Wood and charcoal fires are not permitted. Camping is available. Bicycles permitted only on designated paved areas. Pets allowed only in camping or picnic areas. Call for reservations and other information: 857-1135.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park — The park is about 160 miles east of El Paso, off the Carlsbad Highway (U.S. 62-180). Information: (575) 785-2232 or nps.gov/cave.
Summer hours (Memorial Day through Labor Day) are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; tours available 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last entry into cave via natural entrance is 3:30 p.m. with last entry into cave via elevator 5 p.m.
A star party is 6:30 to 10 p.m. the second Saturday of each month.
Plan 3-1/2 hours for a walk-in tour and 1-1/2 hours for Big Room tour. Cost is $6 ($3 for ages 6-15 or seniors with discount card). The park’s audio self-guided tour is $3 extra (also available in Spanish).
For an extra fee ($8 adults, $4 youth and seniors with card), visitors can go on a ranger-guided tour of the King’s Palace, Papoose Room, Queen’s Chamber and Green Lake Room; reservations are required.
The “bat season” generally lasts from late May through mid-October. Daily bat flight talks (about 15 minutes long) are offered just before sunset at the amphitheatre outside the natural entrance. Then — bats willing — visitors are treated to the sunset spectacle of clouds of bats flying out of the cave entrance.
Guided tours also are available for Slaughter Canyon Cave, an undeveloped cave 23 miles from the main cavern. Call for reservations. Cost is $15 ($7.50 ages 6-15, seniors with card). The 1-1/4-mile tour lasts about 2-1/2 hours. Flashlight with fresh batteries required. Wear good walking shoes and bring water.
Other special guided tours are available, including “Wild Cave Tours.”
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument — 44 miles north of Silver City on NM Highway 15, the dwellings are in the middle of the majestic Gila Wilderness, the first and one of the largest wilderness areas. The slow, winding mountain road between Silver City and the dwellings takes about 1-1/2 hours to drive. Long trailers are advised to come up the back way via NM 152 and 35 through the Mimbres Valley. Entrance fee: $3 per person; $10 per family. Information: (575) 536-9461 or nps.gov/gicl.
Summer hours: The trail to the cliff dwellings is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Everyone must be off the trail by 7 p.m. Visitor center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monument Superintendent Steve Riley will offer a free one-hour tour of the TJ Site on at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 14. Visitors can explore the TJ Site, an unexcavated surface pueblo that is usually closed to the public. Advance reservations required; space is limited.
Regular tours offered at noon. Early arrival requested (allow 20 to 30 minutes to hike to dwellings where tour begins).
“Trail to the Past” guided tours are 1:30 p.m. Saturdays at the Lower Scorpion Campground. This 1/4 mile walk visits a small Mogollon alcove dwelling and a large pictograph panel.
White Sands National Monument — The glistening gypsum dunes are about 15 miles southwest of Alamogordo, N.M., on U.S. 70. Hours (through Sept. 12) are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the Dunes Drive. Visitor Center hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. All visitors must exit the park by one hour after sunset.
Entrance fee: $3 age 17 and older. Free for children. Information: (575) 479-6124, ext. 236 or (575) 679-2599, ext. 232; or go to nps.gov/whsa.
Ranger-guided Sunset Stroll Nature Walks begin one hour before sunset daily. Experience a sunset over the white sands and observe the plants, animals and geology of the dune field. Walks last about one hour.
Patio talks are 1:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at the Visitor Center. Rangers will answer questions and give tips on enjoying the monument.
A Full Moon Hike is 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24. Admission is free, but reservations required as space is limited. Register at nps.gov/whsa.
Full Moon Night is 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 25, featuring the Herpetology Simplified Science Show, a hands-on educational program about the world of snakes with Donna Hoidahl. No reservations accepted.
Lake Lucero tours are offered on the last weekend of each month. This month’s tour is 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28. Participants drive their own vehicles 17 miles beginning at the Small Missile Range gate on U.S. 70, 25 miles west of the White Sands Visitor Center, then hike 3/4 mile to the source of the white sands. Reservations are required. Cost is $3 per adult; $1.50 age 16 and under.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park — 110 miles east of El Paso on the way to Carlsbad, the 86,416-acre park includes the highest point in Texas: Guadalupe Peak, 8,749 feet. Entry fee: $5 for ages 16 and older, good for one week and all trails. Camping is $8 per site per night. Information: (915) 828-3251.
The park’s headquarters, visitors’ center and museum are at Pine Springs, off of U.S. 62-180. Camping for tents and RVs, a nature trail, and ruins of the Butterfield Overland Mail Station are nearby. McKittrick Canyon Visitors’ Center is seven miles east of Pine Springs, and offers nature, canyon and geology trails. Winter hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
On the north side of the park, accessible by a 110-mile drive around Carlsbad Caverns, is Dog Canyon Visitor Center and Campground.
One of the best examples of a Permian Period fossil reef, the national park offers camping and more than 80 miles of trails. Hikes range from easy, wheelchair-accessible nature trails to moderate (level, but rocky) canyon hikes to strenuous mountain hikes.
New Mexico State Parks — Day-use fee is $5 when visiting any state park. Camping fees: $8 for primitive site; $10 for developed site (electrical hookup $4 extra). All programs are free with park entrance, unless otherwise listed. Information: (575) 744-5998 or nmparks.com.
• Mesilla Valley Bosque Park — 5000 Calle del Norte, Mesilla. Guided bird tours are first Saturday of every month, hosted by Mesilla Valley Audubon Society’s Nancy Stotz.
• City of Rocks State Park, north of Deming off U.S. 180. Information: (575) 536-2800. A “Rattlesnake Myths” presentation is 3 to 4 p.m. every Saturday.
• Oliver Lee State Park, Highway 54 south of Alamogordo at the Dog Canyon turnoff. Information: (575) 437-8284.
The Amateur Astronomers Group hosts a summer sky viewing 8 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, at the Group Shelter.
• Rockhound State Park, five miles south of Deming on State Road 11 and then east on Rockhound Road (State Road 141) for nine miles. Day use hours: 7:30 a.m. to sunset. Information: (575) 546-6182 or (575) 744-5998.
• Elephant Butte Lake State Park — Information: (575) 744-5998.
Drag boat races are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 14-15.
The Socorro Bass Club fishing tournament is 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22.
A free Boating Safety class is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28.
• Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs, two miles off Interstate 25 at Exit 19. Information: (575) 524–4068. Day use hours: 7 a.m. to sunset.
• Caballo Lake State Park, 60 miles north of Las Cruces on Interstate 25. Information: (575) 527-8386.
• Percha Dam State Park, 60 miles north of Las Cruces on Interstate 25. Information: (575) 744-5998.
• Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus, N.M., State Roads 11 and 9. Information: (575) 531-2711. Day use hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Brantley Lake State Park — 12 miles north of Carlsbad, N.M., on US 285. Includes 51 sites with water and RV hookups, visitors’ center, fishing dock and boat ramps. Information: (575) 457-2384.
The Summer Enchanted Evening interpretive program series runs 8 to 9 p.m. Saturdays, through Sept. 4.
Dripping Springs Natural Area — The recreational area is at the base of the Organ Mountains at the end of Dripping Springs Road (the eastern extension of University Avenue), about 10 miles east of Las Cruces. The area, run by the federal Bureau of Land Management in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy, includes the A.B. Cox Visitors’ Center, several hiking trails, and La Cueva Picnic Area. During the late spring and summer months, the visitor center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Access to the main trail to Dripping Springs is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the park is closed promptly at 7 p.m.
Admission is $3 per vehicle. No pets allowed (except for assistance animals). Information: (575) 522-1219.
Aguirre Spring Campground — The Organ Mountain recreational area, run by the federal Bureau of Land Management, is off U.S. 70 about 15 miles east of Las Cruces. Fifty-five family camping and picnic sites, plus two group areas. Day-use fee is $3 per vehicle.
The Baylor Pass (hiking and horseback riding) and Pine Tree (hiking) trails begin at the campground.
Information, group reservations: (575) 525-4300.
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park — Carlsbad, N.M. Admission: $5 ($3 ages 7-12; free for 6 and under). Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (last entry at 3:30 p.m.). Information: (575) 887-5516.
To get there: Take U.S. 285 north of Carlsbad; follow signs to the park.
The Carlsbad Community Band (formerly Carlsbad Wind Symphony) hosts a free outdoor concert 3 to 4:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1. Bring a lawn chair.
Live country music with New Mexico’s Treasures is 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, followed by a full moon walk 7:45 to 8:15 p.m.
A large greenhouse is devoted to succulents and cactus from around the world. The headquarters building includes exhibits on minerals, history, archaeology and other subjects.
Sitting Bull Falls — The scenic area in the Lincoln National Forest is seven miles southwest of NM 137 on Forest Route 276. The 130-foot falls is one of the highest in New Mexico. Features a picnic area and wheelchair-accessible trails. Entry fee: $5 per car (day use only). Information: (575) 885-4181.
Chihuahuan Desert Resource Institute — The CDRI center and botanical gardens are four miles south of Fort Davis on Hwy 118. Admission: $5 ($4 seniors 65 and older; free children 12 and younger, members). Information: (432) 364-2499 or cdri.org.
Davis Mountains Preserve — The Nature Conservancy’s preserve’s use is free and open to the public. No pets allowed. All visitors must sign in at McIvor Conservation Center near the preserve’s entrance. Reservations not required for day use, but strongly encouraged for overnight stays: (432) 426-2390, ext. 1 or dsouth@tnc.org.
To get there: Take Hwy 118 from Fort Davis to the Lawrence E. Wood picnic area. The preserve gate is about one-quarter mile north of picnic area on left (look for sign).
Alameda Park Zoo — Alameda Park, 1321 North White Sands Blvd. (U.S. 54/70), Alamogordo. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission: $2.50 ($1.50 ages 3-11 and 60 and older; free for ages 2 and younger). Annual memberships available. Information: (575) 439-4290.
The oldest zoo in the Southwest (established in 1898) is part of the park that lines Alamogordo’s main highway. The zoo, covering about 12 acres, features about 250 exotic and indigenous animals.
Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue — The nonprofit organization that serves West Texas and Southern New Mexico offers resources for those who find a wild bird or mammal in need of help. Information: 772-6011, (575) 882-2910 or whc.net/cdwr.
Uninjured baby birds may be returned to their nest; the mother will not reject them if they have been touched by humans. If the nest cannot be found, create one with a basket or container with good drainage that can be attached to the tree so the parent bird may find it. If the bird is injured, contact the rescue immediately.
Community Tool Sheds — Keep El Paso Beautiful, in partnership with Paso del Norte Health Foundation, Home Depot and El Paso Fire Department, offers community tool sheds available at area fire stations. The sheds will be stocked with push brooms, shovels, rakes, a gas weed eater, gloves and trash bags for use for cleanup or beautification projects. The items may be borrowed for no charge to the public for community cleanup projects. Information: 546-6742.
Tool sheds are at 5315 Threadgill, 3801 Fort Blvd., 6500 N. Mesa, 7901 San Jose, 11977 Pellicano, 1801 Montana, 6300 Delta and 10834 Ivanhoe.
Parks and Rec Memorial Tree Program — The City Parks and Recreation Department offers its Memorial Tree Program to honor a loved one as well as celebrate a special occasion, group or event. Trees will be planted in a public park or other public area. Donation levels range from $75 for seedlings to $600 for a grove. Information: 541-4331. Forms available at the Parks and Recreation Office, 6th floor El Paso City Hall, 2 Civic Center Plaza or elpasotexas.gov/parks.
An acknowledgement letter is sent to those that purchase a tree, and a certificate is sent to the honoree and family and is posted on the Parks and Recreation web site.
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