Field Trips and Classes

All classes will be held at the Museum. Class sizes are limited.

You may reserve seats for field trips and classes by completing this registration form, or get more information by emailing programs.NMMNHS@state.nm.us

The Geology of New Mexico
Mondays, April 20 through May 11, 2009
10:00 AM to Noon
Natural History Class for Adults

The landscape of New Mexico tells the story of time and changing environments. Oceans once covered the site of today's Albquerque. Camels and saber tooth cats once roamed the I-25 corridor, and volcanoes erupted within our state as recently as 3,000 years ago (with some still considered to be active). Did you know that the Sandia granite is one of the oldest rocks in New Mexico while the Sandia Mountains themselves are young and still rising? What do New Mexico and East Africa have in common? Have you wondered about the geological history of the Bisti Badlands, El Morro, or the Mogollon Wilderness? Learn to “read the record in the rocks” as well as the amazing story of the unique, dynamic geology of New Mexico

This course is offered in partnership with The Institute for Lifelong Learning for New Mexicans with registration through both organizations. All classes will be held at the Museum.

Instructor Jayne Aubele is an Educator/Geologist at the Museum. Her focus is volcanoes, and she has mapped and researched the geology of New Mexico and the Southwest as well as the Moon, Mars and Venus. Jayne has been a research staff scientist and program manager for NASA's Space Grant Program at Brown University. She has authored or co-authored many technical articles and popular books/chapters about N.M. geology, including the “Field Guide to Sandia Mountains”; and she was geologic technical advisor and an on-camera geologist for the 2008 KNME-TV program, “The Sandias.”

$30 for members, $40 for non-members, for all four sessions. Free for Museum volunteers.

Class sizes are limited. Pre-registration required, contact August at 841-2861 or programs.NMMNHS@state.nm.us.

Call prior to February 1 in order to ensure your participation. For questions about the class call Jayne Aubele at 841-2840 or jayne.aubele@state.nm.us

Family Fun on a River Run!
June 8–11, 2009
Natural History Overnight Field Trip

Join us for a wonderful river rafting adventure in the summer of 2009. The beautiful San Juan River starts in the mountains of Colorado, and flows through northwestern New Mexico and southern Utah on its way to Lake Powell. We'll float 27 of those miles between Bluff and Mexican Hat, Utah. Join us to learn about the natural history of this river system and the plants and animals of the area through games, stories and other fun activities. The river takes us into a geologic past of smooth colorful sandstone and awesome limestone with fossils, miner trails and Mormon trails, swift water and wedding cake walls. There will be lots of time for playing in and on the water. We'll have paddle and oar rafts and plenty of fun for the whole family. This trip includes three days of rafting.

Meet in Bluff on the eventing of Monday, June 8. Launch on June 9, off the river the afternoon of Thursday, June 11. Leaders: Tish Morris, naturalist and Senior Education Specialist at the Museum, and Kristin Gunckel, geologist, teacher and raft guide.

Minimum of 12 participants, maximum of 20. This trip is designed for children 7 years and over with parent(s) or grandparent(s).

Cost: Museum members Adult $574, each accompanying child (under 12) $549.
Non-member Adult $599, each accompanying child (under 12) $574.

Cost includes meals from first night's dinner through last day's lunch, expert staff and river guides, group equipment and return transportation to Bluff. Complete itinerary available, camping equipment may be rented. For more information contact Tish Morris at 505-841-2882 or tish.morris@state.nm.us

Pre-registration required, contact August at 841-2861 or programs.NMMNHS@state.nm.us.

Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Project
8:00 AM to Noon on Tuesday, June 16 or 8:00 AM to Noon on Tuesday, July 21
 
Field Trip to the Alameda/Rio Grande Open Space with Kimi Scheerer

Begun in 1997, the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP) collects scientific data along the middle Rio Grande valley from volunteers, mostly school children from over 40 schools. Join us for a morning discovering bosque biology and participate in this 12-year study of the health and ecology of our cottonwood forests. Participants will learn about how youth are actively involved in citizen science and how this data is used by the University of New Mexico, the Long Term Ecological Research network, and public land managers. Data will be collected from the BEMP sites near the San Juan Chama Drinking Water Diversion Dam and will include monthly precipitation, leaf litter biomass, and monitoring multiple groundwater table wells. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy while discussing how climate change has affected the health of the Rio Grande bosque.

Kimi Scheerer is the Education Coordinator for BEMP and thoroughly enjoys “BEMPin' it Up!” at schools and different community events around New Mexico! Ms. Scheerer relocated to Nuevo Mexico in 2006 after a career in marine biology at various nature centers, aquariums, ecological institutes and residential school programs.

Cost: $5 per participant
Pre-registration required, download registration form here or email programs.NMMNHS@state.nm.us.
For more information contact Tish Morris at 505-841-2882 or tish.morris@state.nm.us

Tracking Mountain Lions on the Ladder Ranch Trip
June 20–21, 2009
Field Experience led by Travis Perry, Ph.D.

Located near Hillsboro, New Mexico, the spectacular Ladder Ranch encompasses more than 250,000 acres and is home to a diversity of wildlife including mountain lions. Dr. Perry will provide in-the-field instruction on recognizing mountain lion sign, tracks, and cache sites. Learn about mountain lion behavior, their role in the ecosystem, and their interaction with humans. Participate in on-going research and use telemetry to track the collared mountain lions on the ranch. Join us on this exclusive experience limited to only 9 participants. Experience will include moderate hiking, in summer temperatures, up to one-half mile.

First day: We will leave the museum at 6:30 a.m. and travel in Museum vehicles to the Ladder Ranch near Hillsboro, New Mexico, about a 3-hour drive. There, we will get an orientation to the Ranch and the mountain lion research. Lunch will be at the Ranch Lodge. Most of the remainder of the day will be out in the field on the Ladder Ranch. It is very unlikely we will actually see a mountain lion, but we should see sign, learn how mountain lion sign compares to other wildlife sign and use the telemetry equipment that tracks them. Where we go will depend on the recent mountain lion sign and ranch road conditions. Mountain lion expert Harley Shaw, retired Arizona Game and Fish biologist and author of Soul Among Lions will also be joining us.

Second day: After an early breakfast we will again head to the field to explore the ranch and track mountain lions. We will pack our lunches and eat on the trail. We will stop for dinner on the way back to Albuquerque.

Check out Dr. Perry's website at: http://furmancougar.blogspot.com

$470 per person. The field trip is limited to 9 people (minimum of 6).

Along with the unique field experience we will provide: transportation, snacks, lunch, dinner, breakfast and lodging at the Ladder Ranch Lodge, sack lunch on day two, and water jugs to refill your bottle. Bring your own money for dinner on our way home in Socorro.

Questions: Tish Morris at 841-2882, tish.morris@state.nm.us
Registration: August Wainwright at 505-841-2861 or programs.NMMNHS@state.nm.us

Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research Station
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, July 18
Field Trip to the Sevilleta with Scott Collins, Ph.D.

The Sevilleta is one of the largest refuges in the National Wildlife System, but it is generally closed to the public. Join us on a rare trip to this important New Mexico refuge. The Refuge is host to a Long Term Ecological Research Station (LTER), a biological field station operated by the University of New Mexico Biology Department. The refuge is positioned at the intersection of several major biotic zones: Chihuahuan Desert grassland and shrubland to the south, Great Plains grassland to the north, Piñon-Juniper woodland in the upper elevations, Colorado Plateau shrub-steppe to the west, and riparian vegetation along the middle Rio Grande Valley. Because of the confluence of these major biotic zones, the Sevilleta presents an ideal setting to investigate how climate variability and climate change act together to affect our New Mexico ecosystems. We will get to explore the refuge and learn about current research being done there. We will drive on the refuge in vans.

Scott Collins, Professor, & Director, Sevilleta LTER, earned his doctorate in Oklahoma. His research interests include: plant community dynamics; the role of disturbance in communities; fire ecology; landscape ecology; grassland ecology; analysis of species distribution and abundance.

Costs: $50 public, $40 members
Pre-registration required, download registration form here or email programs.NMMNHS@state.nm.us.
For more information contact Tish Morris at 505-841-2882 or tish.morris@state.nm.us

Drawn from the Collection—Naturalist Illustration Program
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on August 4 and 5, 2009
A two-day class by Cynthia Padilla

Naturalist illustrations are simple but accurate drawings executed 'in situ' to document sightings, identify specimens, or to simply capture the flora and fauna of a special place. Learn how to draw while examining a fascinating collection of museum treasures including minerals, fossils, bones, moths, butterflies, bird and small mammal study skins and mounts.

The workshop, lead by international instructor Cynthia Padilla, includes a private behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum's Bioscience Collection, lead by Collections Manager Patti Gegick on Tuesday August 4th, and a tour of the Geosciences Collection, led by Collections Manager Justin Spielmann on Wednesday August 5th.

This immersion in art and science is not to be missed. This program is designed for beginners to professionals, educators, and life-long learners. Join us for this relaxed classroom and museum setting. Emerge with a sketchbook of quick scribbles, convincing renderings, notes and notations, measurements and musings. Classes are indoors. Supply list will be given upon registration. A certificate will be presented upon completion.

Cost: $200 public, $175 members
Download registration form here. Call August Wainwright with questions at 505-841-2861.

Geology of Albuquerque
9:00 AM to Noon on Thursday, August 20
A class by Jayne Aubele

Albuquerque's landscape is a snapshot of the geologic past and a record of the dynamic geology that formed our state. Did you know that the Rio Grande, the Albuquerque Volcanoes, and the Sandias are all part of the same geological story? Did you know that the Sandias are NOT part of the Rocky Mountains? Do you want to learn more about where you live and why it looks the way it does? Join Jayne Aubele in this one-session museum class and learn about the geology of the greater-Albuquerque area. Materials included. No prior knowledge of geology is required.

Jayne Aubele is Educator/Geologist at the Museum. Her focus is volcanoes, and she has mapped and researched the geology of New Mexico and the Southwest as well as the Moon, Mars and Venus. She is the co-author of the geology section for the Field Guide to the Sandia Mountains; and geologic technical advisor and on-camera geologist for the 2008 KNME-TV program, The Sandias.

Cost: $20 public, $15 members
Download registration form here. Call Jayne Aubele with questions at 505-841-2840 or email: jayne.aubele@state.nm.us.