Mesilla Valley Audubon Society
“Sometimes I think that the point of birdwatching is not the actual seeing of the birds, but the cultivation of patience. Of course, each time we set out, there's a certain amount of expectation we'll see something, maybe even a species we've never seen before, and that it will fill us with light. But even if we don't see anything remarkable - and sometimes that happens - we come home filled with light anyway.” Lynn Thomson, Birding with Yeats: A Mother's Memoir
ABOUT US
The Mesilla Valley Audubon Society (MVAS) is a 501 (c)(3) conservation and natural history organization based in southern New Mexico and is a chapter of the National Audubon Society. It serves communities in Dona Ana, Otero, and Sierra counties and aims to promote the appreciation and conservation of birds and other wildlife. A priority is to protect wildlife and bird habitats through enviromental education, issue advocacy, and natural history experiences
MVAS is headquartered in Las Cruces, and its main activities are in Doña Ana County, with frequent field trips across southern New Mexico and El Paso County in Texas. Common birding areas include at least a dozen eBird.org hotspots within the city of Las Cruces and along the Rio Grande. Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park and Leasburg Dam State Park are exceptional areas. To the east of the Rio Grande and City of Las Cruces, the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument offers an entirely different habitat that is home to a different range of bird species.
October Activities
Saturday, October 3, 8 a.m., Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park: Meet Dana Parsons for a guided bird walk at the visiter center. Free state park entry for residents begins October 1 and runs through April 30, $10 for out-of-state visitors.
Saturday, October 10, 8 a.m., Sagecrest Park: Meet David Coalson for a guided bird walk of the area behind the park and east of the Las Cruces Dam, including the duck pond. Meet at the park entrance.
Saturday, October 10, 9:00 a.m., Nature Journaling Carpooling to Alameda Park Zoo in Alamogordo for nature journaling departs from the Ashley’s parking lot on Del Rey Email for additional details and to RSVP
Wednesday, October 21, 6:30 p.m., Monthly Meeting at NMSU Knox Hall Room 142 and Zoom. With three NMSU grad students as our presentation Social time at 6:30 (with snacks!) and the presentation begins at 7 p.m.
Sunday, October 24, 8 a.m., Sagecrest Park: Meet Aaron at the park entrance to clean up our adopted park. He’ll have the buckets and grabbers, you bring the energy.
Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Organ Mountains Jubilee at Dripping Springs Natural Area with entertainment, food trucks, and information tables and activities. We’re toldvisitors will need to take free shttle buses from the Farm & Tanch Museum up to Dripping Springs. We’ll have a table in Ice Canyon
Saturday, October 31, 8 a.m., Leasburg Dam State Park: Join Daniel Horton near the visitor center for a guided bird walk. Free state park entry for residents begins October 1 and runs through April 30. $10 dollars for out of state visitors.