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
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.