Thanks to the Albuquerque Journal and to the Santa Fe Reporter for sharing lovely articles on our recent planting project along the Harvey Jones Channel in Corrales. Thanks also to PBS for the video below showing what implementation looks like (and showing neat aerial footage of the site!). Finally, thanks to Sarah Hurteau and The … Continue reading Harvey Jones Bioswale in the News
Author: Todd Lopez
State Land Office Monitoring
Santa Fe County, NM and Socorro County, NM In Fall 2021, we conducted Year 2 monitoring on two State Land Office parcels as part of an effort to better understand the impacts of land management practices and treatments in piñon-juniper systems, and to inform land management decisions in the future. Piñon-juniper systems have historically been … Continue reading State Land Office Monitoring
Harvey Jones Channel
Corrales, NM A bend in the swale: during planting, after planting, after water release. The Harvey Jones Bioswale is a green stormwater infrastructure project implemented as a collaboration between TNC (The Nature Conservancy), SSCAFCA (Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority), AMAFCA (Albuquerque Metro Arroyo Flood Control Authority ), MRGCD (Middle Rio Grande Conservation District), … Continue reading Harvey Jones Channel
Santa Fe County Erosion Control
Santa Fe County, NM This erosion control project is part of a larger restoration effort on private property in Santa Fe County. For this implementation, we worked closely alongside Jan-Willem Jansens of Ecotone, who designed the treatment (original design at right), as well as Paul Butt, Conservation Chair for the ECIA. Project goals include protecting … Continue reading Santa Fe County Erosion Control
Santa Fe River Pond Leveler Installation
Santa Fe County, NM Shortly after our installation, the beaver had already repaired the dam breach; the pond leveler maintains the new, lowered pond elevation. December 2021 installation of a pond leveling device (also called a Beaver Deceiver) to lower the water level above a beaver dam along the Santa Fe River at Calle Debra … Continue reading Santa Fe River Pond Leveler Installation
The Conservation Homestead
Galisteo Basin Preserve, NM Regrading slopes to capture high flows within rock run downs. This project in the Galisteo Basin Preserve follows the razing of an old homestead and aims to remediate the site's ecological function and facilitate recreational access to the area. The homestead was purchased by the Santa Fe Conservation Trust with the … Continue reading The Conservation Homestead
Rancho Del Oso Pardo – Upper Nabor Creek
Chama, NM In November 2021, we built 8 postless BDAs as a demonstration project at Rancho Del Oso Pardo, a private ranch near Chama, NM. Structures were built using small diameter trees felled from nearby, overstocked slopes as well as rocks and sediments from adjacent to, and within the stream channel. BDA locations were chosen … Continue reading Rancho Del Oso Pardo – Upper Nabor Creek
Valles Caldera Boundary Fence Repair
Valles Caldera National Preserve, NM Rebuilding the boundary fence on the north side of the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) has been a multi-year effort. In 2021, we completely rebuilt about 1.25 miles of fenceline and cleared and repaired an additional 3 miles of fence that had been rebuilt over 2019 and 2020. From left: … Continue reading Valles Caldera Boundary Fence Repair
‘Goats Initiate Phase 1’ at Candelaria Nature Preserve
Thanks to Source NM for sharing our most recent work at Candelaria Nature Preserve. You can find the article here! As part of the effort to convert historic hay fields into a patchwork of wildlife habitats at Candelaria Nature Preserve, we recently added a herd of 120+ goats to our team of collaborators. Since May … Continue reading ‘Goats Initiate Phase 1’ at Candelaria Nature Preserve
Casa San Ysidro Heritage Field
Corrales, NM, 2021 - present Verbesina seed sown in the Casa San Ysidro Heritage Field. The Heritage Field is an extension of Casa San Ysidro, an 18th-19th century Spanish Colonial home, which is managed by the Albuquerque Museum as a research center and public museum in Corrales, NM. The 2.38 acre field is protected from … Continue reading Casa San Ysidro Heritage Field
Wildlife Research on Kirtland Air Force Base
Many thanks to Jonathan Harris, Oklahoma State University, USDA, and Kirtland Air Force Base for including us in this project at Coyote Springs, and thanks also to Game and Fish for sharing more of our work in New Mexico Wildlife Magazine! Find the article on OSU's research and our restoration work here.
Hiring Fall Season YCC Crew Members!
Harvesting native seed and weeding the native seed farm field in Corrales, September 2021 We're looking for a few more 2021 Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) crew members to finish out the season! This is a short-term position; we expect the season to wrap up in about 4-6 weeks, by around November 11th. The Rio Grande … Continue reading Hiring Fall Season YCC Crew Members!
Candelaria Nature Preserve
Albuquerque, NM, 2021 - present A section of the 7 acres seeded in June 2021 with a mix of crops grown as wildlife forage In a collaborative venture with Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District and the City of Albuquerque, we are working to convert historic agricultural fields in Candelaria Nature Preserve to wildlife habitat … Continue reading Candelaria Nature Preserve
Restoration work brings back beaver dams
Many thanks to the NM Department of Game and Fish for their continued partnership in restoration efforts across the state, and for sharing our work in this article! Find the full write up in the New Mexico Wildlife Magazine here!
Valles Caldera Fencing Removal
July 2021 The RGR YCC crew has been hard a work on a fencing removal project in the Valles Caldera National Preserve. The goal of this project is to remove roughly 30 miles of legacy cattle fence and support the re-wilding of a large section of the San Antonio Creek drainage. Abandoned cattle fencing poses … Continue reading Valles Caldera Fencing Removal
San Antonio Creek BDA repairs
June 2021 The 2021 YCC crew’s season kicked off to a great start with Beaver Dam Analog (BDA) repair on San Antonio Creek in the Jemez Mountains. BDAs replicate the natural functions of beaver dams by raising the water table, slowing erosion, storing water, and promoting riparian vegetation growth. One of 29 BDAs spruced up … Continue reading San Antonio Creek BDA repairs
Hiring Youth Conservation Corps crew members!
We're hiring now for 2021 Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) crew members! The Rio Grande Return Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is a summer/fall employment program that engages young people in meaningful work experiences while developing an ethic of environmental stewardship and civic responsibility. Crew members will gain skills relevant to careers in forestry, natural resource and … Continue reading Hiring Youth Conservation Corps crew members!
Santa Fe River
Santa Fe, NM Our 2021 and 2022 willow and cottonwood plantings along the Santa Fe River continue the work of a previous replanting effort in 2019 within this same reach, following the destruction of riparian plantings in the 100-year flood of 2018. These planting efforts support additional, complementary habitat restoration and improvement efforts all along … Continue reading Santa Fe River
Canadian River: Alamita Canyon
Canadian River Canyon, NM, 2021 This planting of willow, cottonwood and Gooddings willow within the Canadian River Canyon follows years of previous restoration efforts along the river. Rio Grande Return has been involved in restoration along the Canadian River beginning in Mills Canyon with a 2019 planting project, followed by another round of planting in … Continue reading Canadian River: Alamita Canyon
Coyote Springs
Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, NM, 2020 - 2021 This 2020 - 2021 project encompasses the removal of non-native vegetation and revegetation with native cottonwood and willows surrounding Coyote Springs and along the adjacent Arroyo del Coyote. Work was funded by Oklahoma State University and supported by Kirtland Air Force Base. Summer 2020: Removal of … Continue reading Coyote Springs
Bosque del Apache
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, NM, 2021 2021 removal of salt cedar and Russian olive from 362 acres of palustrine emergent wetland, floodplain forest, and floodplain savannah, including screwbean mesquite wet meadow. Restoring this habitat will provide important forage and habitat for the waterbirds, shorebirds and raptors of the Bosque del Apache. Salt cedar and Russian olive trees … Continue reading Bosque del Apache
Redondo Meadow
Valles Caldera National Preserve, NM Goals of this project include improving alluvial fan function and wet meadow/wetland health, mitigating fire impacts, stabilizing the degrading channel, improving water quality, and re-establishing and protecting riparian vegetation. Funding for this work was provided by The Nature Conservancy and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and was … Continue reading Redondo Meadow
Rio Chamita
2020 Construction of Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs) and Post Assisted Log Structures (PALS) along the Rio Chamita within the Sargent Wildlife Area.
Rio San Antonio
Carson National Forest, NM One of 10 BDAs installed in June 2020 This project on the Rio San Antonio spans approximately 3 miles and employs a diversity of restoration techniques aimed at improving water quality, specifically reducing stream temperatures and E. coli loading. Work was completed with funding from the NM Environment Department and support … Continue reading Rio San Antonio
San Antonio Creek
Santa Fe National Forest, NM In 2020, we expanded upon previous restoration efforts along San Antonio Creek in the Santa Fe National Forest between the western boundary of the Valles Caldera and the San Antonio hot springs. We installed 9 BDAs and 17 log baffles within the stream channel, and protected a 10 acre swath … Continue reading San Antonio Creek
State Land Office: Rio Grande Bosque
Bernalillo County, NM This extraction of non-native trees is a continuation of previous years of restoration efforts along the west side of the Rio Grande in Albuquerque aimed at removing non-native species, restoring native vegetation, and increasing ecosystem resilience to fire disturbance, flood, disease, and other climate change related impacts. Using an excavator, we removed … Continue reading State Land Office: Rio Grande Bosque
Huey WMA
Eddy County, NM This planting project included pole plantings of 17,500 Coyote willow, 125 cottonwood and 30 Gooddings willow within a moist soil unit as well as along the Pecos river in the Huey WMA. Project goals include providing quality habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife, as well as increasing bank stability and stream … Continue reading Huey WMA
Canadian River: Mills Canyon
Kiowa National Grassland, NM Phase 1, 2019 One of our biggest planting areas from 2019 below the iconic Shiprock formation. The cottonwood and willow are exploding with vigor, thanks in part to a beaver dam just downstream of this site. Photo taken 8/23/21. This massive revegetation project was completed in partnership with NM Department of … Continue reading Canadian River: Mills Canyon
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Cooperative Agreement I
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Cooperative Agreement I 2020 Planting cottonwood poles with 60 volunteers from the Albuquerque Wildlife Federation
Valle de Oro NWR River Stewards Restoration Phase I
2017 Planting 1000 cottonwoods & Goodings willow, 15,000 coyote willow, 400 native forage plants & 12,000 saltgrass plugs at the Valle de Oro NWR
Diablo Canyon Spring Restoration
2014 Removing non-native trees and creating a large cross vane in the Canada Ancha Arroyo in Diablo Canyon
Buckman River Stewards Phase II
2014 The non-native trees have been removed and the trails along the Rio Grande are now more accessible
Hamaasta Watershed Restoration
2010 A collaborative project with Keystone Restoration Ecology to help restore a degraded arroyo at Hamaatsa - Larry Littlebirds Wild Land Sanctuary.
Zia Pueblo Spring Restoration
Buckman River Ecosystem Restoration Initiative Phase 1
#MeToo and Wildlife Protection presented to The Wildlife Society, Cleveland 2018
Abstract The importance of the #MeToo movement can be seen in a larger context in terms of its value to environmental and wildlife protection. This is not merely a social movement and reorganization of gender roles, #MeToo has far ranging implications as we begin to claim the inherent importance of relationality. For too long we have … Continue reading #MeToo and Wildlife Protection presented to The Wildlife Society, Cleveland 2018
North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Phase II
stay tuned
Diablo Canyon
stay tuned!
Hamaatsa
Restoration: Land, Spirit and Water HAMAATSA is an indigenous continuum learning center committed to sustainable living, spiritual wholeness and cultural restoration. OUR MISSION is to provide servant leadership models for living simply and sustainably on the land integrating healing systems from traditional cultures; to restore indigenous life-ways and land stewardship principles through experiential land-based learning. For … Continue reading Hamaatsa
North American Wetland Conservation Act, Phase I
North American Wetland Conservation Act: Rio Grande Return works to return wetland funding to New Mexico. Before his untimely death, John Taylor, one of the main visionaries for Bosque del Apache, procured two million dollar grants from the North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) - a fund set up through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife … Continue reading North American Wetland Conservation Act, Phase I