NEXT PROJECT:
Valle Vidal
July 17-19, 2020

Project
IMPORTANT: This project is subject to change or cancellation based on the public health restrictions in effect in mid-July. If you RSVP to attend, we will keep you updated about the project status.

AWF’s board has developed Covid-19 safety protocols for running our restoration projects in this changed world, and we have received approval from the Forest Service to proceed with the Valle Vidal project.
But here’s the catch: the only way we can hold this project – or others later in the year – is if you help us do it as safely as possible.

This project will look different than AWF projects have in the past: the number of people working together on a rock structure will be strictly limited, volunteers will need to wear face coverings when they’re working near anyone else, and there will be no potluck or communal food. Please review our full Covid-19 safety protocols to familiarize yourself with all the details.

We know many of you are as eager as we are to resume our work of ecological restoration, and we look forward to running a safe and productive volunteer project.

Project Details:

LOCATION: Valle Vidal in northern New Mexico


THE PROJECT: AWF was the first organization to undertake restoration work in the Valle Vidal, and we organized projects there from 1980-2009. We returned last year for the first time in a decade, and this year we'll continue our work repairing and adding rock layers to a series of one-rock dams and possibly extending a wetland exclosure fence in the Ring Place meadow.

SCHEDULE: Friday, July 17 – Sunday, July 19

We will meet at the campsite on Friday evening.

On Saturday morning, AWF will provide coffee, breakfast burritos, and an orientation. We will work Saturday from about 8:30-4:00, and then enjoy dinner. On Sunday, anyone who is able to stay will work for a few more hours, and we will finish up by noon.

Please note that volunteers do not need to be present for the entire weekend to participate. You are welcome to join us just for the work day Saturday, or camp for just one of the two nights.

Want to join us for the weekend but not up for moving rocks? We have a few spots on each project for camp/kitchen volunteers (who assist with washing dishes, preparing food, and looking after the group camp during the work day) and documentation/data volunteers (who take photos and record data about all the structures that are completed during the project). If you would like to fill one of these specialized roles, just let us know when you RSVP.

GEAR: Bring everything you need for a weekend of camping. Bring your own face mask or bandana. For the work, don’t forget work gloves, hat, long sleeves, long pants, sturdy boots, and sunscreen. We recommend bringing a change of shoes, and waterproof boots or boots you don’t mind getting wet. Rain gear, warm clothes for the evenings and plenty of water are essential.

FOOD: Please bring your own dinner for Friday, lunch for Saturday, dinner for Saturday (AWF will provide burgers), and breakfast for Sunday, along with any snacks you might want during the project day.
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TO SIGN UP: Contact Scial at rioscial@gmail.com or 505-480-2906.
Directions and further details will be sent to you once you sign up.
contact the Projects Committee Chair

Support AWF's work!  

2020 AWF Project Schedule
MARCH 7 - Local day project at Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge

JULY 17 to 19 - Valle Vidal
AUGUST 21 to 23 - Midnight Meadows, near Questa, NM
SEPTEMBER 4 to 6 - Limestone Canyon, San Mateo Mtns
SEPTEMBER 18 to 20 - Wolf Creek, near Ft. Union, NM
OCTOBER 24 - Local day project with Sandia Ranger District 

awf projects

One of AWF's primary missions is to improve and preserve wildlife habitat for present and future uses. To further this goal, AWF hosts several volunteer restoration projects each year in locations around New Mexico. Project tasks include building rock structures in streambeds using the techniques developed by Bill Zeedyk, planting trees, installing fence exclosures to protect riparian areas, and removing old wire fencing that is hazardous to wildlife.

Some of the projects are one-day events at local venues in and around Albuquerque. Most are weekend camping trips in beautiful public lands in the state. Typically, participants arrive on Friday afternoon or evening, camp Friday and Saturday nights, and depart by Sunday noon. However, volunteers are welcome to join us just for the Saturday work day, or camp for just one of the two nights.

The camping events feature Saturday morning breakfast burritos and coffee, and a Saturday evening potluck dinner with grilled bison burgers and veggie options provided by AWF. Participants bring a dish to share to create a bountiful meal.

We welcome participants of all ages; individuals under 18 years of age require parental permission or supervision.

Safety Talk

Keeping our volunteers safe is AWF’s top priority on our restoration projects! One way we keep you safe is to make sure that you are aware of the potential risks involved in camping and working outside, as well as the actions that AWF takes to reduce those risks. We go over these hazards during our safety talk at the start of each project, but we also wanted to provide it here for you to review in advance of coming out on a project. Before starting work, we will ask you to sign a liability waiver indicating that you understand the potential risks of participating in a restoration project and that you accept responsibility for your safety on the project.

Click here to download AWF's Safety Talk as a pdf document.

AWF also has specific safety protocols in effect for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic. Click here to review them.