Join us for a weekend of camping, nature exploration, and conservation volunteer work.

If you’ve been to Red Canyon Reserve, 320-acres in the eastern foothills of the San Mateo Mountains, you know it’s a special place for early morning canyon walks, meals around the fire, and deepening your connections with the great outdoors. Red Canyon Reserve is a living laboratory for community building and learning about rangeland health, Southwestern flora and fauna, and erosion prevention.

On Saturday morning, learn how to build Zeedyk rock structures, a rock structure that is a low-cost, high-impact conservation practice that increases the hydraulic and ecological sustainability of a dryland area. Red Canyon Reserve is home to many Zeedyk structures, some of which were built by Bill Zeedyk himself over the years. Learn how to build your own Zeedyk structure while volunteering to keep Red Canyon Reserve a healthy habitat.

On Sunday morning, Becca Goughnour, local field geologist, will lead us on a hike to learn about the volcanic history and basic geology of RCR.

Questions? Contact Nina Katz, education and outreach project manager, at education@quiviracoalition.org.

Schedule

Friday, September 26 

4 p.m.: Participants may begin to arrive to explore the property and set up camp.
6 p.m: Potluck dinner 

Saturday, September 27 

7-8 a.m.: Breakfast and coffee provided by Quivira
8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Albuquerque Wildlife Federation and Quivira Coalition will facilitate and teach building Zeedyk structures. Brown bag lunch provided by Quivira.
3 – 5:30 p.m.: Siesta/canyon exploration
6 p.m.: Dinner provided by Quivira 

Sunday, September 28 

7:30 – 8:45 a.m.: Breakfast and coffee provided by Quivira
9 a.m.: Geology walk with field geologist, Becca Goughnour – learn about the volcanic history and basic geology of RCR.
12 p.m.: Head on home 

*Attendees are welcome to join all or some of this gathering. Please indicate in the registration form which days you plan to attend.

Becca Goughnour is a field geologist with the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources in Socorro. As a field geologist, she seeks to understand the unique geologic history of an area by identifying rocks, taking measurements on outcrops, and studying geomorphic landforms. Using this data, she creates publicly accessible geologic maps that show how the landscape has evolved over time. Over her career, she has gravitated towards studying ancient volcanic deposits and is excited to show you the evidence of some of New Mexico’s largest volcanic eruptions— right here in Red Canyon!

Becca earned her B.S. in geology from Adrian College in Michigan and her M.S. in geology from Idaho State University. Before moving to Socorro, Becca worked for both the Washington Geological Survey and the WA Department of Transportation. When Becca isn’t looking at rocks through a hand lens, she is climbing them recreationally and exploring New Mexico’s beautiful trails on her mountain bike.