Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge

In 2013, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge began collecting Natureโ€™s Notebook observations as an USA-NPN pilot project within the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Refuge is located seven miles south of Albuquerque, adjacent to the Rio Grande. Plans are underway to restore the Refuge's approximately 500 acres of agricultural lands to upland, wetland, and riparian habitats.

Valle de Oro NWR is using Natureโ€™s Notebook to establish baseline information about phenology of species of interest, which will allow staff and volunteers to observe the ecological impacts of different restoration strategies. Observations are now being used by the Refuge to time restoration activities and inform visitors about what species they will encounter during different times of the year. 

Phenology monitoring efforts at Valle de Oro NWR spearheaded the Rio Grande Phenology Trail, a collaborative effort between the Refuge, botanical gardens, schools, conservation areas, and the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program with the goal of collecting information on how phenology is changing across the Middle Rio Grande watershed. The Trail partners seek to collect data that can be compared across observation sites, and to engage local community members as well as student groups in citizen science. 

Download a one-page Refuge Highlight about phenology monitoring at Valle de Oro NWR ยป

How do the number of Sandhill Cranes compare on and off the Refuge?

This Activity Curve compares the mean number of Sandhill Cranes observed on Valle de Oro NWR and in the area within 50 miles of the Refuge.

Activity CurvesUSA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org
When did breaking leaf buds first appear on Rio Grande Cottonwoods from 2013-2020?
010203040506070809010050100150200250300350Onset Day of YearUSA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org
Cliff swallow breeding behavior at the Refuge in 2018
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUSA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org
When are different species of birds seen at Valle de Oro?
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUSA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org
When did observers see open flowers on Siberian elms on the refuge in 2018 and 2019?
Activity CurvesUSA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org
What is the best time of year to see American Kestrels at Valle de Oro?
Activity CurvesUSA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org
Cottonwood colored leaves in 2019
Activity CurvesUSA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org