Join the celebration of New Mexico’s native wildlife and plants at Wildlife West Nature Park’s Wildlife Festival in Edgewood on Saturday, June 15, 2013. Wildlife West’s zoo is one of the few places where people can be close to and observe Mexican Wolves in their natural habitat, get a behind the scenes tour of Koshari, a 500 pound black bear, and learn about 24 other species of wildlife that are native to New Mexico. Tours start each hour during the day.
Representatives from wildlife and environmental organizations will present, including Elke Duerr, Albuquerque filmmaker and conservationist, on Mexican wolves in the wild; Dr. Scott Altenbech on bats; Doug Scott, author of “Waterfalls in New Mexico”, on amazing waterfalls in our arid state; and Dr. Christian Meuli, permaculturalist, on water harvesting. Visitors will also learn about the life cycle of monarch butterflies presented by Tatia Veltkamp from Wings of Enchantment, and the wonderful world of native bees and other pollinators by Laurie Lange from the Pollinator Nation and Bee Collaborative. Laurie will also bring orchard mason bee houses, seeds for pollinator gardens and seed plan kits. Plus, join an herb-walk through Wildlife West lead by Mary Jo Hoven.
Participants are invited to stay for the Cowboy Chuckwagon and Western Swing Dinner Show beginning at 6:00 p.m. with a free-flight Peregrine Falcon show, then the barbeque dinner, followed by a live western-swing music performance by Holy Water & Whiskey. Show ends at 9 p.m. The dinner and show are in a covered all-weather amphitheater and includes a free hayride. Reservations for the dinner show are required by 2 p.m. on the day of the show. Chuckwagon tickets are $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, $12 for children 5-11, and kids under 5 are free.
All activities throughout the day, except for the Chuckwagon Dinner Show, are included with regular admission to Wildlife West: $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 students and children under 5 are free, plus free parking.
Wildlife West is located just 25 minutes east of Albuquerque, off Interstate-40 and legendary Route 66 in Edgewood. For more information at visit www.wildlifewest.org or call 505-281-7655 or toll-free 1-877-981-WILD (9453).
Wildlife Festival:
When: Saturday, June 15, 2013
Where: Wildlife West Nature Park, 87 North Frontage Road, Edgewood, NM
What: 10 a.m. Gates Open to Wildlife Zoo
11 a.m. Black Bear tours start/repeats hourly
Butterfly presentation by Tatia Veltkamp/Wings of Enchantment
Noon Herb-walk by Mary Jo Hoven
1 p.m. Waterfalls by Doug Scott
2 Mexican Wolves by Elke Duerr
3 Water Harvesting by Dr. Christian Meuli
4 Bats by Dr. Altenbech
All day Booth on Pollinators with Pollinator Nation & Bee Collaborative/Laurie Lange