Join us for a week-long, family-friendly series that honors the health and vibrancy of our local watershed.
SFWA Legacy Walk and Talk at San Isidro Park
Friday, September 20
4-5:30 p.m.
It’s easy to forget that just a few short decades ago the Santa Fe River Greenway between San Isidro and Romero Parks in Agua Fria was a trash-filled, incised flood hazard about to be paved. Learn about the years of hard work and determined dreaming of SFWA founder Paige Grant and SFWA’s incredible community partners that made this reach a refuge of riparian life against all odds.
This event is free. Click the SignUpGenius button below to RSVP:
Check out photos of the river reach before its restoration:
Massive Community Cleanup +
Toss No Mas
Saturday, September 21
9 a.m. – noon
Help keep our watershed clean and healthy! SFWA has joined forces with Keep Santa Fe Beautiful’s annual city-wide cleanup effort, Toss No Mas. Click the button below to learn more and register.
And a special shout-out to our wonderful stewards teams who are hosting their own cleanups throughout the week of Watershed Fest!
Day of Awesome at La Farge Library
Saturday, September 21
9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
A fun-filled day of stewardship, art, and education at the local library. What could be more awesome than that?
This event is free. All ages welcome.
Elm Thinning Workshop, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. (RSVP required)
Take part in an elm thinning workshop and cleanup along Arroyo de los Pinos. Learn how to properly thin overgrown elms to improve visibility, access, and riparian health. Workshop led by Aaron Kauffman of Southwest Urban Hydrology.
Click the SignUpGenius button below to RSVP:
Recycled Art Party, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
From newspaper hats to bottle cap masterpieces, give a second life to materials that would have gone in the trash!
“Know Your Litter, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
When it comes to litter prevention, information is power. Sarah Pierpont, the executive director of the New Mexico Recycling Coalition, will teach you how to conduct brand and category audits to help inform strategies for reducing litter, to hold producers and manufacturers responsible for their products, and to advocate for policies that promote sustainable practices. The New Mexico Recycling Coalition is a statewide, member-supported nonprofit with the mission of inspiring New Mexicans to rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle.
Interactive Watershed Simulation, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Ooh, ahh, learn, and play with Simtable’s digital sand table and simulation model of our beloved Santa Fe Watershed.
We’re also looking for volunteers to help out on the day! Click the SignUpGenius button below to sign up!
Film Night at the Center for Contemporary Arts
Monday, September 23
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Enjoy films that inspire stewardship of our natural places, followed by a brief reception. This event is by donation. Reserve your tickets early below.
Reusable Rainstorms, 4 min, created by Malcolm Smith’s class at Amy Biehl Community School, winner of the Outstanding Entry for Elementary School prize at the Climate Innovation Challenge 2024.
New Mexico’s Acequias, 5 min, from Littleglobe Production. Explore the New Mexico Acequia Association’s ongoing work to protect the region’s water, grow healthy food for families, and honor cultural heritage through the preservation of the acequia systems. After the catastrophic 2022 wildfires, these efforts became even more urgent as communities rallied to restore the damaged waterways. This film was created to celebrate NMAA’s recognition as the recipient of the Santa Fe Community Foundation’s 2023 Resiliency Award. This award honors organizations that enhance the resilience of communities facing emergencies, such as natural disasters, public health crises, and systemic inequities.
Water Can’t Wait, 5 min, from the Water Foundation and Water Can’t Wait. Voices from Eastern New Mexico, Acoma Pueblo, Taos, Las Cruces, and Silver City share testimonials about the state’s water crisis and urge legislators to make water a top priority.
However Wide the Sky: Places of Power, 57 min, from Silverbullet Productions. The history and spirituality of the Indigenous People of the American Southwest are deeply rooted in the Land. Since the beginning of time, they have been stewards and protectors of their home lands, past and present.
Springs of Life: The wonderful wetlands of La Cienega
Thursday, September 26
9 – 11 a.m.
A natural history tour exploring the geology, hydrology, ecology, and biodiversity of Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve, led by naturalist Ben Shulman. Dive into the story of the wetlands, how it all connects to climate change in New Mexico, and what we can do to make life in our corner of the world sustainable into the future.
This event is free but registration is required. Click the SignUpGenius button below to RSVP.
Ben Shulman specializes in ornithology, birding, ecology, botany, and geology. His love of the natural world started early as he spent most of his childhood turning over rocks along seashores guided by his marine biologist parents. After a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Cornell University he started working for National Geographic & Lindblad Expeditions as a naturalist. His work as a naturalist on National Geographic ships has taken him from pole-to-pole, educating guests about the natural world in Antarctica, the High Arctic, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest as well as helping guests improve their wildlife photography. Since settling in Santa Fe, he has started Santa Fe Nature Guiding to make natural history accessible and exciting to residents and visitors, regardless of age and background.
Watershedders Happy Hour
Thursday, September 26
4:30 – 7 p.m.
A toast to our beloved watershed at Tumbleroot’s Agua Fria Taproom + Music Venue at 2791 Agua Fria Street
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If you have ideas, suggestions, offerings, or critiques, please contact amara at santafewatershed.org. Check back on this page for the latest updates.
