New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors

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New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors We are an all-volunteer 501(c)(3). We run projects that improve public lands in New Mexico! Come join us!

To see our upcoming projects and sign up:
https://nmvfo.org/projects-and-events-list/

We welcome project proposals:
https://nmvfo.org/contact/ New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors (NMVFO) is a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer nonprofit organization based in New Mexico. We have been organizing, managing, promoting, and recruiting volunteers to work on outdoor service projects throughout the state for over 40 years. Our projects are diverse, including trail maintenance, stabilization of archeological sites, campground and other facility improvements, habitat restoration, invasive plant control, and a host of other projects. Our projects range from one-day work sessions, to weekend car-camping, to longer back-country backpacking trips of multiple day duration. We generally field projects from February through November. Our member-volunteers often have the chance to hike and camp off the beaten path in remote or restricted areas. We work with numerous agencies and trail groups throughout the state. Our partners include the United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), New Mexico State Parks, US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Parks Service (NPS), State and National Monuments, Albuquerque Open Space Division (ABQ OSD), Friends of the Sandia Mountains (FOSM), Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC), Heart of the Gila (HOTG), and various other non-profit and local governments. Although we are based in Albuquerque, our volunteers come from across New Mexico and are frequently joined by visitors from other states and countries. We are a diverse group, ranging from teenagers to retirees and representing every walk of life. We seek out and encourage people from diverse backgrounds to volunteer with us.

Scouting Bear Mtn. Trail #28 (Carson NF) Oct. 3, 20264 NMVFO volunteers scouted 2.5 miles of the Bear Mtn trail. Bear M...
10/05/2026

Scouting Bear Mtn. Trail #28 (Carson NF) Oct. 3, 2026

4 NMVFO volunteers scouted 2.5 miles of the Bear Mtn trail. Bear Mtn trail incorporates parts of single-track #28 as well as a stretch of Forest Road 1877. Both 1 and 2-track segments are heavily eroded on steeper grades. The single-track section is incised in places up to 4' deep. 11 deadfall were encountered on the single-track section. FR1877 was clear of deadfall. 1877 is suitable for high-clearance 4WD only.

Check out our photos here:

4 NMVFO volunteers scouted 2.5 miles of the Bear Mtn trail. Bear Mtn trail incorporates parts of single-track #28 as well as a stretch of Forest Road 1877. Both 1 and 2-track segments are heavily eroded on steeper grades. The single-track section is incised in places up to 4' deep. 11 deadfall were....

Osha Loop/10K clearing Sept. 28, 2026In preparation for the N. Crest trail clearing work, five volunteers limbed and bru...
10/05/2026

Osha Loop/10K clearing Sept. 28, 2026
In preparation for the N. Crest trail clearing work, five volunteers limbed and brushed out the 10 K and Osha Loop trails, enough for pack animals to haul in water.

Check out our photos here:

In preparation for the N. Crest trail clearing work, we limbed and brushed out the 10 K and Osha Loop trails, enough for pack animals to haul in water.

09/25/2026

Feeling thirsty?

Tomorrow, Canteen Brewhouse will be celebrating Thirst for the Outdoors.

Next month, our last Happy Hour of the year will be held at 5:30 on Tuesday October 20 at Marble Brewery, 111 Marble Ave. NW in downtown Albuquerque. We will meet upstairs on their open air Sky Deck. Customer parking is available in the northern dirt lot across 1st Street to the east of the brewery.

Volunteer opportunity at Po-shu-oinge' Pueblo Ruin. Monday, October 19, Tuesday, October 20, and Wednesday, October 21.F...
09/25/2026

Volunteer opportunity at Po-shu-oinge' Pueblo Ruin. Monday, October 19, Tuesday, October 20, and Wednesday, October 21.

Follow the link for more information:

Women's Trail Day, September 12, 2026Annual trail building workshop in the Tijeras BioZone.Check out our photos here:
09/25/2026

Women's Trail Day, September 12, 2026

Annual trail building workshop in the Tijeras BioZone.

Check out our photos here:

09/25/2026

Manzano Mountains, September 12, 2026

After a night of camping in the Manzano Mountains, our strong group of volunteers split into two sawyer teams and one lopper team. The sawyers tackled demanding hikes of approximately 8 and 10 miles round-trip to reach sections of the Manzano Crest, while the third team focused on trail marking and lopping closer to the trailhead.

It was a highly productive day: the entire Ox Canyon–Manzano Crest–Red Canyon–Box Spring Trail loop is now clear of downfall and overgrowth.

The day even brought one last surprise. The large tree shown in the cover image fell across the Red Canyon Trail while Uwe's crew was working up on the Manzano Crest. It hadn’t been there when we hiked up that morning—but we made short work of it on the way back down.

See our photos here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD57iN

LIMESTONE CANYON, Sept 4-6, 202613 NMVFO volunteers joined with Albuquerque Wildlife Federation to build 12 or so one-ro...
09/11/2026

LIMESTONE CANYON, Sept 4-6, 2026

13 NMVFO volunteers joined with Albuquerque Wildlife Federation to build 12 or so one-rock dams, baffles, trash-racks. and wood dams. We learned so much about the theory and practice of building water restoration structures on AWF's 20th annual visit to "Limestone" Canyon.

See our photos here:

13 NMVFO volunteers joined with Albuquerque Wildlife Federation to build 12 or so one-rock dams, baffles, trash-racks. and wood dams. We learned so much about the theory and practice of building water restoration structures on AWF's 20th annual visit to "Limestone" Canyon.

Fen and Willow Fencing, August - September 2026We built a .8 acre exclosure around a rare fen with a sensitive species o...
09/11/2026

Fen and Willow Fencing, August - September 2026

We built a .8 acre exclosure around a rare fen with a sensitive species of willow, to protect them from cattle grazing. Backcountry Horsemen packed in over 1,200 pounds of materials. Staff from the Santa Fe Nat. Forest, Rio Grande Return, and VFO volunteers pounded in T posts, strung wire, tied on stays, and built a gate. It took 151 hours of work, and several hours of comradery around the campfire!

See our photos here:

Twenty-one NMVFO volunteers and four members of the Albuquerque Open Space Division improved at least .05 mile of existi...
09/11/2026

Twenty-one NMVFO volunteers and four members of the Albuquerque Open Space Division improved at least .05 mile of existing trail and constructed 2/10 mile of new trail. As shown in many of the photos, this involved removing numerous oak stumps by digging, chopping, prying, or pulverizing them to create a clear tread. They also closed 1/10 mile of old trail by making check dams, scattering branches, and covering with pine needles.

Check out our photos here:

Twenty-one NMVFO volunteers and four members of the Albuquerque Open Space Division improved at least .05 mile of existing trail and constructed 2/10 mile of new trail. As shown in many of the photos, this involved removing numerous oak stumps by digging, chopping, prying, or pulverizing them to cre...

Socorro Bosque Trail Add-On, Aug 22, 20269 volunteers lopped and cleared blowdowns on 2 miles of trail in the Socorro bo...
08/24/2026

Socorro Bosque Trail Add-On, Aug 22, 2026
9 volunteers lopped and cleared blowdowns on 2 miles of trail in the Socorro bosque, heading north from Otero Park

Check out our photos here:

9 volunteers lopped and cleared blowdowns on 2 miles of trail in the Socorro bosque, heading north from Otero Park

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Albuquerque, NM

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