Santa Fe County Celebrates Earth Month with New GSI Guidebook
Low-tech, high impact nature based solution techniques demonstrated in the County's 4Nature Santa Fe initiative, are cited in the County's Climate Action Plan and by many conservation and sustainability focused organizations, such as the World Resources Institute, as keys to adaptation and resiliency. These techniques also serve to increase carbon sequestration substantially in our arid region, by providing healthier soils, biohabitats and increased vegetation. The Office of Sustainability began working in early 2025 with Raincatcher, Inc., a subject matter expert organization in the field of stormwater capture, bioremediation and infiltration, to create a Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Guide specific to the needs of the Santa Fe County region as a kickoff to the 4Nature programming. Staff are happy to announce that the new, comprehensive guide will be presented at the April 14th Board of County Commissioners Meeting and made available to the public on Earth Day, April 22nd for download here. This essential guide provides the steps required for creating green stormwater infrastructure in both urban and rural settings and covers a myriad of land contouring techniques, plant recommendations, and essential firescaping recommendations to optimize passive irrigation through rainwater capture for home and business owners, developers, engineers, and planners alike. The GSI techniques described, when properly installed, go a long way to decrease irrigation needs while promoting biodiversity in flora and fauna, shade capacity, and decreasing heat island effect, and add a great deal of beauty to the landscape!
- Jacqueline Beam, Sustainability Manager
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 The Railyard Park Conservancy, and more than twenty community partners, including Santa Fe County's Office of Sustainability, will come together to host a free Earth Day celebration right in the heart of Santa Fe. This event takes place on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and features a broad range of family-friendly activities, including composting demos, a raptor meet-and-greet, seed ball making, guided plant tours, and face painting. Whatever your age, you’re sure to enjoy the live music, food truck treats, and the entertaining antics of grazing goats.
This year's partner lineup reflects the breadth of Santa Fe's environmental community, including the Santa Fe Raptor Center, Positive Energy Solar, the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, 350 Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Watershed Association, the Xerces Society, the Audubon Society, the Santa Fe Conservation Trust, and many others. Santa Fe County staff will share conservation techniques, tools, and resources, as well as the County’s recently developed Green Stormwater Infrastructure Guide. This Earth Day event is free and open to all ages, and the park is located at 740 Cerrillos Road. The Railyard is also home to the Santa Fe Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings, so consider arriving early to stock up on local produce before the Earth Day festivities begin.
Santa Fe County's free solid waste days are back! These events help reduce illegal dumping, mitigate wildfire risk, and engage the community in keeping Santa Fe clean and beautiful. This year, there are some positive changes that will make it easier for residents to participate. More information is outlined below.
🛞 Free Tire Recycling 🛞
Illegally dumped tires are a serious fire and environmental hazard, and proper recycling turns them into valuable new products like flooring, roofing, and sports surfaces. This year, the County has expanded free tire recycling from three weekends to a full month with funding support from the NMED RAID grant. Residents can also now show a valid ID and proof of address as an alternative to a solid waste permit to participate.
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When: The entire month of May 2026
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Where: Six County Collection Centers (Eldorado, Jacona, La Cienega, Nambe, San Marcos, and Stanley), not including Tesuque
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Eligibility: County residents with a valid solid waste permit or a valid ID with proof of an eligible address
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Additional Details: Residents can recycle up to eight tires per person per day, and rims must be removed and placed in the scrap metal bin
🌿 Free Green Waste Disposal Days 🌿
Green waste that is brought to County collection centers is processed into mulch and compost. This is much safer and cleaner than open burning, and the County is offering 12 free green waste disposal days this year.
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When: The second Friday and Saturday of each month from April through August, as well as the first Friday and Saturday of September
- April 10 and 11
- May 8 and 9
- June 12 and 13
- July 10 and 11
- August 7 and 8
- September 4 and 5
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Where: Stanley, Jacona, and Eldorado Collection Centers
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Eligibility: County residents with a valid solid waste permit who are dropping off green waste
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Additional Details: "Green waste" includes yard waste, lawn clippings, leaves, and tree trimmings (under 18" diameter). It does NOT include weeds, cholla cactus, sod, root balls, stumps, lumber, treated wood, dirt, rocks, or construction materials.
🗑️ Free Trash Disposal Days 🗑️
The County is hosting two free trash days that coincide with Keep Santa Fe Beautiful's community cleanup events. This gives residents a convenient way to responsibly dispose of household waste while joining a broader effort to reduce litter across Santa Fe County.
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When: Saturday, April 18, 2026 (in support of the Great American Cleanup) and Saturday, September 19 (in support of the Toss No Mas Cleanup)
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Where: All Seven County Collection Centers
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Eligibility: County residents with a valid solid waste permit who are dropping off residential solid waste
Notes from the Field: Ranger's Corner
Greetings! If you haven’t met me yet, my name is Rose Masters, and I’m the first (and only) Open Space Interpretive Ranger for Santa Fe County Open Space, Trails, and Parks. For the spring edition of the Santa Fe County Sustainability Newsletter, I thought I’d share about one of my favorite projects: wildlife monitoring with a remote camera. Over the past two years, the special spot where we’ve placed our camera has been graced by the presence of dedicated habitat builders: the North American beaver. These industrious rodents have created a complex of interlinked ponds, and the wildlife has taken notice!
I placed this monitoring camera on one of the dams, strapped to a willow (risky, I know!), and it has not disappointed. Each time I download the images, I send out a collection of the best shots and a note to some of my colleagues here at Santa Fe County. For this edition of the newsletter, I thought it would be fun to share some of these photos with you, along with my reflections from January 2026.
January was an exciting month for wildlife monitoring at our favorite beaver pond: for the first time, starting January 14th, we had American Widgeons on camera here. You’ll recognize the male widgeons by their white-striped heads and pale blueish beaks. Very strange and lovely! The green-winged teal have been hanging around since November, and they seem to have multiplied. The coots and mallards live here year-round. I’m happy to report that the mallards are continuing their synchronized water aerobics. Also note the multi-species photo with coots, mallards, and teals. A Wilson’s snipe also continues to poke around the beaver dam with her long beak. The mammals on camera this month are some very cute, very large raccoons who treat the dam like a trail built specially for them (and maybe it was — who knows the mind of a beaver?).
All of these wildlife photos are a great reminder of why the North American beaver is a keystone species: the beavers’ dam-building creates habitat that supports an astonishing array of wildlife and plants (and also fungi, which help out with the decay of wood). Many of the wildlife we’re seeing in these photos simply would not be here without the beaver.
In dry New Mexico, beaver habitats benefit everyone by helping to replenish our groundwater supplies and filter toxins. Fur traders killed so many beavers that the species was believed to be extirpated from Northern New Mexico by 1830. It’s hard for most of us to imagine just how much more water would have been in our rivers, streams, and groundwater tables before the widespread, for-profit destruction of the beaver. Habitats like this one can help us reimagine a future with more water, a huge boon in the face of climate change. This is one of the big reasons the State of New Mexico allocated $10.5 million in 2025 to the Department of Wildlife to support beavers and beaver habitat. It doesn’t just help beavers - it helps all animals, including humans.
    
What Can I Do?
Take Steps to Protect Your Home During Wildfire Season.
As spring begins to unfold in earnest here in Santa Fe County, it's the perfect time to take some thoughtful steps to prepare your home for the wildfire season ahead. Much of the county is situated in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), where developed land meets wild vegetation. The steps you take around your home can make a meaningful difference in terms of safety, and the single most effective thing you can do is create defensible space. This is a carefully managed buffer between your home and surrounding vegetation, and it can be helpful to think in terms of the three main zones:
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Zone 1 (0 - 5 feet): Keep the immediate perimeter around your structure entirely free of combustible materials, choosing gravel, stone, or concrete rather than bark mulch or wood decking.
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Zone 2 (5 - 30 feet): Maintain a lean, clean, and green area using fire-resistant, low-water landscaping. Locally adapted Firewise plants like Apache plume, rabbitbrush, and desert willow are drought-tolerant and less likely to carry a flame toward your home.
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Zone 3 (30 - 100 feet): Reduce ladder fuels, such as low-hanging branches and dense brush, to slow the approach of any nearby fire.
Beyond the yard, consider taking a look at your home's structural vulnerabilities. Windblown embers, not walls of flame, are the leading cause of home loss in wildfires, and they can travel miles ahead of an active fire. Replacing wood shake roofs, installing ember-resistant vents, and keeping decks clear of flammable furniture and potted plants in dry wood containers are all helpful strategies for reducing wildfire risk. If you live in the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed, you can schedule a free home hazard assessment to receive individualized guidance on your risk factors and recommended actions. You can also learn more information about wildfire prevention in our region through the Santa Fe County Wildland Fire Division and the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition.
 Source: EMNRD Fire Prevention Programs
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Highlighted Spring Events
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Saturday, April 11
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Learn hands-on techniques for building low-tech, process-based restoration structures using rock and wood materials. Led by Melissa Houser of the Santa Fe Conservation Trust and Jan-Willem Jansens of Ecotone Landscape Planning, this free workshop focuses on accessible approaches to plant and soil regeneration.
Register Here
Thursday, April 30
11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Listen to Dr. David Lightfoot share his unique insights about New Mexico’s remarkable insect diversity, the ecological factors behind it, and the conservation challenges facing species threatened by human activity. Admission is $15 for Santa Fe Botanical Garden members and $20 for non-members.
Register Here
Thursday, May 14
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
This installment of the River Talks series explores how wildfires affect local water quality. River Talks is a free, ongoing community conversation series presented by the City of Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Watershed Association, with seasonal talks held throughout 2026 at Iconik Red.
Learn More Here
Thursday and Friday,
June 11 - 12
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The Next Generation Water Summit brings together water conservation professionals, policymakers, and community members. This year's theme is "Increasing Demand, Declining Realities," and Santa Fe County residents can attend online for free by entering their zip code during the registration process.
Register Here
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Saturday, April 11
1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Get ready for the City Nature Challenge by learning how to use iNaturalist to photograph and document wild plants and animals in your neighborhood. This free introductory workshop will be led by Dave Eslinger and Michael Carr at the Randall Davey Audubon Center. It is open to all skill levels.
Register Here
Saturday, May 2
Join the Santa Fe Watershed Association and the City of Santa Fe for a day of resilience through celebration and preparation. Start at De Vargas Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for educational family-friendly activities, live music, and a river cleanup at 10 a.m. Connect with wildfire experts and gather tips to protect your home and watershed, then head to Christ Church from 3 to 6 p.m. for a panel on wildfire preparedness.
Learn More Here
Monday, May 18
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
In collaboration with the Santa Fe International Literary Festival, enjoy an exclusive experience with nationally acclaimed author and naturalist Priyanka Kumar at the Santa Fe Botanical Gardens. The event includes coffee and light refreshments, a Q&A session, a special garden tour, and all-day access to the garden. Admission is $50, and space is limited to fifty guests.
Register Here
Saturday and Sunday
June 13 - 14
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 pm
El Rancho de las Golondrinas kicks off its 2026 season with this beloved annual celebration of New Mexico's cultural heritage. The festival features sheep shearing, horno bread baking, weaving and dyeing demonstrations, Indigenous and Hispanic dance performances, artisan vendors, children's crafts, and living history exhibits. Admission ranges from $0 to $11.83.
Register Here
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April 24 - 27
The City Nature Challenge is an international effort for people to find and document plants and wildlife in cities across the globe. It’s a bioblitz-style competition to see which cities can make the most observations, find the most species, and engage the most people. Participants photograph wild plants and animals April 24–27 using iNaturalist, then help identify observations through May 13.
Learn More Here
Saturday, May 9
9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Explore the Santa Fe Conservation Trust’s Dovetail property on this moderate dirt hike and learn about the organization’s land restoration projects and new accessible trail. Dovetail features four miles of new trails that connect to the 50 miles of trails at the Galisteo Basin Preserve. The walk is free, and no registration is required.
Learn More Here
Saturday, June 6
8:30 - 10:00 a.m.
Join experienced volunteer birders for a free guided walk through the wildlife gardens and trails in the Sangre de Cristo foothills. This program is one of the best ways to get to know local birds. All levels are welcome, and no RSVP is necessary. Learn the basics of birding and enjoy seeing wildlife in their natural habitat.
Learn More Here
Sunday, June 14
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Discover the beauty and tranquility of the Santa Fe Botanical Garden during its monthly Community Day, where New Mexico residents and students with ID receive free admission to enjoy all the Garden has to offer. A free guided tour is also available at 11 a.m. to introduce you to the Garden's native and drought-tolerant plants, walking paths, sculptures, and seasonal displays.
Learn More Here
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