COM Kicks Off this Saturday with Prehistoric Trackways

It's more exciting than the start of the NFL season! Celebration of Our Mountains begins this Saturday, August 18th, at 8 AM. The field trip? Prehistoric Trackways Discovery Site led by Colin Dunn of the BLM Las Cruces office.

El Pasoans should try to leave at 6:30 AM and absolutely no later than 7. The Trackways are in the Robledos north of Las Cruces and the route can be tricky.

A pamphlet from the BLM office says this about the trek:

"Track your way to 280 million years ago...a time when Las Cruces, New Mexico was located near the equator. It was a tropical environment, a coastal area located next to an inland sea. The vegetation was thick with trees that had broad, bamboo-like trunks and conifer leaves. Fern-like plants grew densely from the ground. Large amphibians and reptiles were on the top of the food chain. Smaller amphibians and reptiles fought for survival. Various insects made their homes amongst the swampy landscape. This was a time tens of millions of years before the dinosaurs and hundreds of millions of years before humans."

Rev up you time machines and be sure to bring plenty of water, sun protection and appropriate shoes and clothing.

There are two other events this coming Saturday. A trip to Sitting Bull Falls and a course on Geo-Caching at the Wyler Aerial Tramway State Park. More on each tomorrow and Wednesday.

The Benefits of Birding

from Mother Nature Network

It's time to head to Silver City for a weekend of birding. Check out Spend a Weekend Birding in the Gila Forest. Be sure to contact Mark Perkins at at elpasoaudubon@gmail.com for information about where to meet-up.

You might want to know that there are many benefits to birding. Read the Top 10 Benefits of Bird Watching.