Environment

Daily Postcard: Bee Visits Purple Flower For Pollen

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 22, 2026

Daily Postcard: Bee visits a purple flower for pollen. Courtesy/NPS
Help Bandelier celebrate Pollinator Week by participating in a Bumble Bee Atlas Survey! Staff and Volunteers will be leading surveys on Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27, to photograph bumble bee species and record the flowers they visit. Surveys will require participants to go on a short hike and the ability to follow specific protocols. Survey spots will be limited to 7 people each day, so sign up soon! Email BAND_visitor_center@nps.gov for more information or to sign up. Want to participate, but can’t make it out here? Read More

Rio Fire Update: June 21, 2026

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 21, 2026

Operation Section Chief Brandon Glenn conducts a briefing this morning on the Rio Fire. Courtesy photo

New Mexico Fire Information News:

Acres: 184

Start Date: June 16, 2026

Location: Mesa De La Gallina, 3 miles northeast of Chicoma Mountain

Fuels: Oak brush, Ponderosa Pine

Containment: 0%

Personnel: 167

Cause: Lightning

Highlights: The four Interagency Hotshot Crews (IHCs) assigned to the fire made further progress on Saturday with support from aviation resources. Hot, dry, and windy conditions caused several areas near the retardant lines to flare up. Aircraft dropped water along those Read More

Posts From The Road: Two Lanes & A Tank Of Fuel

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 21, 2026

View From the Pass: Dead Indian Pass is the highest point on the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway in Wyoming. Shown is a view of the road as it twists and turns as it drops in elevation when leaving the pass to the north. The pass is 8,071 feet in elevation and offers spectacular views of the Absaroka Mountains and beyond from the scenic viewpoint. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Coastal Landscape: A view of the coastline, Highway 1, and the iconic Bixby Bridge is seen from a scenic viewpoint about a dozen miles south of Carmel, Calif. and a short distance north of the bridge. The late afternoon sunlight Read More

Daily Postcard: Cholla Tree Blooming On Meadow Lane

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 21, 2026

Daily Postcard: A Cholla Tree viewed Saturday on Meadow Lane at the corner of Kayenta Street in White Rock. The bright magenta flowers are this year’s blooms, and the yellow-green knobby structures are the developing fruit or hips. Photo by Shari Mills Read More

Deer Canyon Fire Discovered Today South Of Mountainair

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 20, 2026

View of the Deer Canyon Fire burning this afternoon south of Mountainair. Courtesy/NMFD

New Mexico Forestry Division News:

The Deer Canyon Fire was discovered at 4 p.m. today, June 20 in the Deer Canyon subdivision south of Mountainair. The fire is exhibiting extreme behavior, is active and crowning in piñon-juniper and grass fuels.

Crews are providing point protection, and air resources are on scene providing support. Structures are threatened, and evacuations are in place.

The fire is estimated at 350 acres and is zero percent contained.

Evacuations/Shelters:

  • Evacuations are in place
Read More

Daily Postcard: Hummingbird Perches On Twig At Bandelier

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 20, 2026

Daily Postcard: A handsome Rufous Hummingbird is spotted perched on a thin twig at Bandelier National Monument. The Rufous Hummingbird is a fairly small hummingbird with a slender, nearly straight bill, a tail that tapers to a point when folded, and fairly short wings that don’t reach the end of the tail when the bird is perched. Photo by Sally King/NPS Read More

McQuiston: When The Monsoon Rolls In … Tips For Getting Your Home Ready Before The First Big Storm

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 19, 2026

By ALLEN MCQUISTON
Jemez Insurance Agency
Serving Los Alamos Since 1963

The sky is clear all morning. Then around 3 p.m. the clouds start stacking up dark over the mountains, the wind kicks up, and 10 minutes later it’s coming down sideways. Hail is ticking off the windows and the street out front is already running like a creek.

If you’ve spent a summer in northern New Mexico, you know the drill. The storms are loud and dramatic, and they can do real damage in about the time it takes to finish a cup of coffee.

Monsoon season officially started in mid-June and runs through September. The good news is that Read More

Los Alamos Is Addressing Its Wild Side

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 18, 2026

Los Alamos County and its contractor are working on a plan to address local wildlife issues. Courtesy photos

By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com

Bears rummaging through trash cans, deer’s antlers getting entangled in holiday lights and mountain lions preying on household pets are all issues that are commonly heard in Los Alamos.

The question is, what can be done about it?

Los Alamos County is starting to work on the answer; during the June 9 County Council meeting, representatives from the contractor, Environmental Solutions and Innovations (ESI), laid out its Read More

U.S. Forest Service To Propose First National Policy For Recreational Climbing On Public Lands 

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 18, 2026

USFS News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) will publish a proposed climbing directive in the Federal Register and initiate a 30-day public comment period.

This proposal establishes the agency’s first national direction for managing recreational climbing opportunities on national forests and grasslands that will include guidance for the use and maintenance of fixed anchors and equipment.

The updated proposal replaces a 2023 draft that was overtaken by new requirements in the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, signed into law Jan. Read More

Scenes Of Geese In 2021 At Ashley Pond

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 17, 2026

Daily Postcard: Scene of visitors greeting geese in March of 2021 at Ashley Pond. Photo by Ken Hanson

Scene of geese in March of 2021 at Ashley Pond. Photo by Ken Hanson  

Scene of geese in March of 2021 at Ashley Pond. Photo by Ken Hanson  

Scene of a goose preening in March of 2021 at Ashley Pond. Photo by Ken Hanson  Read More

Smoke Visible From Fire West Of Española

Submitted by Kirsten Laskey (ladp admin) on June 17, 2026
Smoke from the Rio Fire. Photo by Delbert Romero/ladailypost.com

COUNTY News:

The Rio Fire, a lightning-strike fire that was first detected Tuesday evening, has burned about 5-10 acres in a previously burned area on the Santa Fe National Forest.

Smoke will be visible as the fire is burning in a remote area that is difficult to access.

There is no threat to Los Alamos from this fire.

Further details about the fire can be found on the New Mexico Fire Information interagency site: https://nmfireinfo.com/2026/06/17/firefighters-stop-forward-progression-on-pelada-fire/.

Read More

State Opens Trails+ Grant For Outdoor Recreation Projects

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 17, 2026

Cibola Trail Alliance is using Trails+ Grant funding to build new trails in Lobo Canyon near Grants, NM. Courtesy/EDNM

EDNM News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico will open applications on July 1 for the Trails+ Grant program, making $12 million available for community outdoor recreation projects that expand outdoor trail access, support local economies and preserve the state’s natural and cultural resources.

Demand for the Outdoor Recreation Trails+ Grant has surged, with a record-breaking $27 million in funding requests in FY26—a $2 million increase from FY25—underscoring the growing Read More

Advocates Condemn Mexican Gray Wolf Killings, Commend Law Enforcement Efforts

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 17, 2026

 WildEarth News:

SANTA FE — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the deaths of two Mexican wolves and served a federal search warrant in April of this year, according to a report in yesterday’s Albuquerque Journal. The wolves—a five-year-old father and a yearling son from the Sawtooth Packwere caught in private traps on private land in two separate incidents in the spring of 2025. 

The article provides details about the extensive search conducted by federal agents at properties near Datil, New Mexico. While New Mexico law prohibits trapping on public lands, livestock producers Read More

County: Safer Driving Starts With You…

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on June 14, 2026

From Los Alamos County:

Safer Driving Starts With You…

Let’s make SAFE decisions behind the wheel:

            • Buckle up
            • Follow the speed limit
            • Don’t drive distracted
            • Drive sober
            • Maybe even Drive Less Los Alamos!

Whether you commute to Los Alamos from Santa Fe, Española, or live here locally, Los Alamos County asks you to change your driving habits.

Why not consider walking, biking, taking the bus, or carpooling instead of driving alone? You’ll save money, reduce air pollution, and minimize traffic congestion. Added benefits include making new friends and improving your health if you’re walking Read More

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