Environment

Concordia Santa Fe’s Wind Orchestra To Present Concert At St. Francis Auditorium June 14

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Mid Century Joyride Sunday, June 14 at St. Francis Auditorium. Courtesy/CSF

CONCERT News:

Concordia Santa Fe’s Wind Orchestra will present its second concert of 2026 at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 14, at the New Mexico Museum of Art in the St. Francis Auditorium.

Under the direction of guest conductor Professor David Bertman, Director of Bands at the University of Houston, the 40-member ensemble will perform works by Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, Michael Markowski, Gian Carlo Menotti, Vincent Persichetti, and David White.

Admission is free, with donations gratefully accepted at the door. Read More

Forestry Division: Burn Bans & Fire Restrictions, Explained

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Fire restrictions sign posted at a campground. Photo courtesy/U.S. Forest Service

NMFD News:

When the weather gets warm, we all want to get outside and build a backyard bonfire, take an off-roading excursion or burn old yard debris. But which of those activities are allowed and where? Let’s talk fire restrictions.

Risky business

When fuels have dried out due to continued heat and winds, fire restrictions become preventative measures that remind the public, “It’s windy, and there’s a ton of dry grass; it’s too risky to have a campfire right now.”

Restrictions can come from county, state Read More

Los Alamos County Begins Installation Of Direct Current Fast Chargers At Mesa Public Library

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During construction, the main parking lot and vehicle access to the drive-up book drop will be closed. Community members visiting the library can use the parking lots on the east side of the library near Fuller Lodge. Community members returning books can park on the east side of library and walk the books into the drop-off bin. Courtesy/LAC

COUNTY News:

The Los Alamos County Sustainability Office, in partnership with Public Works, is excited to announce that two new direct-current fast-charging stations are coming to Mesa Public Library. This is the next step in expanding the community’s Read More

Daily Postcard: Hooded Warblers Return To Los Alamos

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Daily Postcard: Hooded Warblers have returned to the Santa Fe National Forest, Los Alamos County, for the third year in a row. This species is a rare migrant in the western United States, but in 2024 they nested along the reservoir road, the first confirmed nesting in New Mexico, and fledged one young. In 2025, they moved south to Upper Water Canyon, and successfully fledged two young. This year a male was first seen April 11, and by May 10 a male and female had settled back into Upper Water Canyon again, in the same exact spot as last year. If you hike this trail, listen for the distinctive song ‘cheree Read More

DPU Investigates Root Cause Of Townsite Power Outage

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COUNTY News:

A power outage that impacted the whole townsite of Los Alamos in the evening hours of Friday, May 8, started at 9:32 p.m. with a high-magnitude fault (greater than 5000 amps) on both transformers that feed the townsite from the electric substation on Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) property.

While any interruption of electric service experienced on LANL property was brief, the townsite outage spanned the townsite from the far east ends of North and Barranca mesas, west toward the outer edge of the Quemazon subdivision, and then east again to the commercial and county buildings Read More

Kiwanis Club To Host Aluminum Collection Saturday May 16

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The Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos is collecting and buying aluminum cans from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 16, to be sent for recycling. The collection location is the parking lot of the First United Methodist Church on Diamond Drive (near Sullivan Field). The community is encouraged to bring the aluminum cans they’ve had accumulating and help support the environment and the Kiwanis. Courtesy/Kiwanis Read More

Bill Would Protect 105,623 Acres Of Caja del Rio Habitat, Culturally Significant Landscape

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NWF News:

SANTA FE — The Caja del Rio Protection Act, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), would designate the Caja del Rio as a Bureau of Land Management National Conservation Area and U.S. Forest Service Special Management Area to permanently protect the region.
“The Caja del Rio supports a resident population and migration pattern of deer and elk that have supported our ancestors and Tesuque Pueblo’s inherent health and cultural ties to the natural environment. The landscape also serves as a migration corridor for these animals Read More

Santa Fe National Forest Issues Temporary Closures For Campground Construction, Post-Fire Safety

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SFNF News:

Forest Order 03-10-05-26-04 closes three developed recreation sites and an access road while contractors perform vault toilet and water system construction.

The following areas are closed to public entry: 

  • Field Tract Campground  
  • Panchuela Campground  
  • Jacks Creek Campground and Equestrian Area  

The order also closes the road north of Cowles at the junction of State Road 63 and Forest Road 555, beginning at the middle gate leading toward the Jacks Creek Campground and Equestrian Area.  

These closures are in effect from 8 a.m., May 4, 2026, through 11:59 p.m., Sept. 30, 2026, Read More

Daily Postcard: Rare Long-Eared Owl Spotted Near Urban

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Daily Postcard: A rare Long-eared Owl was spotted roosting in the backyard of a residence Saturday near Urban Park. Long-eared Owls are lanky and often seem to wear a surprised expression thanks to long ear tufts that typically point straight up like exclamation marks. These nocturnal hunters roost in dense foliage, where their camouflage makes them hard to find, and forage over grasslands for small mammals. Long-eared Owls are nimble flyers, with hearing so acute they can snatch prey in complete darkness. In spring and summer, listen for their low, breathy hoots and strange barking calls Read More