Albuquerque Biological Park Calendar of Events
May 2009 |
Featured Events
- Spring Orchid Show - May 1-3
- Obsession with Orchids Brown Bag Lecture - May 2 and May 7
- Run for the Zoo - May 3
- National Public Gardens Day - May 7
- Bonsai Show - May 9-10
- Free Fishing Clinic - May 9
- International Migratory Bird Day at Tingley Beach - May 9
- International Migratory Bird Day at the Zoo - May 10
- Mother's Day Symphony Concert at the Zoo - May 10
- Mother's Day Brunch at Shark Reef Cafe - May 10
- Bear Awareness Week - May 10 through May 16
- Endangered Species Day - May 15
- Aquarium Overnight - May 15/16
- Summer Volunteer Orientation - May 16
- Fishing Guide Training - May 19
- Horticulture Volunteer Training - May 20
- Butterfly Pavilion Opening - May 22
- Symphony Under the Stars
- May 23 and 30 - Tickets will go on sale at the zoo at 5:30 the evening of each concert -- no other tickets sales at the Zoo. Gates open at 6:30. Picnic baskets are permitted. No alcohol may be brought inside gates. Coolers, backpacks & picnic baskets will be checked at the gate. Determination on any weather-related cancellation will occur no later than 6:00pm. In the event of a weather-related cancellation, the NMSO will honor tickets for the May 23 concert at the May 30 concert. Patron inquiries should be directed to the NMSO Box office, 505-881-8999, 4407 Menaul NE. Polar Bear, Catwalk and Sea Lion exhibits open.
January February March April June July August September October November December
Orchid Obsession - Spring Orchid Show at the Botanic Garden
Friday through Sunday, May 1-3, 9:00am-5:00pm
Co-sponsored by the New Mexico Orchid Guild, the Orchid Obsession show will feature hundreds of blooming orchids in a variety of colors in the Mediterranean Conservatory, the Aquarium lobby and the Garden Showroom. Visitors are invited to vote for the “People’s Choice Award,” view orchid art, orchid collectibles, orchid educational displays and flower arrangements. Visitors may also get a head start on Mother’s Day gifts. There will be hundreds of orchids available for purchase in the Garden Showroom. The show is included with regular admission.
Saturday, May 2:
- 10:00am: A "panel" of orchid doctors will be available for one hour to answer all of your questions, in the garden next to the showroom
- 12:30pm: Obsession with Orchids lecture by Steve Fischer, orchid expert and New Mexico Orchid Guild president, in the Aquarium/Garden Education building. (Steve will offer this lecture again on Thursday, May 7, 12:30pm in the same location.)
- 2:00pm: Activities for children in front of the Garden Showroom
Sunday, May 3:
- 10:00am: Vanilla Education Course in the Aquarium/Garden Education Building
- 11:00am: Repotting Demonstration by Steve Fischer (ends at 12:00pm)
- 1:00pm: How to Grow Miniature Orchids in the Education Building
- 2:00pm: Activities for children in front of the Garden Showroom
The New Mexico Orchid Guild is a registered nonprofit 501 (3) c, tax-exempt organization whose mission is to contribute educational information on orchids that can be understood and used by orchid growers everywhere.
"Obsession with Orchids" Brown Bag Lecture at the Garden
Saturday, May 2 and Thursday, May 7, 12:45-1:30pm
Topic: Obsession with Orchids - Nature's Beauties
Speaker: Steve Fischer, President of the NM Orchid Guild
Steve Fischer explores the addictive nature of orchid growing. With around 30,000 species and 110,000 registered hybrids, the sheer diversity of the orchid world is astounding. Steve will discuss the “various contrivances” that orchids use to get pollinated which include entrapment, deception, and sexual attraction. Finally, Steve will suggest the best plants for beginners and culture techniques that can ensure that anyone can successfully grow and flower orchids.
This series of informal, lunchtime lectures presents the science of conservation. Topics include plant and animal themes relevant to the BioPark, and presenters may be BioPark staff or field experts.
Brown Bag lectures take place twice a month (on a Thursday and a Saturday), alternating between the Aquarium/Garden and the Zoo locations. Lectures at the Zoo are included with regular admission. There is no fee to attend the lectures at the Aquarium/Garden. Call (505) 848-7180 for more information.
24th Annual Run for the Zoo
Sunday, May 3, 7:00am-12:00pm
Run for the Zoo artwork by Gabriel Ballantine of Corrales, NM.
Run for the Zoo… and walk with us too! Come out and join us for a day of fun and fitness at the largest running event in the state of New Mexico.
Always the first Sunday in May, the run has events for all ages and fitness levels including a USATF-certified 10K run, an USATF-certified 5K run, a 5K fitness run/walk, and 1-mile fun run/walk.
Run for the Zoo is a fundraiser organized by the New Mexico BioPark Society each year.
Registration fee : $12.00 children (13 & under), $25.00 adults. Fee includes a T-shirt and free race day admission to the Zoo
- For more information or to register, visit the Run for the Zoo web page or call the New Mexico BioPark Society at (505) 764-6280.
Are you a Zoo neighbor? You can download a notice about street closures 
here.
National Public Gardens Day at the Botanic Garden
Thursday, May 7, 10:00am-2:00pm
National Public Gardens Day is for everyone who loves nature. Like many institutions throughout the U.S., Rio Grande Botanic Garden will mark the day with a special celebration that includes demonstrations, talks and lectures. Visitors can learn more about gardening, our environment, and how to grow plants and use water wisely. Garden staff will also offer tips on home gardening and landscape design. Help us celebrate National Public Gardens Day on Thursday, May 7th!
SEMINARS
| Time | Topic/Speaker | Meeting Place |
| 10:00 – 11:30 | Flower Lab Jon Stewart, Curator of Plants |
Garden Showroom |
| 10:00 – 2:00 | Ask the Horticulturist Carol McClenin, BioPark Horticulturist |
Festival Green Concert Tent |
1:00 – 2:00 |
Promoting Pollinating Insects Dr. Ralph Charlton, Curator of Invertebrates |
Pollinator Garden |
DEMONSTRATIONS
| Time | Topic | Meeting Place (refer to garden map) |
10:00 |
Gardening with Aquatics | Camino de Colores Fountain |
| 10:20 | Irrigation Tips | Spanish-Moorish Garden |
| 10:40 | Desert Plants in a Japanese Garden | Japanese Garden Entry |
| 11:00 | Vineyards in New Mexico | Heritage Farm Vineyard |
| 11:20 | Acequias in Action | Heritage Farm Vegetable Field |
| 11:40 | Chickens as Pest Control | Heritage Farm Animal Barn |
| 12:00 | Livestock at the Farm | Heritage Farm Animal Barn |
| 12:20 | Gardening to Heal | Curandera Garden Sculpture |
| 12:40 | Bonsai | Japanese Garden Entry |
| 1:00 | Potting up Marigolds | Festival Green Concert Tent |
| 1:20 | How to Root Cuttings | Festival Green Concert Tent |
| 1:40 | Small Scale Gardening | Garden Railroad (by sign) |
Bonsai Show at the Botanic Garden
Saturday-Sunday, May 9-10, 9:00am-5:00pm
The “Ancient Art of Bonsai” show will wrap up the Rio Grande Botanic Garden’s spring indoor show season. Co-sponsored by the Albuquerque Bonsai Club, the bonsai show will be held in the Garden Showroom on Mother’s Day weekend.
Members of the club will be showing their best bonsai of different styles and species of trees--including flowering and native New Mexico trees--as well as Suiseki "Viewing Stones." Alligator Juniper, Mountain Mahogany, Piñon, Sage Brush and certain herbs work well in New Mexico for the culture of bonsai.
Questions will be answered enthusiastically by long-time members who are actively engaged in growing bonsai. Demonstrations will be held at 10:00am and 2:00pm, and an educational table will be set up to show the stages of development in creating bonsai.The Bonsai Show is included with regular admission. Call (505) 848-7148 for more information.
Free Fishing Clinic
Saturday, May 9, 10:00am-12:00pm
Visit the event tent at Tingley Beach to learn more about fly-fishing and fly-tying, fishing etiquette, catch & release practices and how to “catch the big one.” Tingley Beach Fishing Guides will be on-hand to teach and share fishing tips. Equipment and supplies are available for use during the clinic free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
Participants are welcome to bring their own gear as well. In addition, Tingley Outfitters provides basic equipment for purchase inside the Tingley Train Station.
Download a flyer about the 2009 Free Fishing Clinics 
International Migratory Bird Day
At Tingley Beach - Saturday, May 9, 10:00am-2:00pm
At the Zoo - Sunday, May 10, 10:00am-2:00pm
Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day at Tingley and the Zoo. This year's theme is a celebration of birds in culture.
Find out how birds survive incredible migratory journeys over extraordinary distances between their southern breeding grounds and northern wintering grounds. Learn about bird conservation through hands-on activities, displays and biofact demonstrations.
There is no fee to access Tingley Beach. All activities at the zoo are included with regular admission.
Mother's Day Symphony Concert at the Zoo
Sunday, May 10, 2:00-3:00pm
The annual Mother’s Day Concert at the Rio Grande Zoo, sponsored by Lovelace Health System, is scheduled for May 10th, with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra performing works by Glinka, Sibelius, Sousa and more!
Each year, the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra invites the winner of the Jackie McGehee Young Artists’ Competition to perform with them at the Mother’s Day Concert.
The concert starts at 2pm, lasts about one hour and is included with regular Zoo admission. Before the concert, be sure to visit the International Migratory Bird Day celebration!
Lawn seating is in the park. Food will be available for purchase. A FREE Park & Ride will be operating between the Alvarado Transportation Center (2nd and Gold Parking Structure) and Zoo and the Aquarium/Garden and Zoo from 10:00am to 6:00pm. Download a flyer about park & ride.
For more information, call 311 locally or (505) 768-2000.
Sponsored by
Mother's Day Brunch at Shark Reef Cafe
Sunday, May 10, 10:00am-2:00pm
Looking for a fun place to treat Mom to brunch on Mother's Day? Come to the Shark Reef Cafe! Enjoy views into the Aquarium's "Shark Tank" and smaller jewel tanks while you dine on a special brunch buffet. Call (505) 848-7182 to reserve your table.
Bear Awareness Week at the Zoo
Sunday, May 10 - Saturday, May 16, 10:00am-2:00pm
Visit the Polar Bear exhibit to learn about the conservation of these and other bears of the world. Find out about the important roles these animals play in nature and participate in hands-on activities and biofact demonstrations. Find out how changes in polar bear habitat are affecting them, touch a bear pelt or compare your paw to a bear's.
Bear Awareness Week activities are included with regular admission.
Call (505) 764-6214 for more information.
Endangered Species Day
Friday, May 15, 10:00am-2:00pm
Discovery Stations at each of the three facilities will teach about the importance of protecting endangered species and everyday actions that individuals can take to help wildlife and wild habitats.
At the Zoo, learn about endangered species from around the globe, such as Komodo dragons, gorillas and elephants. Visitors can also learn about conservation success stories, such as the bald eagle and gray wolf, and how the Zoo participates in programs to protect endangered species, such as snow leopards and orangutans.
At the Aquarium, visitors can observe the three sea turtles on exhibit and learn about ways to protect them. Volunteers will also teach about coral reefs – underwater habitats which are critical to the survival of millions of ocean species.
At the Botanic Garden, visitors to the Heritage Farm will learn about the Garden’s involvement with rearing of rare and endangered plants of New Mexico. Volunteers will also discuss the churro sheep, a breed brought back from the brink of extinction.
Want to know more about endangered species? Visit the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to see how the Biopark and other facilities are helping conserve these special animals.
Aquarium Overnight
Friday-Saturday, May 15-16, 7:00pm-8:00am
Sleep next to the sharks at this family-friendly event. Participants will learn interesting facts about ocean species and their nighttime behavior during this special Aquarium sleepover. Includes games and crafts, Touchpool visit and ocean film fest in the theater. Children under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Cost: $25/person. Group size is limited. Pre-registration is required and and participation is reserved only after payment is received. Call (505) 848-7180 for more information and to register.
Summer Volunteer Orientation
Saturday, May 16, 11:00am-12:00 noon
Location: Rio Grande Zoo, Colores Building 
Volunteering at the Zoo, Aquarium, Botanic Garden and Tingley Beach is a great way to meet new people, learn about the natural environment and spend time making a difference! Chances are, we’ve got the perfect job for you!
Teens (at least 14 years old) and adults who would like to volunteer for the summer at the BioPark should attend this orientation. We will share information about the various positions available during the summer months. There is no admission charge for the orientation. For more information, please call (505) 764-6245.
Fishing Guide Volunteer Training
Tuesday, May 19, 9:30am-3:30pm
Fishing Guides interact with anglers and other visitors at Tingley Beach, sharing information about the natural history of fish and proper fishing techniques. Fishing Guides may also assist with fishing clinics offered throughout the year. Must be at least 18 years old. For more information, please call (505) 764-6245.
Horticulture Volunteer Orientation
Wednesday, May 20, 9:30am-12:00pm
Horticulture Volunteers assist the BioPark horticulture staff with routine garden maintenance and special plant projects. Open to volunteers ages 16 and up. For more information, please call (505) 764-6245.