WHEN PRICES DAIRY WENT UP FOR SALE A FEW YEARS AGO, RESIDENTS IN THE MOUNTAIN VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD TOOK NOTICE.

THEIR HOMES WERE SURROUNDED BY SUPERFUND SITES, A FORMER JET ENGINE PLANT AND A WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT.

THE PASSIVE GREEN WAS A PLACE TO RELAX.

PEOPLE WERE RIDING HORSES AND WALKING DOGS AND VISITING THE WILDLIFE THAT WAS ALREADY COMING TO THIS PROPERTY.

AND, SO, WHEN THE NEIGHBORS HEARD OF THIS POSSIBILITY OF A PROPERTY BEING DEVELOPED, THEY REALLY CAME TOGETHER AND SAID, NO, WE DON'T WANT THIS.

WE WANT THIS TO MAINTAIN AS A GREEN SPACE AND AS A RECREATIONAL SPACE FOR US.

THE LAND WAS PURCHASED WITH LOCAL AND FEDERAL FUNDS AND DESIGNATED AS THE VALLE DEL ORO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.

THE AREA IS PROTECTED FROM COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT BUT THE PROCESS FOR RESTORING THE HABITAT IS UNIQUE.

IT IS REALLY IN FILLING THIS IDEA OF COMMUNITY ENGAGED CONSERVATION.

WE ARE NOT JUST HERE TO SAY, THIS US HOW WE BUILD THE WETLANDS, AND THIS IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO AND THEN OPEN THE DOORS.

IT IS A FULL PROCESS.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE OF THIS PROPERTY?

AND HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED?

HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE IN THIS PROPERTY IN THE FUTURE?

JENNIFER OWEN WHITE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE REFUGE SINCE IT STARTED.

IT WAS A REALLY SPECIAL KIND OF NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CALLED URBAN.

WE ARE THE FIRST URBAN REFUGE IN THE SOUTHWEST AND THE FIRST URBAN REFUGE IN THE COUNTRY THAT IS BEING BUILT UNDER U.S.

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICES URBAN STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE.

WE ARE A MODEL FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY ABOUT HOW TO CONNECT URBAN AUDIENCES WITH OUTDOORS.

VOLUNTEERS AT THE REFUGE HAVE CREATED TRAILS IN THE BOSQUE, BIOLOGISTS, STUDENTS AND CITIZEN SCIENTISTS NOW TRACK NATIVE AND INVASIVE SPECIES TO SEE HOW THEY REACT TO CHANGES IN THE LANDSCAPE.

WHEN YOU DO HAVE REALLY GREAT WILDLIFE OUT HERE BUT EXPECT THAT DIVERSITY TO INCREASE ONCE WE START INCREASING HABITATS OUT HERE.

AS OF RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN COME OUT AND SEE ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF BIRDS ON THE REFUGE AND IN THE ADJACENT BOSQUE.

THERE IS OVER 200 SPECIES OF BIRDS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED.

ONE OF THE GOALS OF RESTORATION EFFORTS IS NOT ONLY TO CREATE A WILDLIFE SPACE THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO NEIGHBORS BUT A CLASSROOM FOR STUDENTS IN GREATER ALBUQUERQUE AREA.

I GREW UP IN THE SOUTH VALLEY AND MY MOM AND MY GRANDMA ARE ALSO FROM THE SOUTH VALLEY.

SO, I FEEL LIKE A SPECIAL CONNECTION TO THIS SPACE.

I ALSO WENT TO SCHOOL IN THE SOUTH VALLEY, SO, IT IS LIKE I HAVE A SOLIDARITY WITH KIDS IN THIS AREA AND PROVIDING THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE OUTSIDE AND SEE THE WORLD AROUND THEM.

A LOT OF KIDS THAT WE WORK WITH HAVE NEVER VISITED THE BOSQUE OR EVEN GONE TO THE RIVER.

IT IS NICE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SAFE SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO EXPLORE.

SOME YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WORKING ON THE REFUGE WITH VARIOUS GROUPS LIKE ROCKY MOUNTAIN YOUTH CORE AND AMERICORPS.

OUR FOCUS HERE AT THE REFUGE IS HAVING PROGRAMS THAT ARE REPEATED VISITS, ARE VERY INTIMATE AND WE GET TO KNOW THE KIDS PRETTY WELL.

OUR FOCUS IS MOSTLY SCIENCE.

WE WANT TO HAVE KIDS COME OUT TO THE SPACE, BECOME FAMILIAR WITH IT AND CREATE A REALLY INTIMATE CONNECTION, AND IN THE PROCESS, LEARNING THROUGH REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES.

STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS AT REFUGE AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY ALSO WANT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE REFUGE TO GO BEYOND ITS BORDERS.

THEY HOPE IT WILL COMPLIMENT EFFORTS TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY AND OTHER CONCERNS FOR LOCAL FAMILIES.

REFUGE MANAGER JENNIFER OWEN WHITE SAYS THE LAND WILL LOOK VERY DIFFERENT WHEN THE KIDS VISITING HERE NOW ARE ADULTS.

COMING THIS NEXT YEAR AND FOR THE NEXT FIVE, 10, EVEN 20 YEARS GOING FORWARD, THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT OF CHANGES OUT HERE.

WE ARE GOING TO BE BUILDING A BRAND NEW VISITORS CENTER, CONSTRUCTING TRAILS, BOARD WALKS, OVERLOOKS, WETLANDS, MORE OF THE BOSQUE RIPARIAN HABITAT, UPLAND HABITAT LIKE THE FOOTHILLS, SOME GRASSLANDS AND REALLY TAKING WHAT LOOKS LIKE A MONO CULTURE FARM AND DIVERSIFYING IT.

THERE IS STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE AT THE REFUGE, BUT LESSONS LEARNED HERE COULD BE SHARED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES IN NEW MEXICO, AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

FOR NEW MEXICO INFOCUS AND OUR LAND, I AM LAURA PASKUS.