Albuquerque Biological Park Calendar of Events
April 2008 |
Featured Activities
- The Joys of SCUBA Diving - Aquarium Evening Lecture - April 2
- Marine Relationships - Brown Bag Lecture at the Aquarium - April 3 and 5
- FREE Fishing Clinic at Tingley Beach - April 12
- Touchpool Volunteer Training - April 15
- Horticulture Volunteer Training - April 16 - CANCELLED
- Aquarium Overnight - April 18/19
- Earth Day - Party for the Planet - April 19
- Children's Seed Festival at the Garden -April 26
- "Plants for the Garden Railroad" Talk and Tour - April 27
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The Joys of SCUBA Diving - Aquarium Evening Lecture.
Wednesday, April 2, 7:00 - 9:00 pm, Aquarium Theater
Lecturer: Naomi Valenzuela
A Master SCUBA Instructor and underwater photographer, Naomi Valenzuela will show pictures from dive locations around the world, including freshwater locations, and discuss what she has seen in her underwater adventures. She will also describe the various ways people can try scuba diving – covering options from resort dives (no certification required) to advanced rescue diving. The Aquarium will be open for those attending the lecture to view exhibits and many of the animals seen in the lecture.
Aquarium evening lectures take place every other month on a Wednesday evening. Admission is $5.00 for adults; $3.00 for children, seniors, BioPark volunteers and staff. Refreshments are included. Call (505) 848-7180 for more information.
Marine Relationships - Brown Bag Lecture at the Aquarium.
Thursday April 3 and Saturday April 5, 12:45 to 1:30 pm
Topic: Marine Relationships: Symbiosis in Marine Organisms
Lecturer: Mike Penovich
What is that little fish swimming with the sharks? How can a clownfish swim in a sea anemone's tentacles without being stung? Is coral a plant or an animal?
Join Mike Penovich, Albuquerque Aquarium docent, as he explores the answers to these questions and more! He will present an overview of symbiotic relationships between ocean creatures. He will explore a variety of relationships such as mutualism in corals and algae, or clown fish and sea anemones; commensalism between remoras and sharks, turtles, and other larger marine animals; and parasitism such as in lampreys and larger fish. Mike is a dynamic and engaging speaker, who will really bring to life this discussion. Come join us for an enjoyable, fascinating, and informative talk.
This month's Brown Bag lecture is scheduled for Thursday, April 3 and Saturday, April 5, at the Aquarium/Garden Education Building, 2601 Central Ave. NW. There is no charge or registration required to attend the April lecture.
Brown Bag lectures take place twice a month (on a Thursday and a Saturday), alternating between the aquarium/garden and the zoo locations. Zoo lectures are included with Zoo admission.
FREE Fishing Clinic at Tingley Beach.
Saturday, April 12, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Location: Tent on lawn near train station.
With support from New Mexico Trout and the BioPark's Fishing Guide volunteers, a FREE Fishing Clinic will be offered at Tingley Beach every month on the second Saturday. There will be instruction of basic fly-tying methods, fly-rod casting techniques, fishing etiquette, effective 'catch and release' practices and enhancement of advanced skills. Equipment and supplies are available for use during the clinic on a first come, first served basis and are free of charge.
Participants are welcome, however, to bring their own gear. In addition, Tingley Outfitters provides basic equipment for purchase inside the train station.
Touchpool Volunteer Training.
Tuesday, April 15, 9:30am - 3:30pm
Touchpool volunteers assist with the hands-on invertebrate Touchpool at the aquarium and introduce visitors to horseshoe crabs, horse conchs, sea urchins and other fascinating marine animals. For more information, please call (505) 764-6245.
Horticulture Volunteer Orientation.
Wednesday, April 16, 9:30am to 12:00pm
The April Horticulture Volunteer Orientation has been cancelled.
The next orientation will be on May 21.
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.
Underwater Overnight at the Aquarium.
Friday, April 18, 7:00pm through 8:00am Saturday, April 19
Sleep next to the sharks at this family-friendly event. Participants will learn about 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. This month's Underwater Overnight is full, but call (505) 848-7180 for more information and to pre-register (required) for an overnight this summer or fall!
Earth Day - Party for the Planet.
Saturday, April 19, 10:00am to 2:00pm
The BioPark is celebrating Earth Day and partnering with more than 100 AZA Zoos and Aquariums nationwide on Party for the Planet events! This BioPark-wide event will highlight the ways that you can lessen your impact on the Earth and protect wildlife and their habitats. Check out the Celebra la Ciencia stations at each facility to participate in fun, hands-on bilingual science activities. Earth Day activities at all BioPark facilities are included with admission. For more information, please call (505) 764-6247.
At the Zoo: Learn about endangered animals from around the world and how you can help protect them. Participate in special “Year of the Frog” activities in the park, make your own adobe brick and learn how saving energy saves animals.
At the Aquarium: Follow a drop of water from the Rio
Grande to the sea as you learn how to protect the ocean even though you live over a
thousand miles away. Discover amazing aquatic animals throughout the Aquarium and
make your own “mini aquarium” to take home (while supplies last).
At the Botanic Garden: Can you have a
water-wise landscape that’s also beautiful? Yes! Find out how and learn about other
amazing plants and even animals found within the Garden. You can plant a seed to grow at
home or get the dirt on soil as you create Earth-art with clay and sand.
At Tingley Beach: Stop by the BioVan to visit some of
the animals and plants that live along the Rio Grande, and take a short, guided hike in the
nearby bosque. You’ll learn how wetlands support an incredible variety of fish, birds,
microscopic organisms and other amazing animals.
Help the City of Albuquerque promote sustainability and encourage conservation! Visit the Sustainability web page to find important information on how YOU can help preserve our most precious resources.
The Albuquerque Biological Park is accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.
Children's Seed Festival at the Garden.
Saturday, April 26, 10:00am to 3:00pm
Celebrate the connections between seeds, plants and humans with some “seed-happy” people during the Children’s Seed Festival at the Rio Grande Botanic Garden. The event is co-sponsored by the Albuquerque Biological Park and the Rotary Club of Albuquerque 
.
Visitors can learn through hands-on discovery stations about the ways seeds travel, the amazing variety of seed shapes and sizes and the incredible adaptations that allow seeds to grow in some of the harshest environments in the world. Discover how plants are "born" and take a trip through the Children’s Fantasy Garden to explore a seed’s life story. Get your hands dirty in the Seed Lab inside the Fantasy Garden’s giant pumpkin. Create works of botanical art with seeds and listen to storytellers spin tales of seeds and other garden wonders.
This fun, educational event is included with regular admission. For more information, call Botanic Garden Education at 848-7180.
"Plants for the Garden Railroad" Talk and Tour at the Botanic Garden.
Sunday, April 27, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
This two-hour event will begin at 2:00pm in the Education Building with a lecture by Botanic Garden Curator of Plants, Jon Stewart. At 3:00pm the group will move outside to tour the Botanic Garden’s Railroad and view possibilities for using these plants in a miniature landscape of your own. Don't miss this chance to learn about the garden in Garden Railroading!
This event is included with regular admission.