Wilderness50 Day -2

Two days before the #Wilderness50 conference begins and we're taking field trips with the FWS to Wildlife Refuges south of Albuquerque. Valle de Oro is a former dairy farm just 20 mi. south of the city - in the first stages of conversion to a bird sanctuary on the banks of the Rio Grande. 

Then we headed south to Sevilleta, where we hiked up an arroyo that became a slot canyon full of hoodoos!

Parts of Sevillita are Wilderness, up in the rugged peaks. 

Finally we ended up in Bosque del Apache NWR, a bioengineered wetland supporting migratory cranes:

A very wet area in a very dry state. 

Tomorrow our whole day will be at the research station in Sevillita, where they have Mexican wolves they're preparing for reintroduction.