Located on the central Rio Grande flyway, Rio Grande Nature Center State Park offers 270 acres of riverside forest and meadows which include stands of 100 year old cottonwoods, clumps of willow, tamarisk, and Russian olive, and a cattail marsh alongside a 3-acre pond.

The bosque, as this area is called in the Southwest, is threaded with 2 miles of nature trails, offering a sense of isolation and tranquility as they wind through partially wooded areas to open sand flats alongside the Rio Grande River.

Watch for a variety of birds -- over 260 species have made this their temporary or permanent home. View the feathered transients during the fall and winter months -- the graceful sandhill cranes, urgent and awkward ducks in flight. Don't be so busy looking up that you miss the colorful swatches of native wildflowers. Do not be too surprised if you come upon an elusive coyote, a raccoon, or a beaver.

• Sign up for a naturalist led hike through the region's bosque landscape. This zone is characteristic of certain regions in the Southwest where precious water and land come together in a desert landscape.
• Take a class on nature photography or learn what bird banding is all about during a special weekend program.