Upcoming Events
Desert Data Jam
Open House and Awards Ceremony
Thursday April 23, 2026 6:00PM – 7:30PM
Wooton Hall, NMSU Campus
The Desert Data Jam challenges middle school students to find interesting ways to present scientific data to non-scientist audiences. Learn more here.
Families and the public are invited to view projects at 6:00, the award ceremony will begin at 6:30.
Annual Open House and Volunteer Celebration
Monday January 19, 2026 10:00AM – 12:00PM
Short Presentation: 10:30AM
Asombro members are regular donors who are invested in seeing Asombro thrive. This gathering is open to all community members and volunteers. It gives us a chance to connect, highlight accomplishments from the past year, get excited about upcoming projects, and take care of business, like electing our Board of Directors.
We also honor the volunteers who have given their time and energy in the past year.
Volunteers, donors, and community members are invited to celebrate the successes of 2025 and look forward to upcoming projects in 2026.
Asombro Office, 401 E College
Luminarias: Light up the Desert
Friday December 12th, 5:00-7:30
December 12, 2025
5:00PM – 7:30PM
Luminarias are always enchanting, even more so when they are arranged throughout the desert. During Holiday Luminarias, our Desert Discovery Trail will shine bright as we ring in the holiday season with hundreds of luminarias. This holiday event, hosted by Asombro at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, is free to the public. Come out and join us for hot chocolate, sweet treats, holiday carols, and luminarias to light up the night.
Parking can fill quickly, please consider carpooling.
This is a free event. Donations to support Asombro’s work and future events welcome. Suggested donation $5/$10 per family.
Volunteer Events
Asombro holds two types of volunteer work days regularly:
Join us for monthly volunteer gatherings, held on the second Tuesday of most months from 9:30AM -10:30AM at the Asombro Institute for Science Education office at 401 E College Drive, Las Cruces. This is a great opportunity to meet other volunteers and learn more about Asombro. We work on a variety of tasks such as folding newsletters, prepping for education programs, stapling, sharpening, etc.
For anyone who loves the Park, join us in keeping our outdoor classroom a beautiful place. Nature Park projects and work take place on most Wednesdays. Occasional Saturday projects are also available. All skill levels and abilities are welcome.
For a schedule of days and projects reach out to our Park Manager, William Lukefahr: william@asombro.org
Past Events
Asombro does not currently have the events below on the schedule. Stay tuned for information in the future.
Asombro held a BioBlitz at its Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park on September 19, 2015. During this 15-hour BioBlitz, teams of scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members worked together to find and identify plants, animals, rocks, and soils.
A report was compiled from the species data recorded that day.
Desert Dash was a fundraiser for Asombro. Enjoying expansive views of the desert, including three rugged mountain ranges, participants ran or walked the beautiful 5K, 10K, or half marathon trail courses.