Asombro

Upcoming Events

Night Life in the Desert

Friday October 16, 2026 6:00PM – 7:30PM

Evening Event at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park

Did you know the desert comes to life at night? Take this chance to visit our park after hours, in hopes of experiencing a different side of the desert. Learn more about the many nocturnal animals that survive in the desert by taking advantage of cool nights. 

Mark the date on your calendar. Check back later this summer for more details!

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

Annual 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

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. 

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.

Luminarias was hosted annually on the second Friday of every December. During this event, our Desert Discovery Trail at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park was lined with hundreds of luminarias and the public was welcomed to the park after hours to enjoy the lights near sunset and ring in the holiday season with Asombro.