Asombro

Upcoming Events

Movie Night and Fundraiser

Wednesday June 17 & Thursday June 18, 2026 at 7:30pm

At The Fountain Theatre in Mesilla

Join us at the local screening of the film Granite Rapids Moon. Tell them Asombro sent you and a portion of their sales will go to our programming!

Join Asombro at the local screening of the independent film Granite Rapids Moon. 

A happily married father of two, shaken by a message written in a birthday card for his daughter, abruptly leaves his family for a week-long trek through the Grand Canyon. As we follow his solo hike, we see his memories of an earlier trip through the Grand Canyon with a different woman.

Shot with only the equipment that a cast and crew of eight could carry on two 41-mile hikes (one in 20-degree December and one in 95-degree June), Granite Rapids Moon is the first narrative feature to shoot the majority of its footage inside the Grand Canyon.

Join us either night for this family friendly film and let us know you’re there to support Asombro. The more people that come out for us, the more the cast and crew will donate to our programs!

 

Catch Asombro at a Local Library

This summer join Asombro at a local library near you with a good book and a fun family friendly activity. Check out when and where below!:

Saturday, May 30th 11:00-1:00 / Thomas Branigan Public Library (Las Cruces)

     Help with a fun interactive tabling activity about desert treasures!

Thursday, June 4th 2:00-3:00 / Hatch Public Library (Hatch)

     Desert Postcards: “One Day in the Desert” reading and art activity.

Thursday, June 11th 2:00-3:00 / Hatch Public Library (Hatch)

     “Flip, Float, Fly” reading about seed dispersal and make your own clay seed activity.

Saturday, June 13th 2:00-3:00 / Doris Van Doren Public Library (El Paso)

     “Flip, Float, Fly” reading about seed dispersal and make your own clay seed activity.

Thursday, June 18th 2:00-3:00 / Hatch Public Library (Hatch)

     “Everybody Needs a Rock” reading and rock identification activity.

Thursday, June 25th 2:00-3:00 / Hatch Public Library (Hatch)

     “Rowdy Ringo” reading and make your own origami cow activity.

 

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.