Albuquerque's Environmental Story

Educating For a Sustainable Community

Section I: Albuquerque's Natural Environment

• Introduction

  (photo by FMSM Architects)

  Albuquerque's natural environment is notable for its three, diversified geographic features: the Sandia Manzano Mountains forming a dramatic backdrop east of the city; the Rio Grande and its bosque and the valley; and the West Mesa and the volcanoes rising above it. Four seasons, four life zones, and three distinctive geologic regions combine to give the city a unique and vigorous quality. The one unvarying aspect of the Albuquerque scene is the sunny climate, and few would complain about that type of uniformity.

• Climate And Weather

• Pictorial History Of The Albuquerque Area Geology

• Geology And Geological History

• Did You Know...

• Hidden Geology

• Mini-Environments

  Sandia Mountains

• Ecological Profiles Of Albuquerque's Open Spaces

  • Mountain Uplands
  • Mountain Lowlands
  • Alluvial Fans
  • Volcanic
  • Sand Plains
  • Valley Sides and Terraces
  • River

  • Valley Flood Plains

• Fitting The Pieces Together

• The Rio Grande Nature Center

• Experiencing Albuquerque's Open Space: Aesthetics and Ethics

• Eye Opener Worksheet/Activities

  • Eye Opener Worksheet 1 - Getting to Know a Habitat
  • Eye Opener Activities 1
  • Additional Activities 1

  • Activities for the Senses and Sensibilities 1

• The Natural Environment - Bibliography

• Suggested Trips for Exploring Albuquerque's Natural Environment

(Up to Welcome, Back to What Lies Ahead?, On to Climate and Weather)

Copyright © 2008, Friends of Albuquerque's Environmental Story