When a child catches their first trout, or sees an eagle take flight, or explores a backcountry trail, they light up, they learn something new, they connect. But it's not always easy to get outside-it might seem far, unfamiliar, or there's just not enough time in the day. That's where Nature Niños comes in! We are here to be your outdoor learning team. We take the guesswork out of getting outside so families-across generations-can access and explore the outdoors alongside a family-focused, professional team.
Nature Niños was created in 2019 as a youth initiative within the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and in 2024, after a tremendous amount of growth and expansion across the state, is in the process of seeking it's own 501(c)(3) status as a standalone organization. Nature Niños is an entry point to the outdoors for all those that find themselves with "nature nerves." We expand access to the outdoors, share all it has to offer, and invite youth and families who might not readily access the outdoors into a safe, inclusive, and welcoming community where we build skills and grow the next generation of conservationists, land stewards, and recreationalists. We spend time introducing youth to their eco-identity through the visual arts, music, theater, spoken word and other mediums while encouraging their creativity and personal expression.
Please visits our Programs Page to see all the amazing opportunities that Nature Niños is offering for our New Mexico youth from PreK thru High School.
We are honored to continue growing alongside you and your children. This summer we are excited to co-host fly fishing clinics, hiking opportunities, and other fun outdoor events. Take a look at the flyer below. All events will be listed on our socials closer to the date.
Nature Niños is embarking on a new journey as our own 501(c)(3) organization! Since 2019, we've thrived under the wing of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, and now we're ready to soar independently.
We're deeply grateful for the continued community support and partnerships that have fueled our mission of connecting youth and families with nature....
The morning's moody weather did not deter the ITO's class from their first spring hike! Hand warmers kept them motivated as they rock-crawled up the granite faces and our niños sure didn't shy away from a challenge. In fact, many of them sought out the craggier path to scale.
Join us Saturday, April 27th at @santafebrewing for their annual Spring Runoff! Not only will this be a fun event, but 1/3 of the proceeds will be donated directly to Nature Niños to support our outdoor programming year-round. Don't miss out on a chance to enjoy good drinks, outdoor activities, awesome friends, & contribute to a great cause!
Another fun day learning with our niños. We spent some riverside time turning over logs to find isopods like rollie pollies and also noticed spring 🕷️🕷️ are starting to emerge!
The goal of this project was to identify the best practices to effectively engage youth and their families in hunting and angling - focusing on communities not historically involved in these activities. Our team compiled the leading strategies in youth engagement utilizing a mixed-methods approach. This included identifying educational frameworks from the leading organizations in outdoor education, conducting a literature review to understand what peer-reviewed research existed, and hosting three listening sessions with partner organizations within, and beyond, our AFWA region that are either implementing hunting and angling programming or other outdoor programming. Many barriers were identified throughout our research including cost, transportation, adult supervision, and the community perception of hunting and angling.
Click HERE to read the full report.
Click HERE to access the How-to-Guide
NMWF implemented potential solutions to many of the identified barriers to create positive social-cultural experiences for participants, such as presenting an array of interests to provide various access points to outdoor activity, creating strong community partnerships, communicating safety guidelines clearly within our programs, and marketing our programs directly in and for the communities we are serving. The Nature Ninos program utilized these findings to release the research report "Engaging Marginalized Youth in Hunting and Angling: Identified Best Practices and Opportunities," the action guide "Breaking the Barriers to Nature: A How to Guide for Engaging Marginalized Youth in Outdoor Programming," and host the "Outdoor Adventure Summer Camp" to serve over 300 youth during the summer of 2022. This camp invited youth typically not engaged in the outdoors to meet community mentors in conservation who introduced them to activities such as angling, archery, pellet gun shooting, bird dogs, wilderness first aid, foraging, field-to-table cooking, water conservation, nature photography, nature journaling, and so much more!
