New Mexico’s Wildlife West Nature Park, Edgewood’s wildlife preserve holds its Wildlife Festival on Saturday, June 15, 2013. 

Wildlife West’s zoo is the home of Koshari, a 500 pound black bear. In addition to Koshari, the festival offers the opportunity for the community to learn about 24 other species of wildlife that are native to New Mexico, providing tours that are scheduled to start each hour.    

The refuge has also created a place where people can see Mexican Wolves in their natural habitat. Albuquerque filmmaker and conservationist, Elke Duerr is expected to be a guest presenter, speaking about Mexican wolves in the wild.

More smoke is expected from the Tres Lagunas fire near Pecos in Northern New Mexico.

Officials say residents will see an increase in the next few days due to maintenance efforts. Firefighters plan to burn an area to clear unburned fuel, and the fire management team says that will increase smoke in the early afternoons and early evenings along the fire's east side.

 “We are prepping by thinning out vegetation in the southeast corner, but we won’t light anything if winds are bad, or if moisture is too low,” said Dick Fleischman of the U.S. Forest Service.

On Saturday, April 27th at 9 a.m., volunteers are needed to help plant the Community Garden in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill Pocket Park.

The garden, constructed in part from recycled materials, looks to produce fruits and vegetables for the community. Volunteers are needed for things like planting seeds, removing trash, as well as helping with the park’s irrigation.

Land owner Rob Strell, the City of Albuquerque and Nob Hill Main Street are working to create the area with very little in the way of public funds.

Students from the nearby Media Arts Collaborative Charter School will be documenting the revitalization of Albuquerque’s historic Nob Hill community on film.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring gardening gloves and a hand trowel. The garden and park, is on the corner of Silver and Morningside. For more information, please visit rt66central.com.