The conservation work Truchas Chapter has done on northern New Mexico’s cold-water streams doesn’t happen from behind a desk. It happens on the ground — boots in the mud, post-pounder in hand, willow whips stacked and ready. This spring and fall, we have three opportunities for you to be part of that work firsthand.
All three events are overnight trips into some of the most beautiful and ecologically significant terrain in the region. All meals are provided. Space is limited on each. Pre-registration is required.
April 28–29 | Exclosure Repair & Willow Planting, Chihuahueños Creek (Jemez Mountains)
Chihuahueños Creek sits on the north side of the Jemez Mountains, a long drive from anywhere — which is exactly why it still holds a viable population of native Rio Grande cutthroat trout. TU has been working to restore both the creek and its cutthroat population, and that work depends on maintaining the livestock exclosures that protect riparian vegetation from grazing pressure.
This trip is a two-day overnight. On Day 1, volunteers will caravan to the site, hike approximately two miles round-trip to the exclosures, and make repairs. Day 2 brings willow planting inside the exclosures — a critical step in stabilizing streambanks and improving habitat for cutthroat. The site tour alone is worth the drive.
What to bring: Your own camping gear. All meals provided by TU.
Questions? Email project manager Juliet Smith at [email protected]
Full event details and registration →
May 30–31 | Willows & Wild Trout Volunteer Trip, Rio San Antonio
Now in its fourth year, this beloved event combines two of the better ways to spend a late-May weekend in northern New Mexico: restoring a cutthroat trout stream in the morning, and fishing it in the afternoon.
The Rio San Antonio — located west of San Antonio Mountain, off of 285 (not the San Antonio in the Jemez) — is home to Rio Grande cutthroat trout and has been a focus of TU’s riparian restoration efforts. Volunteers will plant willows along the streambank each morning to improve cover and bank stability, then pick up fly rods for an afternoon on the water. Camp is set above the river, and carpooling from the highway is available for those without AWD or 4WD vehicles.
This one sells itself.
What to bring: Your own camping tent and gear. All meals provided by TU (and possibly supplemented by volunteers who find the brown trout willing).
Questions? Email project manager Juliet Smith at [email protected]
Full event details and registration →
September 20–21 | Exclosure Repair & Restoration Tour, Chihuahueños Creek (Jemez Mountains)
We return to Chihuahueños Creek in the fall for another round of exclosure maintenance — and this trip adds something special: a full restoration tour of TU’s work in the area.
On Day 1, volunteers will caravan to the north side of the Jemez, hike to the exclosures, make repairs, and camp for the night. Day 2 features a shuttle-assisted hike of approximately four miles back through the full length of the restoration project — a rare chance to see the scope of what TU and its partners have built, from the headwaters down. For anyone who wants to understand what hands-on conservation actually looks like across a watershed, this trip delivers.
What to bring: Your own camping gear. All meals provided by TU.
Questions? Email project manager Juliet Smith at [email protected]
Full event details and registration →
Why It Matters
Rio Grande cutthroat trout occupy only a fraction of their historic range. Every exclosure that holds, every willow that takes root, every streambank that stabilizes represents a tangible gain for a species that can’t afford to lose much more ground. These trips put you directly in the middle of that work — in country that most people never see, alongside TU staff and fellow volunteers who care deeply about these waters.
All three events have limited space. If you’re interested, register soon.
Questions about any of these events? Contact project manager Juliet Smith at [email protected].
