Our evening programs have resumed! Program meetings starting in February 2025 are held at Unitarian Universalist Church, 107 West Barcelona Road, Santa Fe.

Save these dates for upcoming meetings:
Wed. Sept. 10
Wed. Oct. 8
Wed. Nov. 12

Details will be posted when available. 

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 — 7:00 pm

Unitarian Universalist Church

107 West Barcelona Road, Santa Fe

Valles Caldera National Preserve is one of New Mexico’s natural gems, but it is also a landscape in recovery. A ranger from the National Park Service will speak about the restoration work undertaken since 2015 to improve animal habitat, create healthier and more resilient forests, restore watersheds, and protect endangered species; and will also discuss management plans for Valles Caldera’s future, including exciting developments in the park’s education and interpretation division.

Shayne R. Halter, UNM Department of Biology

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 — 7:00 pm

Unitarian Universalist Church

Hummingbirds use energy at extremely high rates, especially during migrations. To survive these long trips, they must maintain adequate amounts of body fat for fuel. Shayne’s research investigates how four species of hummingbirds balance their energy levels, as they transit the arid landscapes of the American Southwest. He combines measurements from feathers, body fat, and metabolism, to map migration and energy budgets, to determine how hummingbirds adjust for energy shortfalls. His emphasis is on how hummingbirds use nocturnal torpor to conserve fat during migrations. This research will help us assess hummingbird health and develop conservation measures, as climate and land-use change make food resources less predictable in the Southwest.

Shayne Halter was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and moved to Castle Rock, Colorado in his early teens. At Metropolitan State University of Denver he earned a BS in Aerospace Science, and spent over 20 years in the US Air Force as a navigator in C-130 Hercules aircraft. After retirement, he took classes at the University of New Mexico, earning a BS in Anthropology and MS in Biology. Shayne is currently completing a Ph.D. in Biology, with Dr. Blair Wolf. Shayne focuses on animal physiology and how animals cope with extremes in temperature and food supply. His recreational pastimes include skiing, mountain biking, camping, hiking, and birding.

CANCELLED due to illness — will be rescheduled
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 — 7:00 pm