Asombro Institute for Science Education

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Asombro Institute for Science Education

The Asombro Institute for Science Education's mission is to increase natural science literacy. Please email [email protected] to learn more.

The Asombro Institute for Science Education’s mission is to increase natural science literacy through engaging, place-based education. Asombro provides innovative science programs to over 22,000 K-12 students annually in classrooms, schoolyards, and at their outdoor classroom, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park. Asombro also hosts teacher workshops throughout the year to provide teachers with the k

nowledge, lesson plans, and tools to engage their students in data-driven lessons focused on the southwestern United States. The Asombro Institute also owns the 935-acre gem, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, which they use for field trips and public events. The park is open to the public free of charge year-round Tuesday through Sunday, 7am to 5pm. Three dog-friendly loop hiking trails (one of which is paved and ADA accessible), native flora and fauna, and a stunning view of the Organ and Doña Ana Mountains ensures that your family will have a blast. Bring a picnic, plenty of water, and enjoy all the Chihuahuan Desert has to offer at the Nature Park. Interested in volunteering with Asombro at the park or in the classroom? The Asombro Institute for Science Education is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

08/26/2026

We are very excited to be back in the classroom this school year! Right now, 8th graders around Las Cruces are learning about magnets, magnetic fields, and how animals use them to navigate. 🧲🧭🐦
In this lesson, students visit two stations to explore how birds may use Earth’s magnetic field to navigate.
At one station, students act as Black chinned hummingbirds migrating towards Mexico in the fall. These tiny birds have crystals of magnetite in their beaks and scientists think that these structures may help them detect Earth’s magnetic field. Students used large magnets to explore magnetic forces and ‘feel’ their way to Puerto Vallarta.
At the second station, students act as Sandhill Cranes migrating from Canada to Mexico. These birds have special proteins, called cryptochromes, in the retinas of their eye. These cryptochromes are sensitive to light, and scientist think they may alter what a bird sees in response to magnetic fields. At this station students use bird vision masks to ‘see’ the way.
More learning, more questions, and more science fun ahead!

08/12/2026

August 14th is World Lizard Day!🦎
Did you know that our Chihuahuan Desert has the highest diversity of lizards of any North American desert? Over 90 species of lizards have been documented in our desert, and our Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park is a great place to go observe many of our native lizards in their natural habitat.
Whether spotting a whiptail lizard dashing across the trails, or rock camouflaged horned lizards, or a spectacular earless lizards basking on a rock that rivals the beautiful desert blooms, you will normally have a good chance of spotting lizards while enjoying our hiking trails.
Check out the link in the comments to view all the local lizard photos from observers at our iNaturalist project within our nature park so far.
Here are a few those photos you can enjoy and share the wonder of our reptilian neighbors with others.

08/06/2026

We are excited to be awarded a STEM Action Grant from Society for Science.
This grant will support Asombro by funding 40 lessons in the classroom this school year.
The STEM Action Grants program supports innovative mission-driven nonprofit organizations working to enhance scientific understanding by creating opportunities for their communities to engage in STEM.
We're looking forward to another school year filled with curiosity, discovery and hands-on learning!

07/29/2026

The summer rains in the desert have started at last! While many people call these rains “the monsoon,” the term monsoon actually means a seasonal shift in winds that can cause either a very wet or a very dry season. It comes from the Arabic word for seasons (mawsim).

If you want to track rain totals or see other nearly real-time weather data from the Nature Park, visit the Dona Ana County Flood Commission website. The weather station near the Nature Park parking lot tracks temperature, humidity, wind speed, rain accumulation, and more and then transmits the data to the website.

Based on these data, you can see that our total rain for the year surpassed 5 inches on July 20. Last year, we didn’t hit 5 inches until September 6. In 2024, we never got to 5 inches since our total rain for the whole year was only 4.48 inches.

Have fun exploring the data and also going outside to enjoy the rain! 🌧

07/16/2026

Last month our staff was thrilled to spend time with such passionate educators at our recent Agrivoltaics: Engineering Sustainable Solutions to Food and Energy Production teacher workshop in Los Lunas, New Mexico.
Together, we explored new ideas, shared experiences, and discovered practical hands-on ways to connect agriculture and science with students in engaging, real-world ways. Seeing educators learn from one another and leave inspired is exactly why we do this work.
A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful hosts at the Agricultural Science Center for your generosity, hospitality, and partnership. Your support helped make this workshop a memorable and impactful experience for everyone involved.
Thank you to all the teachers who joined us! We can't wait to see how you'll bring these new activities into your classrooms! ⚡🌱☀️

07/06/2026

Lately at Asombro’s outdoor classroom, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park: Graham’s Fishhook Cacti are shouting their presence with pink crowns of flowers; the male Greater Earless Lizards have their breeding colors on; butterflies like this Queen are roaming the arroyos; and horned lizards are feasting on the plentiful ants!

Summer park hours are 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Tuesday – Sunday, so you can beat the heat and enjoy the effects of the recent rains.

06/12/2026

Join us at the Fountain Theatre in Mesilla next Wednesday or Thursday (June 17 & 18) for the screening of Granite Rapids Moon. Tell them Asombro sent you and a portion of their sales will go to our programming!

This film is the first narrative feature to shoot the majority of its footage inside the Grand Canyon. Check out the trailer in the comment below ⬇️

At the screening, the group will be asked for a show of hands for those who heard about the event from Asombro, so be sure to raise them high! 🤚🏼

05/27/2026

Calling all middle school teachers - due to a few cancellations, we now have 5 spots open for our FREE agrivoltaics workshop on Wednesday, June 24th in Los Lunas!

You'll receive training on three NGSS-aligned lessons that focus on agriculture and technology in the southwest, along with a complete class kit to teach those lessons AND a $100 stipend for attending.

Follow the QR code to apply, or click the link in the comment below ⬇️

05/22/2026

Asombro is proud to have just received a Trails+ Grant from the NM Outdoor Recreation Division.

We’ll use these funds to add a large shade structure over our new amphitheater at our outdoor classroom, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park. This will create an even more welcoming and comfortable space for visitors of all ages to learn about and enjoy the desert.

Find the link to the press release in the comment below.

04/24/2026

is here! Today, your donation can make a big difference.

Tell your friends and family members how their donation today can go to Asombro's innovative science programs, like our Desert Data Jam competition that just wrapped up this week. This amazing competition had 43 projects submitted by 7th graders from 5 Las Cruces schools including the projects pictured here. Donations like yours make events like this possible.

Visit the provided website and make a donation to us and/or to any of the great participating nonprofit organizations in Southern New Mexico. All giving will end at 11:59PM tonight, so make sure to get your gift in on time!

On behalf of the thousands of students we serve each year, thank you in advance for your generosity to our organization!

Address

E College St
Las Cruces, NM
88005

Telephone

+15755243334

Website

http://www.asombro.org/

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