NMWC NEWS RELEASE

Hawks Aloft, Desert Willow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, New Mexico Wildlife Center, and the New Mexico Department of Wildlife are partnering to host the New Mexico Wildlife Conference. The Inaugural New Mexico Wildlife Conference will take place at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center on November 6 and 7, 2026.

More than 30 wildlife professionals will present research on wildlife populations and lecture on rehabilitation techniques. A full day of concurrent workshops will be followed by a day of scientific presentations, featuring speakers from New Mexico and Colorado universities, tribal nations, and governmental agencies. Dr. Brian Millsap, the keynote speaker, will present data on the population status of North American raptors, including new data on the Prairie Falcon.

On Friday, hands-on workshops are accessible for all levels, from basic skills for beginners to wound care for experienced rehabilitators. Emerging concerns around zoonotic diseases such as New World Screwworm will be addressed through lectures and labs, as well as the ethics of euthenasia and the realities of compassion fatigue.

Saturday’s presentations will share insights into the management of Bighorn Sheep, Mexican Spotted Owls, and Mexican Wolves. Wildlife biologists will also provide examples of conservation and monitoring projects with tribal partners such as the Pueblo of Santa Ana, the Navajo nation, and Mescalero Apache, as well long-term avian surveys of the Jemez Mountains and the Valles Caldera.

New Mexico wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians will have the opportunity to earn continuing education credits. For more information and to register for the conference, visit https://hawksaloft.org/nm-wildlife-conference-workshop-and-symposium/

About Hawks Aloft: Based in Albuquerque, Hawks Aloft works to conserve indigenous
wild birds and their habitats through avian research, conservation education, raptor
rescue, and cooperation with other organizations.

About Desert Willow Wildlife Rehabilitation: Located in Carlsbad, Desert Willow
provides care to injured and orphaned native wildlife while also educating the public
about the importance of wildlife to our ecosystem and livelihood.

About New Mexico Wildlife Center: Nestled in the high desert outside Española, New
Mexico Wildlife Center is the only wildlife rescue staffed with a full-time veterinarian. It
also serves as a premier family-focused destination to learn about native wildlife. Each
year the Center admits around a thousand injured and orphaned wild animals, treating
them with the goal of returning them to the wild, while educating the public about the
species with whom New Mexicans share the land.

About the New Mexico Department of Wildlife: The mission of the New Mexico
Department of Wildlife is to conserve, regulate, propagate and protect the wildlife and
fish within the state of New Mexico using a flexible management system that ensures
sustainable use for public food supply, recreation and safety; and to provide for
off-highway motor vehicle recreation that recognizes cultural, historic, and resource
values while ensuring public safety.