Upcoming Events
The Nature Discovery Program is made possible through the generous support of Hunt Communities
Private Youth Group Presentation
Frontera will be presenting about our mission and opportunities for youth to get involved in free outdoor recreation and environmental education activities with our organization.
Private Trail Maintenance Day at Knapp Land
Private volunteer day to clean up portions of the Mule Deer trail that have unfortunately been used as a dumping site, endangering the ecosystem and trail users alike.
Thank you to the Cielo Vista Apple store team for taking the time out of their schedule to help us steward our open spaces!
Mother's Day Trail Restoration Event
Calling everyone who loves our Mother Earth!
We’re hosting a special trail workday to celebrate Mother’s Day. We’re inviting the community, all of us children of our Mother Earth, to join us at 9019 Virgo Ln. where we will work together to restore portions of the Knapp Canyon trail.
The workday will involve a moderate ¾ mile hike to the work site, where we will use McLeod’s and pick-mattocks to improve the trail path. Tools, gloves and snacks will be provided.
All participants are advised to bring sturdy closed-toed shoes, sun protection and water bottles.
RSVP today by emailing openspace@fronteralandalliance.org and show us how much you love our Mother!
PBS Be My Neighbor Day
Frontera will join local organizations to share about our work with El Paso families at this fun family-friendly event! There will be hands-on activities, giveaways, and fun for all ages.
Homeschool Group Jr. Explorer Guided Hike
Frontera staff will lead a guided hike and Jr. Explorer program for local home school families. The Jr. Explorer program connects hands-on activities at our nature preserves with academic reading and writing prompts. Participants will earn an exclusive Lost Dog patch! While all ages are welcome, Jr. Explorer is geared toward ages 6-11. Be sure to bring sunscreen, hats, and other sun protection. Note that there are no restroom facilities at Lost Dog. Please RSVP with Project Manager Abigail Minor at programs@fronteralandalliance.org or 706-318-1922.
Career Presentations at Hillside Elementary
Frontera staff will present to students at Hillside Elementary School about careers in conservation and our mission.
El Paso Zoo BugFest
BugFest at the zoo will feature special hands-on activities, presentations, and more! The main goal of this event is to encourage people to connect with, learn about, and appreciate bugs. Fun for the whole family! Stop by Frontera’s table to do an activity all about insect life cycles! Please note that the zoo does charge admission. Go to www.elpasozoo.org to find out more.
Career Day at Charles Middle School
Frontera staff will share about careers with our organization and in the conservation field at a career day at Charles Middle School.
Desert Discovery Camps
Calling all 11-114 year olds for a FREE STEAM camp at Franklin Mountains State Park! Spend the week hiking, exploring, and doing cool projects incorporating science and art. Camp session 3 takes place June 8-12, Monday-Friday from 8 AM-12:30 PM. Pre-register for camp here!
Desert Discovery Camps
Calling all 11-114 year olds for a FREE STEAM camp at Franklin Mountains State Park! Spend the week hiking, exploring, and doing cool projects incorporating science and art. Camp session 3 takes place June 8-12, Monday-Friday from 8 AM-12:30 PM. Pre-register for camp here!
Family Program at Dorris Van Doren Branch of El Paso Public Library
Join the El Paso Public Library this summer for the annual Summer Reading Program! This year’s theme: Unearthing A Good Story! Frontera will connect reading to real world experiences with hands-on bones, pelts, and animal tracks for the kiddos to touch and investigate. Free and open to all families!
Family Program at Irving Schwartz Branch of El Paso Public Library
Join the El Paso Public Library for their annual Summer Reading Program! This year’s theme: Unearthing A Good Story! Frontera staff will connect reading to real world experiences through a hands-on activity incorporating geology and animal tracks! Free and open to all families.
Private Home School Presentation
Frontera staff will present for a private home school group about our organization’s mission, work, and opportunities for youth to get involved, such as through our Desert Discovery Camps.
Earth Day at the El Paso Zoo
The El Paso Zoo is hosting a day full of fun and learning about endangered species to celebrate Earth Day! Frontera will be managing a table to share all about the Radiated Tortoise. We hope to see you there!
Tickets required. Go to www.elpasozoo.org to plan your visit.
City Nature Challenge at Lost Dog
Frontera staff will be out at Lost Dog to help you get started with the City Nature Challenge! Join Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Master Naturalists, the Nature Conservancy, the Audubon Society, and many others in a fun challenge to see which city can document the most species during April 24-27, 2026. It is easy to participate by making observations using the iNaturalist app. With the iNaturalist app, you just take a picture of a plant or animal, and the community will help identify which species it is.
Be sure to bring water, sturdy tennis shoes/hiking shoes, and a device to take photos, such as a mobile phone or tablet.
Guided Hike for City Nature Challenge at Knapp Land
Help El Paso beat other cities in the City Nature Challenge! Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to take photos of wild plants, animals, fungi, and more, between April 24 and April 27! Learn more and kick off this year’s Challenge with Frontera staff at Knapp Land Nature Preserve on April 24 at 8:30 AM. The group will meet at the back entrance of Knapp (Virgo Ln & Swanson Dr). Street parking is available, but please be sure not to block driveways. Bring hats, sunscreen, and other sun protection.
Photos will be uploaded here: City Nature Challenge 2026: El Paso · iNaturalist. iNaturalist can be downloaded as a free mobile app for iOS or Android, or via the website on a computer.
Earth Day at Vista Del Sol Environmental Science Academy
Frontera staff will be at Vista Del Sol Environmental Science Academy to share a hands-on activity with elementary school students. We will connect students’ love of animals with Earth Day and our mission of land preservation and its benefits for wildlife.
Private Volunteer Event @ Resler Canyon
Private volunteer workday with Helen of Troy at Resler Canyon.
EPCC Valle Verde Campus Terra Week Career Expo
Come learn about different careers related to conservation as we celebrate Terra Week at EPCC! Be sure to stop by Frontera’s booth to find out more about our work and how you can get involved!
EPCC Valle Verde Campus (919 Hunter Dr.) in the AST Flexitorium, Rm 150
Hike-A-Thon Series at Knapp Land Nature Preserve
Partnering with Live Active! El Paso, The Frontera Land Alliance is hosting and leading a community hike at Knapp Land Nature Preserve from the main trailhead, meeting place at the dead end of Mountain View and Zircon Dr.
Let’s enjoy some community building while getting our steps in on this in and out trail that boasts some serious elevation gain—a moderate hike on rocky ground. Wear sturdy footwear, weather appropriate clothing and bring plenty of water.
See you out there!
UTEP Earth Summit at UTEP Geology Lawn
Stop by Frontera’s booth at this free event with the theme “Our People, Our Planet”! There will be lots of groups sharing their mission and work as it relates to geosciences and Earth Day.
Guided Hike at Hueco Tanks State Park
Join Frontera staff and park interpreter Wendy Diaz to learn more about Hueco Tanks! Plan to bring plenty of water and wear sturdy tennis shoes or hiking shoes, sunscreen, and a hat. Registration is required — follow this page or our social media for info about how to sign up.
Environmental Services Department Earth Day Fair
Come out and visit our booth at the City of El Paso Municipal Center, 7968 San Paulo Dr! There will be lots of booths from different organizations at this family-friendly event to help you get ready for Earth Day!
Trail Workday! Erosion Control at Knapp Land
Roll up your sleeves and get ready for a trail workday!
5-6 volunteers needed to assist our Open Space Manager Marissa by fixing damage to the Knapp Canyon Trail and reinforcing the trail walkway. There will be a ½ mile hike to the work site.
Please bring plenty of water, sun protection and sturdy closed toed shoes. We will provide the gloves, tools and snacks!
Please RSVP by emailing openspace@fronteralandalliance.org today!
Cooking with Native Plants Demonstration
In collaboration with Milpitas del Norte and the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition, Frontera will have an informational table during a cooking presentation involving locally foraged edible plants. All are invited to attend.
Join us as we learn about how to prepare dishes using our native onion and find out more about each of our organizations and how you can get involved!
Meeting place will be at the Franklin Mountain State Park interpretive building, 2900 Tom Mays Park Access Rd, El Paso TX 79911.
Private Home School Event at Lost Dog
Staff will host a private Jr. Explorer event and guided hike for a homeschool group.
Full Moon Fiesta
⭐🌕 Are you ready for an out of this world FUN time?! We can’t wait to host our Full Moon Fiesta! Mark your calendars to join us starting at 6:00p.m. on April 4th for hands-on activities, guided evening hikes, and more! Once the sun goes down we will have the opportunity to gaze at the night sky through our local astronomers’ telescopes!✨🌌
Rescue Runners 915 Dog Walking at Lost Dog
In collaboration with Westside Adoption Center, volunteers will help shelter dogs by taking them for a walk at Lost Dog Trailhead. Registration required.
***Registration full!***
Presentations at Capt. Walter E. Clarke Middle School
Frontera staff will educate 7th graders about predators and prey and their roles in our desert environment.
Nature Therapy Hike
At the Museum of Archeology Museum The Frontera Land Alliance is hosting a Nature Therapy Hike. And be sure to stop by the sensory booth as well to find other ways to relax.
Private Homeschool Event at Knapp Land
Private trail day event with homeschool group at Knapp Land Nature Preserve.
UTEP Water Week Kickoff Celebration
Frontera will host a booth at this event at UTEP, where the theme will be Water and Gender. Come on out to celebrate World Water Week and learn about the importance of our freshwater resources!
Cacti Rescue at Knapp Land
Join us at the dead end of Mountain View and Zircon Dr. as we take cuttings from various cacti on the property in order to transplant them on a restoration area at a later date.
Please wear sturdy footwear, weather appropriate clothing and bring plenty of water. We will provide tools, gloves and snacks. See you out there!
Maryknoll Monarch Initiative Event
The Frontera Land Alliance will host a table to share about our mission at this event.
Dr. Saroj Dhital: “The Work of Greening the Chihuahuan Desert”
Saturday, March 21, 2026 at St. Luke’s Parish Hall, 930 Redd Rd
9:30 AM 11:30 AM
The northern Chihuahuan Desert has undergone rapid landscape change, including loss of native vegetation, woody plant encroachment, expansion of agriculture, and new dust sources. These changes resulted in increased dust activities and accelerated land degradation. Recently, the region has witnessed frequent severe dust storms, affecting regional air quality, human health, dryland ecosystems, and socio-economic conditions of the people living in the US-Mexico borderlands. In Spring (March-May) 2025, an unusually large number of dust events formed in the northern Chihuahuan Desert, with a frequency of dust storms in El Paso, Texas, not experienced since the 1930s Dust Bowl. This talk will address how to understand the drivers of recent frequent dust events across the Chihuahuan Desert by factors such as regional agricultural expansion and perennial cover combined with the strong winds of Spring 2025 resulted in frequent severe dust events. A call to cross-border coordination is needed urgently to mitigate future dust events, associated hazards over downwind communities, and to make sustainable drylands.
Dr. Saroj Dhital is a Research Scientist, at New Mexico State University. He does research on land cover change, dust emissions and transport processes, and their impacts. He holds a PhD, Atmospheric Science, University of Nevada, Reno.
Trail Workday at Lost Dog
Join our Open Space Department as we work to restore an eroded portion of the Lost Dog trail system. We will begin with a short hike to the work site followed by using hand tools to restore and smooth the trail where water, time and wind have worn it away.
All participants will be asked to sign a waiver prior to starting. Please wear sturdy footwear, appropriate weather protection and bring plenty of water. Snacks and gloves will be provided.
See you out there!
Trail Clean-Up at Knapp Land Nature Preserve
Join us at Knapp Land Nature Preserve, meeting place 9019 Virgo Ln, to clean up the Arroyo Loop trail of built-up debris and trash from recent years.
We will provide the clean up supplies, snacks and tools—you provide your passion and dedication to stewarding our spaces! Waivers will be presented to all participants prior to the event.
Please wear weather appropriate clothing, sturdy footwear and bring your own water bottle.
See you out there!
Hike-A-Thon Kickoff at Resler Canyon!
Partnering with Live Active! El Paso, The Frontera Land Alliance will host and lead the kickoff event for this year’s Hike-A-Thon!
Meeting at the Resler Canyon trailhead at the Cadiz dead end, we will hike the two mile trail loop around the property, enjoying a beautiful morning of community togetherness and being active!
Please wear sturdy footwear, weather appropriate clothing and bring plenty of water. See you out there!
Guided Hike at Resler Canyon
Join guest expert Scott Cutler for a guided hike to learn all about the flora and fauna of Resler Canyon! Be sure to bring water, sunscreen, sunglasses, sunhat, layers, sturdy shoes, and a snack. RSVP coming soon.