JEMEZ SPRINGS — Valles Caldera National Preserve, in partnership with Los Amigos de Valles Caldera and the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, is celebrating the National Park Service centennial anniversary with free entry from Aug. 25-28 and a special event 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27.

Visitors on Saturday can participate in the preserve’s “BioBlitz” where citizen-scientists of all ages can help the NPS discover and document the plants and animals that call the preserve home.  

Los Amigos de Valles Caldera, the preserve’s friends group, will sponsor a variety of family-oriented activities, including live birds and reptiles from the Española Wildlife Center from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., face painting 1-2:30 p.m., and plein air painting demonstrations 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The highlight of the Los Amigos sponsored events will be a live musical performance from Grammy award winning Black Eagle 1:30-3 p.m. 

The New Mexico Wildlife Federation and the New Mexico Youth Conservation Foundation are supporting the centennial celebration with a youth camping event and sportsman’s summit. More information about these events can be found at www.nmwildlife.org.

About Valles Caldera National Preserve

About 1.25 million years ago, a spectacular volcanic eruption created the approximately 13-mile wide circular depression now known as the Valles Caldera. Located in the heart of the Jemez Mountains in north-central New Mexico, the preserve features huge mountain meadows, abundant wildlife, and meandering streams. The area also preserves the homeland of ancestral native peoples and embraces a rich ranching history. Visit us at www.nps.gov/vall.

About the National Park Service

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 412 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebookwww.facebook.com/ nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/ natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/ nationalparkservice.