Riverside Nature Center of Animas Park

Sponsored by the Farmington Museum, The Nature Center is the place to go for activities such as bird and wildlife watching, and to learn about the natural history of the area.

Hours of Operation

Hours: Sat 9am-5pm
Sun 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Programs for groups Tues. through Fri. by arrangement.

(505) 599-1422

Every Tuesday
Bird Watching
Riverside Nature Center
8 :30-10:30 am
Education Specialist Donna Thatcher and the Tuesday Birders take a guided bird walk through Animas and Berg parks. Call 599-1422 for more information.

The Currents Museum store at Riverside Nature Center. The store stocks unique, nature-themed gifts, from jewelry to books to fetishes. All proceeds from the store are used to fund exhibits and programs at the Nature Center.

Wildlife
There is a wide variety of wildlife to be found along the Animas River corridor. Common mammal species include Mule Deer, Beaver, and Rabbits. Farmington's River Corridor is also a great place for birders, with numerous species of ducks, geese and other migratory birds taking a needed rest along the rivers wooded banks.

Prehistoric Peoples
The Animas also supplied a reliable source of water to the area's prehistoric peoples. The River was very important to the Basketmaker and Anasazi peoples, who inhabited the area from about A.D. 1 to A.D. 1300. The Aztec Ruins national monument, located some 15 miles east of Farmington on the north bank of the river, is an excellent example of the towns that the Anasazi built.

Animas River Geology
The upper and lower portions of the Animas have very different geologic character. In the Animas Canyon reach, the bedrock is Precambrian in age, very resistant to weathering, and supplies a small amount of sediment to the Animas River. The Animas River is highly incised and flows rapidly through the Animas Canyon reach transporting sediments with little addition to the bed sediments from the tributaries.

In contrast, in the lower reaches, the Animas River has formed a wide flood plain on glacial terraces, and it flows in wide, meandering courses containing numerous oxbow lakes. In the lower Animas River reach, the bedrock consists of Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Tertiary sedimentary rocks that are much more readily weathered.