About Nature Niños New Mexico
Nature Niños' mission is to expand access to the outdoors, share all it has to offer, and invite youth and families who might not readily access the outdoors into a safe, and welcoming community where we build skills and grow the next generation of conservationists, land stewards, and recreationalists.
We are an entry point to the outdoors for all who find themselves with any form of "nature nerves." We provide safe, and welcoming spaces to invite youth and families to make their own connections and memories with nature. Our goal is to introduce and encourage all New Mexicans, of all ages, to explore and enjoy our lands and waters safely and freely. We spend time introducing youth to their eco-identity through the visual arts, music, theater, spoken word and other mediums while encouraging their creativity and personal expression. We expand access to the outdoors, share all it has to offer, and build skills to grow the next generation of conservationists, land stewards, and recreationalists.
The Nature Niños Approach
WE LISTEN we listen deeply to the communities we serve, co-creating place-based outdoor experiences that reflect local culture, needs, and voices
WE PROVIDE we offer inclusive programming that honors community culture and is accessible through free, low-cost, or sliding-scale options to ensure all youth & families can participate
WE PARTNER with schools, teachers, and organizations across New Mexico to expand the horizons of outdoor education and uplift our collective work.
What We Do
Programming
Nature Niños' trusted, professional team offers many free and low-cost opportunities for kids and families including summer camp, day programs, family hikes, and events throughout the year. Together, across generations, we learn to fish, hike, shoot a bow, harvest and eat wild foods, track wild game, nature journal, and so much more. We spend time introducing youth to their eco-identity through the visual arts, music, theater, spoken word and other mediums while encouraging their creativity and personal expression. Whether you're an experienced explorer or new to the outdoors, there is a place that's just right for your family and we're here to help you find it.
School Partnerships
Nature Niños works with New Mexico schools to offer nature and place-based opportunities throughout the school year. These school-time hands-on experiences are expert-guided and age-appropriate. We cover academic standards while also creating memorable adventures, developing social-emotional skills, and connecting students to themselves, each other, and the natural world. Our staff focus on building relationships with the youth to ensure a positive mentorship opportunity in an outdoor setting and guiding youth to start thinking about potential career pathways in conservation. Outdoor education has so many benefits that we'd love to bring to your school!
Teacher Workshops and Professional Development
In response to research, outdoor learning has become a priority for schools, districts, and public education departments across America. In 2021, New Mexico passed legislation in support of outdoor classrooms and professional development. The Nature Niños team has been preparing for this exciting new horizon. As New Mexico's lead for Project Wild, we pair decades of experience in outdoor education focused on public lands with partnerships across the country. We offer workshops, a toolkit, and professional development opportunities for teachers who are interested in developing research-backed skills in a peer-driven community of outdoor educators.
Youth Program Development & Consultation
Although we're headquartered in central New Mexico, our mission is statewide and we are working to provide extension sites throughout the state. We partner with communities and organizations across the state to advance their community-driven visions and plans for youth and family programs that connect the next generation to the outdoors and everything it has to offer.
Visit our Programming page to see all the amazing opportunities that Nature Niños is offering our New Mexico youth, from PreK to High School.
Recognition
Meet the Nature Niños Staff
Nature Niños is a team of staff dedicated to encouraging nature experiences and broadening our youth's knowledge in environmental conservation and preservation.
Sarah Candelaria is an outdoor enthusiast passionate about fishing, camping, hiking, and hunting. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Nature Niños. With a background in conservation work through her previous careers in New Mexico, Sarah merges her love for nature and education in her work.
She holds a Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education and has experience as a NM PreK Consultant, early childhood center director, and public school teacher. Sarah is also pursuing a Master's in Social Work, which strengthens the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) focus of Nature Niños.
Her experience in management, program development, and community engagement, combined with her educational expertise, led her to establish Nature Niños in 2019 to connect underserved youth and their families to the natural world through hands-on, experiential learning opportunities.
Isaiah was born and raised in Las Vegas, NM. Growing up exploring the beautiful landscape of northern NM helped Isaiah connect with the natural world and find his passion in working outdoors. He moved to Albuquerque in 2016 to attend UNM and study Biology.
Isaiah is passionate about connecting youth with experiences only found out in nature. With over 4 years of experience in conservation, he brings expertise in environmental stewardship and outdoor recreation to Nature Niños. Having worked with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, NM State Parks, and the U.S. Forest Service, Isaiah has a strong background in hands-on conservation efforts and youth engagement as a former volunteer with Nature Niños. Dedicated to fostering environmental education and future opportunities in outdoor careers, Isaiah is excited to support the organization's mission of inspiring young explorers to thrive in harmony with nature.
In his free time Isaiah enjoys climbing plastic holds at the climbing gym, boulders out in the foothills, or bird watching in the bosque.
Olivia Martinez
Program Manager
Liv (she/her) is Kickapoo, Pyramid Lake Paiute, and Latina. Born and raised in the South Valley of Albuquerque, NM, she spent her days running around the acequias and beneath the cottonwoods with her siblings and goats. Even in an industrialized community, these moments grounded her and sparked a deep love for nature—one that continues to guide her work today. Many of her core values—community, respect, and reflection—were instilled during her time at the Native American Community Academy, and she carries them with her in everything she does.
Her early experiences with programs like Rocky Mountain Youth Corps and the U.S. Forest Service shaped her love for teaching and connecting young people with the land. After studying at Fort Lewis College and working in early childhood education, Liv joined Nature Niños in 2022 as a Lead Educator. She helped launch the school programming sector, creating space for charter school students to experience the outdoors in meaningful ways.
In 2024, she took on a new challenge with Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps as a Field Supervisor, where she deepened her technical skills—learning to use a chainsaw, earning her Wilderness First Responder certification, and camping throughout the Southwest. During this time, she also served as Board President for Nature Niños.
Now back as Program Manager, Liv leads inclusive outdoor programming for all ages and is especially passionate about community hikes, family adventures, and helping people of all backgrounds connect to public lands.
When she's not on the trail, you'll likely find her beading, painting, lounging in a hammock, or enjoying a paleta under the sun.
Brenda, the Nature Niños
school programming Lead Educator, was born and raised in Santa Fe, NM, and now finds herself in Albuquerque attending UNM. She currently studies Psychology and hopes to pursue her Master's in Social Work. She is extremely passionate about working with the community and the outdoors! Her background has included working with vulnerable populations including unhoused folks, incarcerated folks, and those in substance recovery. Not only has nature been a vital resource for her healing but she has witnessed its healing abilities for those in her community. You will likely find her outdoors climbing, hiking, or at a park with her dog.
Stacey Villalobos
School Programming
Co-Lead Educator
B Stacey Villalobos (they/them/theirs) is a cultural worker and interdisciplinary artist from the San Gorgonio Pass of Southern California with native and ancestral roots in Jalisco, México. They are a queer descendent of immigrants and comes from a lineage of artists, educators and land stewards.
They are developing their work and practice on the ancestral lands of the Tiwa peoples of Albuquerque, New Mexico and holds space for community engagement through their online and in person programs. They are excited to join the Nature Niños team as a Co-Lead Educator.
Over the past 10 years they have had the honor of working with youth and families of color as a community educator, co-facilitated a racial justice program for California desert conservation advocates and supported relational healing and reconciliation efforts in service of Indigenous peoples throughout the West of the United States.
As the founder of Song Dog Relations, they also offer educational programs that are rooted in land, art and connection in the Southwest and beyond.
Rae is a New Mexico native with a passion for the outdoors. They have a bachelor's degree in outdoor education and are currently pursuing a certification in Geographic Information Systems. They have been working in the outdoor education field since 2018 at the college level, in adaptive sports, and at a local high school. Rae loves hiking, tending to their many house plants, and playing with their two cats. You can usually find them listening to an audiobook while on a walk in the bosque.
Melissa Auh Krukar
Community Programming Co-Lead Educator & Curriculum Developer
Melissa Auh Krukar (pronounced "oh crew-car") is a writer, interdisciplinary teacher, and Hispasian homemaker from Albuquerque. For the past fifteen or so years, Melissa has been teaching and learning with kids in various capacities (long-term nanny, teacher, and now mom!). She enjoys cooking, especially the traditional nuevomexicana and Korean recipes her two grandmas have taught her. Melissa's teaching philosophy is rooted in connection before correction, the wild pursuit of curiosity, and of course, love for ourselves, each other, and our land.
Maddy Genero
Assistant Educator
Maddy Genero is an intern educational assistant on our team from Siembra Leadership High School she is excited to be an intern with Nature Niños. She has a passion for volunteer work and teaching young children. She loves art and music, and she's dedicated to educating our youth in the community. Her goal is to pursue a career in therapy for children, and she's eager to gain hands-on experience working with kids. Maddy will be working with our Community & Homeschool program.
Adam C. Okoye
Community Programming Educational Assistant
Adam was born in Ankara, Turkey and spent his formative years living there and in multiple U.S. states. He has traveled to multiple countries and continents, learning much about various cultures and natural life. His education varied from private, public, international, parochial, as well as home schooling. After moving back to Albuquerque, he completed his high school education at Sandia H.S. and obtained an AA degree from Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, NM. His love of nature, prehistoric life and wildlife influenced his choice of college. While at Mesalands he was able to take paleontology and natural science courses as well as participate on dinosaur digs and volunteer at the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum and Natural Science Laboratory. Adam has volunteered at the Albuquerque Biopark, Botanical Gardens, and Aquarium, and has also volunteered and received training from the Valle De Oro Wildlife Refuge. He is an Eagle Scout, and his interests include the outdoors, nature, conservation, paleontology and Anime. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge and educating youth about nature and the preservation of endangered species.
Neil Pino
Communications Coordinator
info@natureninos.org
Neil is a first generation Chilean American, born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is currently pursuing an associate's degree in science at CNM. His background is in business management and education. He enjoys instructing rock climbing, snowboarding, swimming and backpacking. In his free time, he likes to cook at home and spend time with family.
Neil has his Wilderness First Responder certification and is a field member with a local search and rescue team.
Raul Fontes
Community Team Intern
Raul is an outgoing, Siembra Leadership HS student. In his free time, he likes to play games and hang out with his friends. He was born in Mexico, has one brother, and is the youngest in his family. Raul has in interest in STEM and plans on studying architecture and robotics engineering. He will spend 12 weeks with us as an intern with our community team, expanding his outdoor and leadership skills.