Sandia mountain natural history center

The Sandia Mountain Natural History Center (SMNHC) is owned by Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) and run by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science along with APS.

It is located in Cedar Crest, New Mexico and has provided environmental education programming on-site since 1967. In 1971, the SMNHC was named a National Environmental Education Landmark by the National Park Service. It received an Environmental Excellence Award for Environmental Education in 1998.

More recently, the SMNHC was recognized as Outstanding Environmental Education Organization for 2019 by Environmental Education New Mexico.

SMNHC educators lead Ecology Field Programs for all 5th graders in APS, Rio Rancho Public Schools, and other area schools.

During their program, students go for a hike in the mountains, learn about and explore the components and connections in the ecosystem, and carry out hands-on activities aligned with Next Generation Science Standard