Each fall, birds migrate through New Mexico as part of their seasonal journey. September and October are the peak of the migration season, and you can view BirdCast’s real-time estimations and predictions for Santa Fe County here.

Much of this travel occurs under the cover of darkness, and bright lights at night can disorient these birds and lead to collisions. The good news is that some small changes can make a big difference. Minimizing non-essential light between 11 pm and 6 am in September and October can help keep these birds safe during their fall migration (while also potentially lowering your energy bill).

Here are some specific strategies:

• Turn off non-essential outdoor lights at night, especially upward-facing lights.
• Add downward shields on exterior lights to minimize upward glare.
• Install motion sensors and automatic controls where possible.
• Minimize decorative lighting around buildings.
• Turn off interior lights in empty rooms at night, especially on upper floors.
• Close blinds and curtains to reduce light from windows.

You can learn more about the Audubon Lights Out program here.

For those interested in everyday strategies for supporting birds, consider window-collision prevention methods such as screens or decals. Window collisions are one of the leading direct human causes of bird mortality, mainly because birds can’t see glass in the same way people do. Creating barriers or visual clues can help birds recognize that there is a solid object, whether this is through external screens, special glass, or patterns on reflective glass surfaces (quantity and spacing matter: multiple markings 2 to 4 inches apart are recommended). You can learn more about reducing window collisions from this article, which includes links to various resources such as this brochure.

You are invited to join a virtual public engagement session hosted by the Resilient Southwest Building Code Collaborative. These sessions offer an opportunity to learn about this exciting regional effort and to share your perspectives on what matters most to your community.

There are two opportunities to participate. Each session will offer the same information, so you only need to attend one.

Tuesday, September 9

• 12:00 – 1:30 PM AZ (MST)
• 1:00 – 2:30 PM NM (MDT)
• Register here

Tuesday, September 16

• 5:00 – 6:30 PM AZ (MST)
• 6:00 – 7:30 PM NM (MDT)
• Register here

What is this about?

The Collaborative is a partnership of Arizona and New Mexico communities and agencies, along with technical and community-focused organizations operating across the region. The Collaborative is working to develop a set of regional building codes tailored to the unique characteristics and needs of the Southwest – one that supports climate resilience, affordability, and the distinct character of local communities.

Why does it matter?

Building codes set minimum standards for how structures are designed, built, and maintained. They are essential tools for ensuring safety, protecting community health, supporting housing affordability, and fostering resilience to climate-related risks. This regional initiative supports collaboration across Southwestern states, counties, and cities to develop a framework to help address regional challenges through the built environment. The resulting resources will serve as a foundation that individual jurisdictions can choose to adapt and adopt through their own building code processes.

Who should attend?

Southwest residents interested in learning about the Collaborative and sharing perspectives on the impacts of the built environment on their communities.

What can you expect?

• Learn about the Collaborative
• Share input on local priorities, challenges, and community needs
• Learn how building codes impact livability, including affordability and resilience
• Understand the framework guiding building code development
• Understand how the Collaborative’s work differs from local and state building code adoption processes

For general information, please visit the Collaborative’s website and the International Code Council’s primer on building codes.

The Santa Fe County sustainability department is a founding member of the Coalition of Sustainable Communities in New Mexico, which has a mission to develop and implement equitable climate and sustainability solutions and policies in collaboration with local governments and communities across our region. The annual member meeting for the Coalition was recently held in Albuquerque and brought together representatives from local governments throughout New Mexico. Sustainability-focused stakeholders analyzed key strengths and attributes needed for the Coalition's collective success, including measurable impacts, effective communication and influence, collaborative strength and engagement, values and community-centered purpose, as well as capacity and resources. The exercises for the day, as a cooperative, used these themes as a foundation for clarifying areas of strategic focus in essential sectors, such as clean and affordable transportation and energy efficiency support for low-income households. The Coalition has made incredible strides in providing cohesion and focus for high-impact member efforts. For more information, see the annual report here.

If you are considering buying or leasing an electric vehicle, it's best to move quickly. The GOP is eliminating tax credits for electric cars (among many other things), and the following incentives will only be available until the end of September.

Here is a helpful outline of the expiring incentives from this Canary Media article:

The New Clean Vehicle Credit (30D) can get you $7,500 off your federal tax bill for a brand-new, qualifying EV model that meets strict requirements around where it’s assembled and where the battery bits come from, for example. Fueleconomy.gov has a list, and dealers should be able to flag eligible vehicles. In addition, your household must earn less than $300,000 for married couples filing jointly, or $150,000 for single filers. You can get the discount right when you make your purchase.

The Used Clean Vehicle Credit (25E) can knock up to $4,000 off your federal tax bill for qualifying pre-owned EVs. The income thresholds are half of those for 30D: $150,000 for married couples filing jointly and $75,000 for single filers. You can get the discount at the point of sale.

The Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit (45W) of up to $7,500 can’t be claimed by consumers, but it benefits them anyway. Auto dealers can take the federal tax credit themselves, passing on the savings to leasing customers. Also affectionately dubbed the EV ​“leasing loophole,” the credit can be used for vehicles that don’t meet the stringent requirements to claim 30D.