Cibola Wildlife Refuge 5K walk bringing awareness

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A hidden gem in the Desert Southwest, the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge.

And now's your chance to check out the wildlife, at the upcoming Friends of Cibola NWR 5K Walk. 

"This refuge was established in 1964 by Congress. The reason it was established is the Bureau of Reclamation was channelizing a large portion of the Colorado River,” said Jeremy Welch, Cibola National Wildlife Refuge Manager.

The Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, almost 19,000 acres of beauty in the desert, is located less than 80 miles from Yuma.

Refuge Manager Jeremy Welch said the birds are almost in peak migration.

“This is a great time to see thousands of birds migrating through the Pacific fly away. Majority of numbers have been ducks, geese, and sand tail cranes and we’re in the thousands for all three of those species," said Welch.

A non-profit organization called Friends of Cibola NWR is trying to bring more awareness to the refuge.

“We’re trying to, as a non-profit organization, provide that outreach so we can get people such as friends and families out here to experience the beauty of wildlife,” said Carissa Rosenfeld, Friends of Cibola NWR.

So they decided to host a 5K walk open to the public, free of charge.

“Our 5k goose loop walk is going to be January 6th from 8 am to 12 pm and we’re going to start at the visitor center,” said Rosenfeld.

“Whether you’re down in Yuma or up in Blythe, or anywhere in between those two major towns, this is a great time to come on up and see what you can see,” said Welch.