ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — With summer now on the horizon, many people are looking to go hiking in the bosque.

“I think we’re really lucky here, in the city of Albuquerque, to have our open space lands that are protected and open to the public for recreation, to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors,” said Dustin Chavez-Davis, open space project coordinator.

The open space lands near the Rio Grande are a popular place for outdoor recreation but that comes with responsibility. That starts with prevention, such as reporting issues with encampments or illegal fires.

Officials say they’re doing their part to keep these spaces clean.

“The open space division has a regular maintenance schedule. So, we’re out here picking up trash at the trails. We’re keeping our parking lots clean and making sure there are no issues with fallen branches on the trails,” Davis said.

Another thing to watch out for is wildlife.

“The best general guideline is keep a respectful distance. If the animal is noticing you, that’s a sign that you are too close. You’ll want to make sure that they are comfortable and doing their thing,” an official with the New Mexico Wildlife Center said

Porcupines are among the animals you need to look out for. Officials with the New Mexico Wildlife Center recently released two of them after nearly a year in rehabilitation.

“The first one was admitted in May as a week-old orphan that was attacked by a dog and buried in a hole by the dog, so it came to us with severe wounds,” another official said.

Because of this, officials encourage you to always put your pets on a leash.