Saturday, November 17, 2007
Walk out to Fly out Don't miss the opportunity to witness one of the great wildlife spectacles in the US! It's a Festival tradition (and one of our favorite things to do)! Take a short bus ride and then walk out to watch the incredible flight of thousands of geese and cranes leaving their nighttime roosts. Warm shoes and clothing recommended. Offered Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Meet in the Visitor Center parking lot. Mountain Birding Tour Join Julie Zickefoose, Bill Thompson and Mary Alice Root on this 1-to-2 mile bird walk/hike at 7000 feet. Water Canyon's bird life in the winter months may include acorn and hairy woodpeckers; Steller's, scrub, and pinyo jays; Western and mountain bluebirds; bushtits; white-breasted and pygmy nuthatches; ruby-crowned kinglets; and dark-eyed juncos. Sturdy shoes and layered clothing recommended. Car pool from Macey Center parking lot. Offered Saturday and Sunday. Limit 30. Refuge Tour This is a rare opportunity to explore seldom-visited areas of Bosque del Apache NWR with knowledgable tour guides. Your hosts will help identify birds and explain how the land and water you see are managed to benefit wildlife. See spectacular views of cranes, geese, ducks, and raptors -- maybe even turkeys! Tours are offered Saturday and Sunday. Meet in the Visitor Center parking lot. Limit 80. Introductory Digital Photography This workshop is designed for the beginner through the intermediate photographer. Based on the children’s story of the “little train could,” you will walk away after a long and intensive 12 hour day, saying: Wow, “I thought I could, I thought I could!”. Throughout the day, the chosen cadre of instructors led by professional wildlife & nature photographer and naturalist, Jerry Goffe, will test your creative juices and hand you proven tips and techniques. You will assemble before sunrise; receive some “on the job training” while photographing the Geese and then the Cranes lifting off. We will then head to Socorro, with a breakfast stop in San Antonio, and have some classroom time at Macy Center where your instructors will have a chance to show off their artwork and teach some finer points on their chosen specialties. The afternoon will be training around the duck pond at Macy with more classroom explanations. At the end of the day, we will proceed back to the refuge to put what we have learned to practice while photographing “fly-in” and a great sunset. Bring your camera and flash, instruction manual, media (memory) cards, tripod, layered clothing and a sense of excitement. Breakfast and lunch are included. Raptors on the Rio Raptors! They capture our imaginations and serve as symbols of power, freedom, and majesty. But did you know that they are also important indicators of ecosystem health? HawkWatch International will introduce you to some of the most pressing issues faced by residents of the Rio Grande Watershed, including Osprey, Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons...and us! We'll also point you towards easy actions that can make a difference for all residents of the Rio. This presentation, most appropriate for ages 12 - adult, is made possible by the Share With Wildlife Grant Program of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. The Way it Really Was Alvino Contreras grew up herding sheep on the Sevilleta Grant. Each trail, spring and hill had a name that was important. The names were guides through the landscape or warnings of things that had happened in the past. Alvino is a popular presenter and offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into the way it really was. Junior Naturalist Tour VERY beginning birders, naturalists, and explorers (ages 5 to 12) are invited to join one of the Bosque del Apache's Naturalists for a special tour of the Refuge. Take a short hike, catch aquatic creatures in the marsh, discover pack rat nest, and see where beavers live. Parents are welcome and must accompany their children (no charge). Offered Saturday and Sunday. Meet in the Visitor Center parking lot. The Way It Really Was Field Trip Join Alvino Contreras and Gilbert Apps for a day of exploration and recollection. They will take you to the places where it all happened. Of course you would have to be on horseback to see everything, but Alvino and Gilbert will do their best to take you back through time in the actual location. You will be guided through some seldom visited areas of the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. A box lunch will be delivered to you on the tour. Limited to 16 participants this tour requires four wheel drive. If you do not have 4 WHD then call the Registrar at 505-835-2077 to make arrangements to car pool with other attendees. Meet at the Macey Center parking lot. Desert Flora Heat, wind, and especially drought are harsh conditions for plant life. Yet, our desert is vibrant with a fascinating and beautiful variety of shrubs and wildflowers. Each plant has its own strategy for thriving in harsh conditions. I will illustrate with photographs the special adaptations to the desert climate, and the interaction with insect and avian pollinators. Then I will discuss the riparian vegetation of the Rio Grande including the impact of exotic species on the native flora and fauna of the river. Riparian Restoration The Bosque del Apache NWR has been rehabilitating wildlife habitat along the Rio Grande for a number of years. Techniques used on over 2,000 acres of refuge lands have been successful. This presentation, given by Gina Dello Russo, Ecologist at Bosque del Apache NWR, will track 25 years of riparian restoration within the refuge borders and touch on efforts underway in the larger Rio Grande watershed. This presentation will provide a general audience with an introduction of the work behind these habitat improvement projects. Trinity Tour Fred Hollis will be your guide on this tour of the first atomic detonation. The Owl Bar is an important part of the history of Trinity Site. It was the community meeting place and had the only phone in town. The Los Alamos scientists stayed there. Often tour attendees have some attachment to the project and you are welcome to participate. A coach (with rest room) will take you to the Trinity Site as well as the McDonald Ranch House. Wear walking shoes and layered clothing and bring a photo ID. This tour is offered on Wednesday and Saturday. Meet in the Owl Bar Meeting Room for lunch (included) at 12:00. Leave for White Sands at 1:00 pm . Limit 40. Lunch on the Mezzanine We will be serving a hot buffet lunch on the mezzanine at Macey Center. This is an opportunity to meet other Festival attendees as well as Festival speakers. Seating is limited to 40 and is by prepaid reservation only. Available Thursday, Friday and Saturday. First Field Ornithologists of NM For centuries, natives lived with (and on) these exceptional desert birds, named them, and knew their habits and life histories. Then Spaniards, on their search for El Dorado, passed through "Nuevo Mexico," and recorded their impressions of the unusual bird life during their tedious journey through the rugged land. But in this remote northern province of New Spain the terrain and weather were inhospitable and the local Indians were hostile, so that professional ornithologists only arrived 300 years later, with protection of the engineers of the official Survey of the Mexican-United States Border. Hummingbirds Everyone loves hummingbirds, whose behavior and appearance make them stand out from other bird families. Few realize, however, that 28 of the 328 species are facing the risk of extinction, some in as little as ten years. In this presentation Dr. Ross Hawkins will give you a deeper understanding of these flying jewels and an appreciation of conservation efforts by the Hummingbird Society and other groups. Canyon Trail Hike Local naturalist Bob Merkel will lead the group on a 2-1/2-mile round trip along a wide, sandy arroyo and then into a fascinating narrow canyon replete with geologically interesting formations. They are from Tertiary time, millions of years before the Rio Grande existed, and evidences of floods, eruptions, and desert dunes are there for all to see. Walk in to Fly in An evening extravaganza! Watch as the evening sky fills with thousands of geese and cranes returning to the nighttime safety of the marshes. A bus ride and a short walk will take you to the roost area. Wear comfortable shoes and dress warmly. Offered Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Meet in the Visitor Center parking lot. Friends Buffet Supper Join us on the beautiful Macey Center Mezzanine for a relaxing buffet supper. Conveniently, this is next to the main auditorium where the "Glimpse Into the Lives of Cranes" presentation will be made at 8:00 PM.
Cranes occur in most continents except South America and Antarctica. Cranes are some of the most beautiful group of large flighted birds, and display a huge repertoire of behaviors. Most of them mate for life, lavish care on their young, and migrate very long distances. They are obligate wetland species, maintain large breeding territories, have traditional migratory routes, and congregate in large numbers on their wintering grounds. Migratory cranes have been heard and more recently satellite tracked flying over the Himalayan peaks! Crane calls transport us back in time, a long, long time, into the Eocene Epoch, at least 35 mya. There are 15 species of cranes in the world and most of them are declining. At least half of them are endangered. During this anniversary of the crane festival come and share in the crane adventures recounted by a biologist who has worked on cranes for almost 2 decades in many parts of the world. You will hear about their biology, ecology, tenacity, mysteries, and experience the beautiful world of cranes.
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