Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Sandhill Crane Behavior This morning-long workshop will teach you many of the common vocalizations, body language and other characteristics of sandhill cranes. You’ll learn to recognize juveniles; tell the subspecies apart; understand the difference between dancing and aggression; and many other details that will help you better understand and appreciate sandhill cranes. At first light we will listen to the cranes on their roosting spots to identify vocalizations and other behaviors. We then move to the classroom for breakfast and viewing many behaviors on film before traveling to different locations on the refuge to watch and interpret cranes interactions. This is the most comprehensive training on cranes offered at any crane festival. Your instructors are Paul Tebbel and Keanna Leonard. Paul has worked with cranes for 30 years, including 11 years as the director of Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary on the Platte River in Nebraska where more cranes gather every spring than any other location in the world. He is now the director of The Wildlife Center in Espanola, New Mexico. Keanna is the Director of Education at Rowe Sanctuary and helps over 7,000 students every year understand and appreciate cranes, wildlife habitat and the Platte River. Land, Sea and Air Sea birds, diving ducks, cormorants, grebes, white pelicans and more can be found in a dramatic geological setting at Elephant Butte Lake. Join Steve Green and Art Arenholz for this exciting trip aboard a 44-foot twin-engine houseboat, followed by birding on land. Breakfast snacks and a full lunch, featuring locally grown and produced foods, will be served. The boat will leave promptly at 9:00 am from Marina del Sur at Elephant Butte State Park (about a 90 minute drive from Socorro) and will return to the same location around noon. From there we caravan (5 - 10 minutes) to the riparian area at the base of Elephant Butte dam for more birding. Take exit 83 on 1-25 and follow signs to the State Park. Or stay in Truth of Consequences. We will be happy to send information on accommodations close to the tour site. The price of the tour is refundable if the weather is such that the trip has to be canceled. Be sure to note your dietary requirements on the meals page of the registration forms. Warm clothing is recommended. Limit is 14. Offered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Where the Buffalo Roam The Armendaris Grant runs south from the Bosque del Apache NWR to below Truth or Consequences. Its 600 square miles encompass a mountain range, ghost towns, gypsum and guano mines, a volcano, a frontier fort and the historic El Camino Real. Eagles, hawks, bats, antelope and oryx are abundant. And there are bison - lots of bison. Tom Waddell, the ranch manager, has agreed to make a rare appearance. Tom will give an informal presentation on the ranch, the bison and the study programs that are being carried out there. More fireside chat than lecture, this is an opportunity to gain insight to a fascinating place that is normally closed to the public. Limit 12. Research Programs at the Bosque Bosque del Apache NWR hosts a number of research projects – from sandhill crane migration to cottonwood restoration - in conjunction with universities, other national wildlife refuges, conservation organizations, and state and federal agencies. Research helps Refuge biologists develop and adapt management techniques, determine priorities, and learn more about the plants and animals with which we are entrusted. This is your chance to talk directly to researchers about their work, their findings, and the science of wildlife management. Find out what is being studied and how the results may impact refuge management now and in the future. Great for those who want to know more about the science part of wildlife management. No limit on attendance. Burrowing Owls Based on several long term studies done in New Mexico, the burrowing owl seems to be on the decline and is listed as a high responsibility species by New Mexico Partners in Flight. This is an exciting 5 year project attempting to discover where the owls over-winter and what routes they fly south. Is the possible decline linked to the very arduous task of migration or what happens on their winter grounds? Find out more about this important topic that may ultimately help researchers across North America contribute to the conservation of this species. Of course, avian ambassadors will be present for the presentation. Beginning Birding The Festival is a great place for beginners to learn about the tools and techniques of the hobby from experienced birders. Emerson Learn, long time birder and past president of the Friends of the Bosque del Apache, will present, discuss and answer questions on all aspects of birding. If you have questions on guides, identification or locations, this is the place to start. Native Bees of New Mexico When many people think of bees, they think of the honey bee. Most don’t even know that there are other types of bees except for maybe the bumble bee. In fact there are over 30,000 species of bees in the world; and the honey bee, Apis mellifera, is only one of those species. In addition, the honey bee is not native to the USA; it was introduced in the 1700’s by settlers. Then what is a native bee? Bees are vegetarian wasps that feed their offspring pollen instead of animal protein. They range in size from ¾ of a millimeter to over an inch and come in almost every color. Most bees are also desert adapted; and therefore, New Mexico is a wonderful place to find a large diversity of bees. In the past five years, over 100 species have been added to our list (of 472 species) through the work done on the Sevilleta NWR. Eleven of those species are new to science. You don’t have to go to the tropics to discover new life. So, why are native bees important? Most native bees are specialists that pollinate only one or a few types of flowers. Without native bees, our native wildflowers would suffer. And the potential for using native bees in agriculture has only recently been explored. There is much work to be done. Invertebrate Atlantis Leigh Ann Vradenburg will show you a world that you may never have known existed- that of insects and other invertebrates living underwater and providing a vital link in the aquatic food chain. Participants will learn about various invertebrates found at the Bosque del Apache and their role as predator and prey in wetland dynamics. Leigh Ann will describe sampling techniques and explain the use of aquatic insects as indicators of water quality. Through digital microscopy we will explore the humble beginnings of dragonflies, mosquitoes, beetles, and many other insects that we see at the Refuge. 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. The Refuge Bosque del Apache NWR is ideally situated in a flyway ecosystem that extends from Canada to Mexico, and offers rest and food to migrating wildlife. Join Senior Wildlife Biologist John Vradenburg for a presentation and tour showcasing some of the ongoing habitat management projects at Bosque del Apache NWR. See how refuge staff transform the land: creating habitat, restoring natural processes, and manipulating land and water to benefit a variety of wildlife. You’ll understand why the refuge is one of fourteen Land Management Research and Demonstration Areas in the country - outstanding examples of how applied research and habitat management work together. Feel the Heat Observe first-hand many of the tools and techniques utilized by fire management personnel at Bosque del Apache NWR. Take a tour with Christopher Wilcox, Fire Management Officer, to past and current restoration sites which have or will feel the heat of prescribed fire to meet resource management objectives. Demonstrations of firing equipment include: specialized grenades, ignition pistols, drip torches, ditch dragons and terra-torches (flame throwers.). Backyard Birdfeeding For beginners and old hands alike, Ann Shewnack of Wild Birds Unlimited will discuss backyard bird feeding, ways to enhance your backyard birding habitat and the latest in feeding equipment. Aplomado Falcon The Northern Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) once occupied a significant portion of the American Southwest. Often hunting cooperatively as a pair, this strikingly beautiful falcon feeds on medium-sized birds, insects, and bats. Prior to the 1930s this species was regarded as fairly common throughout the humid coastal savannas of Texas and Tamaulipas, Mexico, and the more xeric interior grasslands. Before The Peregrine Fund began reintroduction efforts in Texas, the last known breeding of this species within the United States occurred near Deming, New Mexico, in 1952. After this time, no Aplomado Falcon population was known to exist in the U.S. until breeding pairs became established in 1995 as a result of reintroduction efforts. This presentation will cover aspects of the falcon’s natural history and current conservation and restoration efforts going on in the United States and Mexico. Topics will include the current status of populations in Texas and Chihuahua, Mexico, falcon reintroduction, management practices to enhance productivity from nesting falcons, and Federal/State and private landowner programs. Mapping the Rio - A Rio Grande Documentary Thousands of years ago in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado the Pyramid Peaks birthed a great river, the Rio Grande, El Rio Bravo del Norte. From the Rio's headwaters at Stony Pass in the San Juan Mountain Range our documentary film brings to life our great river in a grand tribute, reflecting just how important the river is. Following the river's journey southward we explore river communities, riparian habitat, and the significance of the NWR system's restoration efforts. This is the premiere of the documentary and a round table discussion will follow the showing. Those participating will include Cliff Crawford, Matt Mitchell, Gina Dello Russo, Tom Melanson, Steve Harris, Phil Norton, Mike Gibson, Alan Hamilton and others. Look But Dont Touch Join naturalist (and cactus grower) Daniel Perry and Friends volunteer Percy Deal, for a walk through the Laura Jean Deal Desert Arboretum to commune with the cacti. These special plants are symbolic of the southwest and are found only in the New World. We will discuss identification, propagation, cultivation and appreciation of these prickly plants. There are also a few imposters we will learn to identify. Offered Wednesday and Thursday. Dinner Theater The Socorro Community Theater will again be bringing you a fun-filled
evening of entertainment at the historic Garcia Opera House. The production this year will be "The Foreigner" by Larry Shue. This is an explosive comedy which takes place in a fishing lodge in Georgia. The menu is: |