WEDNESDAY FESTIVAL OF THE CRANES Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

WEDNESDAY, November 19, 2008

Sandhill Crane Behavior
Workshop
5:30 am to 11:30 am We7 - $65
Bosque del Apache NWR, Crane1

The most comprehensive training on cranes offered at any crane festival, 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 subspecies apart, distinguish 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 to view many behaviors on film before traveling to different locations on the Refuge to watch and interpret crane interactions. 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. 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. Warm shoes and warm, layered clothing recommended. Limit 15. Offered Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

 

Land, Sea and Air
Tour
8:30 am to 2:00 pm We8 - $90
Marina del Sur, Elephant Butte Lake

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 Tamie Bulow 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 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 I-25 and follow signs to the State Park. As the park is a 90-minute drive from Socorro, you may want to stay the night before the trip in Truth or 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 form. Warm clothing is recommended. Limit 14. Offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

 

River Restoration Along the Rio Grande
Tour
9:00 am to 3:00 pm We9 - $35
Lannan, Bosque del Apache NWR

One hundred years ago, the Rio Grande in the area of Bosque del Apache NWR flowed through a mosaic of habitats including wetlands, forests and a wide-open channel. These habitats were important to wildlife and people along its shores. Join Refuge Ecologist Gina Dello Russo for a look at initiatives that are addressing river health in the Socorro Valley, including river processes, flooding, fire, private property issues and open space along the river corridor. Part lecture, part discussion, this program will include a field trip to sites along the river on federal, state, and private lands to look at how people are working together on these issues. This event includes a picnic lunch. Limit 14 people.

 

New Research Programs at the Bosque
Exhibit
9:00 am to Noon We10 Free
Bosque del Apache NWR, Atrium

Bosque del Apache NWR hosts a number of research projects - from yellow-billed cuckoo ecology to vegetation 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. Join us for coffee at 9:00 as researchers give brief overviews of their projects. Afterwards you will have the chance to talk directly to them 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.

 

Wetland Management
Tour
9:00 am to Noon We11 - $10
Bosque del Apache, Lannan

Surrounded by the Chihuahuan Desert and anchored by the silt-laden waters of the Rio Grande Bosque del Apache is one of the most scenic wetland complexes in the United States. Every winter hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the Refuge to revel in the beauty of wintering waterfowl, few however understand the work that Refuge staff and volunteers do to prepare the more than 2,000 acres of wetland habitat each year to ensure wintering waterfowl have enough to eat throughout the cold winter months. In this presentation Land Management Research and Demonstration Biologist John Vradenburg will discuss wetland ecology, wetland management techniques, techniques to determine how much food is produced, and how to provide water to feed the maximum number of waterfowl. A portion of this presentation will take place inside after which participants will join John on a tour of the wetland, see machinery working in the field, and witness birds responding to management techniques. Participants will come away with a positive hands-on wetland management experience.

 

Prairie Dogs
Lecture
9:00 am to 10:30 am We12 - $5
Macey Center, Auditorium

Of the five known species of prairie dogs, all of which are found from southern Canada to northern Mexico, one is endangered, one is threatened and others have suffered a 95% decline in numbers and living area in the last century. Prairie dogs are a keystone species: a species upon which many others depend. Neither dog nor rodent, this colonial squirrel is of prime importance to many other species and one that deserves to be part of the grassland ecosystem. Their social behavior has been studied and new things are discovered constantly. The talk will discuss all 5 species, with an emphasis on Black-tailed Prairie Dogs found in southern New Mexico. Their behavior, efforts for reintroduction, and natural history will be covered.

 

Native Bees of New Mexico
Lecture
11:00 am to 12:30 pm We13 - $5
Macey Center, Galena

When many people think of bees, they think of the honey bee or the bumblebee. There are, however, over 30,000 species of bees in the world, and the honey bee, Apis mellifera, is only one of those species. Honey bees are not native to the USA; they were introduced in the 1700s by settlers. What, then, is a native bee? Bees are vegetarian wasps that feed their offspring pollen instead of animal protein. They range in size from three quarters of a millimeter to over an inch and come in almost every color. Most bees are desert- adapted, making New Mexico 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. Native bees are important because most pollinate only one or a few types of flowers. Without native bees, our native wildflowers would suffer. The potential for using native bees in agriculture has only recently been explored.

 

Burrowing Owls
Lecture
11:00 am to 12:30 pm We14 - $5
Macey Center, Galena

Based on several long-term studies done in New Mexico, Burrowing Owls seem to be on the decline. Because they are listed as a high responsibility species by New Mexico Partners in Flight, an exciting 5-year project is attempting to discover where the owls over-winter and what routes they fly south. Is the possible decline linked to the arduous task of migration, or is it what happens on their winter grounds? Find out what researchers are learning that ultimately may contribute to the conservation of this species. Of course, avian ambassadors will be present for the presentation.

 

Feel the Heat
Lecture
11:00 am to 12:30 pm We15 - $5
Bosque del Apache NWR, Lannan

Observe first-hand many of the tools and techniques utilized by fire management personnel at Bosque del Apache NWR. Take a tour with Chris 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).

 

Trinity Tour
Tour
Noon to 5:30 pm We16 - $45
San Antonio, Owl Bar
PHOTO ID REQUIRED
Fred Hollis, retired employee of the White Sands Missile Range and Trinity Site history buff, will be your guide on this tour of the site of the first atomic detonation. The tour begins at the Owl Bar, where the Los Alamos scientists stayed during the blast. The Bar was the community meeting place and had the only phone in town. It is also famous for its green chile cheeseburgers! A coach (with rest room) will take you to the Trinity Site as well as to 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 noon. Leave for White Sands at 1:00 pm. Limit 40.

 

The Refuge
Tour
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm We17 - $10
Bosque del Apache NWR, Lannan

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 our 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 transforms 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 that are outstanding examples of how applied research and habitat management work together.

 

Backyard Birdfeeding
Lecture
1:30 pm to 3:00 pm We18 - $5
Macey Center, Galena

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.

 

NM Important Bird Area: a Wetland in the Desert
Lecture
1:30 pm to 3:00 pm We19 - $5
Macey Center, Galena

The Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB) constructed wetlands area was declared a New Mexico Important Bird Area in 2002 by the New Mexico Chapter of the National Audubon Society. This wetlands complex contains two large bodies of water attractive to numerous waterfowl, shorebirds and other aquatic bird species. The adjacent habitat provides a stopover and wintering grounds for numerous migrating land birds. You will gain knowledge of which species use it as breeding grounds and how many species stop during their migration. A checklist of birds will be provided. The area is open to the public with access off Highway 70 just south of HAFB.

 

Look But Don't Touch
Workshop
3:00 pm to 4:30 pm We20 - $5
Bosque del Apache NWR, Lannan

Join naturalist (and cactus grower) Daniel Perry 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 native only to 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.

 

Dinner Theater
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm We21 - $32
Socorro, Garcia Opera House

The Socorro Community Theater will again be bringing you a fun-filled evening of entertainment at the historic Garcia Opera House. Past dinner theater productions have included popular comedies and murder mysteries such as "Rumors," "Noises Off," "Lend Me a Tenor," and "The Mousetrap." Specific information about this year's play and dinner menu will be available after Labor Day, upon request. Prepaid registration is required.