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Bosque del Apache NWR, Friends of the Bosque, copyright Seth

The Friends of the Bosque and Bosque del Apache NWR
are proud to present the following programs for 2012
All special events and workshops listed on this page are free and open to the public (except for some of the workshops and events during the 25th Annual Festival of the Cranes November 13-18, 2012)
Many of these events require reservations, and we do we recommend that you confirm the time and date in advance.

For reservations, information, confirmation or updates please call: 575-835-1828 Bosque del Apache NWR Visitor Center. We keep all the events for the full year on this page so you can see there are exciting things happening year round, so be sure to scroll down to the current month! (Of course, birds and wildlife are here year round. Our Refuge is a Refuge For All Seasons!

If you wish to print the color posters for any event, please click on the link below the small poster image on this page. All 2007-2010 posters are are all available here: Event Posters!

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
2012 Educational Workshops and Events

Dec 1, 2011 to the end of Feb, 2012
Saturdays from 1pm-3pm
Sundays from 9:00am-11am
Bosque del Apache NWR Visitor's Center

Free Weekend Tours
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
To help visitors enjoy thousands of cranes, geese and other birds wintering at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, the refuge has scheduled a series of Saturday and Sunday General Refuge Guided Tours in December, January and February.
These two-hour tours give participants the opportunity to visit the Refuge with a knowledgeable guide.
The tours will be offered every Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m.
There is no charge for these outings which will be conducted in Refuge vans.

Capacity is limited to 10 participants, and reservations will be taken at 575-835-1828.
School Bus Tours
Educators- Don’t miss an opportunity for your students to experience one of New Mexico’s most fascinating natural resources
The Friends of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is pleased to offer bus scholarships
to defray some of the travel costs to visit the Refuge. Schools that arrange a tour with Refuge staff or volunteers
are automatically eligible to receive a scholarship by just filling out the Bus Scholarship Application (pdf file)

Each touring school can receive up to $250 in reimbursement for travel costs.
Knowledgeable tour guides and presenters are available at no cost.
We can do grade and subject-appropriate presentations to support your curriculum objectives.
The Refuge is open year-round.
November 1 – February 15 is the most popular time to visit the Refuge because of the tens of thousands
of Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese, and ducks. Volunteer tour guides are available 7 days a week during this period.
Presentations and tours can focus on whatever the season has to offer. Spring, summer and fall can also be great
times at the Bosque and can showcase subjects such as ecosystems, the food web, birds, flowers, and aquatics.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge- Just 20 miles south of Socorro off of NM Hwy 1

© Jerry Goffe- click to download pdf Poster

2012 Educational Workshops
Bosque del Apache NWR

Wildlife Photography
Saturday, 28 January, 2012 6:15 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Jerry Goffe

Photographer and naturalist Jerry Goffe will provide an overview on wildlife and nature photography followed by a hands-on experience on the Refuge. Techniques and tips will be utilized while photographing the Sandhill Cranes, Geese, landscape and other animals of the refuge. Canon will be supplying some photo gear for people to use. We'll also have a Canon 13 X 19 inch color printer so everyone can take home a print or two of their images created during the workshop. Bring your camera, instruction manual, media (memory) cards or film (what's film?), tripod, lunch, water and proper clothing (layers).

Meet North of Flight Deck at 6:15am for Fly-out and early morning photo opportunities prior to class.

Please call 505-835-1828 for reservations. Limit 20 participants, reservations required.

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Birdwatcher's Guide to Duck Butts
February 25, 2012 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Visitor's Center
Raymond VanBuskirk

Join Raymond VanBuskirk for a 45 min. slide presentation exploring the various species of ducks (and their allies) that can be found at the Bosque del Apache NWR, and learn how to identify them by plumage, sound, habits, and most importantly… their BUTTS! After the presentation we will venture out on to the refuge for an up close look at the ducks, and their butts! Raymond will explain some of the problems with identifying these birds and will help you learn, through field observation, how to identify the ducks of Bosque del Apache NWR. Bring warm clothes, snacks/lunch, water, and binoculars.

Limited to 25 participants; To make reservations call 575-835-1828
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Equinoxes, Solstices, Years, and Days: The Astronomical Basis of the Calendar
Saturday, 24 March, 2012 7 p.m. Visitor's Center
Amy Estelle

Though it often goes unnoticed, we organize our lives based on recurring astronomical cycles. From when we go to work or school, when we celebrate major holidays, to how we mark our birthdays and create order in our lives.

Join amateur astronomers for a historic overview of the calendar and its astronomical roots. Stargazing on the refuge will follow. We'll look at lunar craters and nearby galaxies. Limited to 35 participants, ages 8 and above. Call 575-835-1828 for reservations.

This program is limited to 35 people, ages 8 and above, please. To make reservations call 575 835 -1828.
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Fascinating and Diverse Shorebirds
Saturday, 28 April
8am-12:00pm, bird tour on the refuge
12:00 - 1:00, lunch break (on your own)
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm, presentation, Visitor's Center
Celestyn Brozek

End of April is a prime time at Bosque del Apache for shorebird migration. We will spend morning observing shorebirds and other migrants at the refuge. We will learn basics of the shorebird identification in the field. Please, join us at Visitor Center at 8:00 AM for the refuge tour. At noon we will come back for lunch (on your own) at the Visitor Center. The classroom program will start at 1:00 PM. Through pictures and movies we will learn fascinating facts about shorebirds: their behavior, diverse feeding methods, breeding, and incredibly long migration trips. The presenter, Celestyn Brozek, is a life-long birder, instructor of college ornithology courses, and naturalist. He has been living in New Mexico for 28 years and made several hundred visits to Bosque del Apache.

Please call 505-835-1828 for reservations.

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Festival of the Cranes

FestivaloftheCranes.com

Nov. 13-18, 2012

Below is a List of Events from 2011 - kept here for your information only

Wildlife Photography, with Jerry Goffe and co-instructors
February 5, 2011 6:15 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Refuge
Jerry Goffe
Meet at the first parking area on the right as you enter the Refuge just after the Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park
at 6:15am for Fly-out and early morning photo opportunities prior to class

Photographer and naturalist Jerry Goffe and his co-instructors will provide an overview on wildlife and nature photography followed by a hands-on experience on the Refuge.
Techniques and tips will be utilized while photographing the Sandhill Cranes, Geese, landscape and other animals of the refuge.
Canon will be supplying some photo gear for people to use. We’ll also have a Canon 13 X 19 inch color printer so everyone can take home
a print or two of their images created during the workshop. Bring your camera, instruction manual, media (memory) cards or film (what’s film?),
tripod, lunch, water and proper clothing (layers).

Please call 575-835-1828 for reservations. Limit 20 participants, reservations required.

Download full resolution version Bird Migration, with Celestyn Brozek
March 26, 2011 8a.m.- 2:30p.m. Visitor’s Center
Celestyn Brozek
Before noon, we will spend a time around the refuge observing birds. Please, join us at Visitor Center at 8:00 AM.
We will drive to the refuge and come back for lunch at noon. The program will start at 1:00 PM in a classroom
at the Visitor Center. Did you know that the longest-living Sandhill Crane was found in New Mexico?
How do we know that Bar-tailed Godwit flies to its breeding grounds for 8 days NON-STOP?
How we can follow the journey of Arctic Terns from North to South Pole and back?
Those and other fascinating aspect of research on migrating birds will be answered by
Celestyn Brozek - a life-long birder, instructor of college ornithology courses, and naturalist.
He has been living in New Mexico for over 20 years and made several hundred visits to Bosque del Apache.

Please call 575-835-1828 for reservations.

Download full resolution version Star Hopping, with Amy Estelle
April 9, 2011 7 p.m. Visitor’s Center
Amy Estelle
Star-Hopping: How to Find Your Way Around the Night Sky
If a star chart has ever left you confused or if you can t make out those imaginary figures called constellations,
join amateur astronomers to develop basic observational astronomy skills. You will learn to star-hop from one bright star
to another and to find constellations named thousands of years ago. Once you learn to find a few key constellations
you will be on a life long journey of discovery. Star charts will be provided. Bring a small flashlight.
Meet at Visitors Center at 7 p.m.

This program is limited to 35 people, ages 8 and above, please. To make reservations call 575-835-1828.
Historic El Camino Real
“A Window In Time: A Brief History of the Bosque del Apache” John Bertrand
Sat, May 7, 2011, 10am to 12 noon
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
May marks the beginning of a state-wide celebration of the influence of the historic El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro in New Mexico during Heritage Preservation Month. Eleven segments of the old royal road have been recently listed on New Mexico’s Register of Cultural Properties, including two important sites within the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Saturday, May 7, from 10am to 12-noon, noted Refuge Volunteer and Amateur Historian John Bertrand will present “A Window In Time: A Brief History of the Bosque del Apache” in the Refuge Visitor Center. Join Bertrand as he takes you back in time over 400 years to examine the people and events that shaped the area we know today as Bosque del Apache NWR. This two-hour program will feature a discussion of the Native American cultures, early Spanish and Mexican influences, and the many intrigues and schemes that kept this Mexican land grant intact for over 100 years. Highlighted in this program will be the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and its importance to New Mexico and the Refuge today. This program is free to the public, but reservations are required. Call (575) 835-1828 for reservations.
International Migratory Bird Day Celebration
May 14, 2011 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Visitor’s Center
Daniel Perry
Come and enjoy Springtime in the Bosque and International Migratory Bird Day on your National Wildlife Refuge.
The Bosque Springtime and International Migratory Bird Day Celebration will be May 14th.
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge will be offering two activities each limited to 24 people.

Beginning at 8:00 a.m. Naturalists will lead a one-hour Birdwalk around the grounds of the visitor center
including the arboretum looking for migratory birds such as warblers, orioles, kingbirds, etc.
Beginning birders are welcome to join the group.
The Birdwalk is limited to 24 people.

1:00: Refuge Tour in the Refuge bus to see migrating waterfowl and shorebirds.
The Refuge Tour is limited to 24 people (bus capacity).

Call 575-835-1828 for reservations. Please indicate if you are signing up for one activity or both.

Download full resolution version Common Herps of Bosque del Apache, with Gary Froehlich
June 4, 2011 7:30 a.m. Visitor’s Center
Gary Froehlich
The first amphibians appeared on Earth nearly 400 million years ago during the Devonian Period.
By the Carboniferous Period, some 350 million years ago, they had become the dominant predators.
About 35 million years later, the first reptiles appeared. They eventually displaced the amphibians,
giving rise to the "Age of Reptiles," which lasted until the mass-extinction event at the
Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. Even though we now live in the "Age of Mammals,"
amphibians and reptiles have survived, and they now inhabit every continent on Earth except Antarctica.

The scientific study of these two groups of organisms is known as herpetology, and the term "herps"
is often used as a kind of shorthand for both. At this workshop we will discuss their life histories
and some of their surprising survival strategies. There will also be considerable discussion
on their field identification. Following the slides and discussion, we will go into the field to
find and observe several of the species present at the refuge. For the field-trip portion of the workshop,
bring close-focusing binoculars if you have them, as well as insect repellent and sunscreen.

Limited to 18 participants; To make reservations call 575-835-1828
Hummingbird Workshop, with Bill Talbot
July 30, 2011 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Visitor’s Center
Bill Talbot
July is the peak of the summer hummingbird season, and hummingbird expert Bill Talbot
will be on hand Saturday, July 30 at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge to help identify
and answer questions about the species that visit feeders and flowering plants in New Mexico.
Children are welcome.

Talbot's presentation will begin at 8:00 a.m. with a slide presentation in the
Christina Ann Lannan Educational Center in the visitor center, followed by outdoor observation
at the feeders. Species that are seen regularly at Bosque del Apache are Black-chins, Rufous and
Broad-tail hummingbirds. Talbot has conducted workshops at the Refuge in past years under the auspices
of New Mexico hummingbird guru Joan Day-Martin, founder of the Hummingbirds of New Mexico center
at Lake Roberts near Silver City and until recently the state’s only licensed hummingbird bander,
Ms. Day-Martin has recently relinquished her banding license, so this year’s event at Bosque
will not include banding and handling of the delicate creatures.

The free program is presented by Friends of the Bosque del Apache. Call 575/835-1828 for reservations.

Download full resolution version
Little Things that Rule the World, with Gary Froehlich
August 27, 2011 7:30 a.m. Visitor’s Center
Gary Froehlich
The first wingless insects appeared on Earth over 400 million years ago during the Devonian Period.
By the Carboniferous Period, some 350 million years ago, they had evolved wings and had begun to expand
into nearly every ecological niche. Today there are more kinds of insects in the world than all other kinds
of animals combined. It should be no surprise, then, that there are insects we regard as beautiful, as pests,
as fascinating, as frightening, and even as necessary for our existence.

This workshop's goal is to expose you to this fascinating world of insects, to share their beauty,
to describe some of their extraordinary survival strategies, and to reveal some of their mysteries.
There will also be considerable discussion on their identification. Following the slides and discussion,
we will go into the field to find and observe several of the species present at the refuge.
For the field-trip portion of the workshop, bring close-focusing binoculars if you have them,
as well as sunscreen and ~~insect repellent~~ protection from mosquitoes.

No limit; To make reservations call 575-835-1828

Download full resolution version
A Scavenger Hunt in the Night Sky, with Amy Estelle
September 17, 2011 7 p.m. Visitor’s Center
Amy Estelle
A spiral arm, globular cluster, red giant, swan, dolphin, teapot, and black hole. These are a few
of the cosmic wonders to find on this unique scavenger hunt. Using the unaided eye, binoculars, and telescopes,
visitors will join amateur astronomers to find a unique group of objects. Prizes will be awarded in three age groups.

Please call 575-835-1828 for reservations. Meet at the Visitors Center at 7 p.m., ages 8 and above, limited to 35 people
Friends Annual Meeting - October 15th, 2011
This is your opportunity to hear about Refuge and Friends activities and accomplishments during the last year and to cast your vote for our Board of Directors. The meeting runs from 10am-noon, followed by a lunch and an afternoon planting activity Lunch will be catered by Green's Kitchen and we will have a couple of speakers on hand to discuss "going native", with plantings both at the Refuge and in your own yard. The afternoon planting activity runs from 1-3pm and is in a restoration area. We will be working with Refuge staff and volunteers to plant native grasses, shrubs, and trees. We are inviting families from surrounding communities to also participate in the event, especially helping out in the morning to set out the plants. All participants will receive a t-shirt and a handout explaining the invasive plants that have been removed as well as the native ones that were planted.
Please plan to attend if you can, and RSVP at friends@sdc.org
See also: volplantingday.pdf

Festival of the Cranes 2011
November 15-20, 2011
Our Wonderful and highly Acclaimed Festival Of The Cranes
Six great days filled with Workshops, special Tours, Events, lectures, Hikes,
fine art and photography, a variety of exhibitors and more.
Please See FestivaloftheCranes.com for complete schedule and all information

Friends of
The Bosque del Apache
National Wildlife Refuge
P.O. Box 340
San Antonio, New Mexico 87832
Contact Us

© 1996-2012 by The Friends of the Bosque National Wildlife Refuge, All Rights Reserved
All photos and graphics are under copyright by the artists and photographers.
Thank you 2012 Photo Contributors -Photos and Graphics may not be used in any media without written permission. Thank you.