The Friends of the Bosque and Bosque del Apache NWR
are proud to present the following programs for 2009.

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 22nd Annual Festival of the Cranes November Nov 17-22 2009)
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, and for lists, information and locations, please see links on this page Main)

2009 Schedule of Events & Programs

Nov-Feb, 2009
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.

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Nov-Feb, 2009
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.

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February 7
Saturday...Event is FULL..Call to get on Waiting List
6:15am - 4:30pm
Comments: Meet North of Flight Deck at 6:15am for Fly-out and early morning photo opportunities prior to class

Wildlife Photography (limit 20 participants, reservations required)

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.

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February 22
Sunday
7:00 p.m.
Visitor's Center
Birds, Photography & Conservation in the Hawaiian Islands
Many of Hawaii's birds are on the brink of extinction. Jack Jeffrey contends that "Public awareness is the greatest asset to Hawaii's imperiled species." As a long time resident of the Big Island of Hawaii, wildlife biologist, photographer and birder, Jack Jeffrey, is intimately familiar with Hawaii's hidden valleys, remote rainforests and rare birds. He combines a naturalist's curiosity with a photographer's patience and technical skill to produce beautiful images which he will share in this evening presentation

Jeffrey is the recipient of the prestigious National Sierra Club 2002 Ansel Adams' Award for Conservation Photography. A partial list of publications that have featured his work include; Audubon Magazine, Smithsonian, Life, Natural History, Birders World, National Wildlife, Pacific Discovery, Defenders of Wildlife, Science, National Park, the National Geographic Canon Endangered Species Series, as well as numerous books, text books, and calendars.

Please call 575-835-1828 for reservations.

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February 28
Saturday
8am - 4 pm
Visitor's Center & Refuge

Birdlife in a Desert - Celestyn Brozek
(limit 15 participants, reservations required)
Bring:  binoculars, water, snack, sunscreen, hat.

A large part of New Mexico is a desert and many birds live in this demanding habitat.  They have to endure heat, lack of water, and ... cold.  Fascinating physiological, morphological, and behavioral adaptations to life in the desert will be discussed in this program.  Before noon, we will spend time on the refuge looking for desert birds. You can join us at the refuge Visitor Center any time between 8:00 and 9:00 AM.  At 9:00 AM we will drive to other part of the refuge and come back for lunch at noon.  The presentation will start at 1:00 PM.  Celestyn Brozek is a life-long birder, instructor of college ornithology courses, birding guide, 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.

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April 4
Saturday
7:00 pm
Meet at the Visitor's Center

400 Years of the Telescope: An International Year of Astronomy Celebration with Amy Estelle

People around the world will celebrate astronomy this year in the U.N. designated International Year of Astronomy. This year was selected because it is the 400th anniversary of a simple but revolutionary act:  In 1609 Galileo Galilei turned the new invention, the telescope, to the night sky.  What he saw changed our view of the Earth and ourselves. Galileo's observations moved the Earth and humankind from the center of the solar system.  Join amateur astronomers for a short history of Galileo's life and observations . Help construct a telescope modeled after the one he used to observe the Moon and planets.  Then view the Moon and stars from a dark site on the refuge. For ages 10 and above. Bring a flashlight.

Limited to 45 participants. Call 575-835-1828 for reservations.

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May 9
Saturday
8am-4pm
Visitor Center 575-835-1828

International Migratory Bird Day Celebration

Come and enjoy Springtime in the Bosque and International Migratory Bird
Day on your National Wildlife Refuge.

Presenter,  Daniel Perry
Bring: Water, insect repellent

The Bosque Springtime and International Migratory Bird Day  Celebration
will be May 9th.   Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge will be
offering three activities each limited to 24 people.  Call 575-835-1828 for
reservations.  Please indicate if you are signing up for one activity or
all three.

Beginning at 8:00 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.  

From 10:00-2:00  an arboretum visit with emphasis on cactus
propagation by cuttings will be offered.  We will also teach you how to
harvest nopals (cactus pads)  for nopalitos and how to prepare them.
During this time we will break for lunch (bring your own) and give you
an opportunity to sample nopalitos prepared in various ways.  We will
then continue the arboretum tour with desert plant identification and
how to plant cacti from plants and cuttings.  

From 2:00 - 4:00, a Refuge Tour in the refuge bus on the refuge to see
migrating waterfowl and shorebirds.  This activity is limited to 24
people (bus capacity).

Please see International Migratory Bird Day Conserving Birds By Connecting People.
History of International Migratory Bird Day - IMBD
IMBD was created in 1993 by visionaries at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. From 1995 to 2006, the program was under the direction of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Because of its consistent growth, IMBD is now the premier education project of Environment for the Americas. IMBD continues to focus attention on one of the most important and spectacular events in the life of a migratory bird -- its journey between its summer and winter homes. Today, it is celebrated in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Central America through bird festivals and bird walks, education programs, and Bird Day! We invite you to join us in this important celebration.

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June 6
Saturday
8am-11am
Visitor Center

Common Herps of Bosque del Apache - Gary Froehlich
Join photographer and naturalist Gary Froehlich for a morning with the common reptiles and amphibians -or "herps" - of Bosque del Apache. Learn about "herp" natural history and field identification tips through a presentation and slides. Then locate, observe, and identify many of the species covered in the field. Easy walking (and perhaps driving) on the refuge. Bring close-focus binoculars if you have them.
Please call 575-835-1828 for reservations.
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July 11
Saturday
7am-11:30am
Visitor Center
Bring:  Bug repellent, binoculars, layered clothing, hat, camera & a friend.


Hummingbird banding with Bill Talbot

Join in with the Bosque del Apache and attend this unique experience capturing and banding hummingbirds that call this reserve home during the spring and summer months. Enjoy the opportunity to gaze upon these small birds as Bill diligently works with them noting measurements, conditions, sex & age. An added bonus to this expedition may include hearing the beat of their tiny but powerful heart, or a touch of exhilaration at a chance to release back into freedom one of New Mexico's most enchanted creatures.
Bill will give a slide presentation at the close of each day inside the visitor center. Your hummingbird identifying skills will be sharpened and improved through this easily understood classroom setting.
"Identifying New Mexico Hummingbirds" slide presentation 10:30 to 11:30 am will follow banding demonstration.

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August 22
Saturday
8am-11am
NM Rte-1 at the Canyon Trail head

CANYON TRAIL AFTER THE MONSOON RAINS
This walk will be led by naturalist Bob Merkel on and near the Canyon Trail.  It is a moderate 2-1/4 miles from the sandy arroyo plain, up to the bajada, through Solitude Canyon with its spectacular geology, and back along the arroyo bottom.  Each area has its own assortment of scenic features, including views of the Rio Grande rift valley and volcanic mountains.  If 2009 is a wet year for Bosque del Apache, the profusion of wildflowers will be mind-blowing.  Even if it's dry, we'll see 50 or more different species of plants.  While the canyon rocks were deposited as sands and gravels some 10,000,000 years ago, the climate here was also hot and dry.  Sometimes it was SO dry that big sand dunes formed while at other times the area was doused by flash floods.  A plant list will be provided.

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

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Oct 10
Saturday
7:00 pm
Meet at the Visitor Center

A Scavenger Hunt in the Night Sky: An International Year of Astronomy Celebration with Amy Estelle

A scavenger hunt involves searching for items on a list. Some of the objects are harder to find than others.  That is part of the challenge and fun! Join amateur astronomers for a scavenger hunt in the night sky of Bosque del Apache. Visitors will look for a dragon, butterfly, red giant, dolphin, swan, galaxy, flying horse, and black hole!  Star charts and binoculars will be available. Prizes will be awarded. Bring a flashlight.  For ages 10 and above.  

Limited to 45 participants. Call 575 835-1828 for reservations.

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Oct 3
Saturday
1-4pm
Visitor Center

Bosque del Apache Artist Party
Come meet the artists, have some tasty treats, and maybe take home a little something! Also, be the first to get your 2009 Festival merchandise!

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Nov 17-22
Tues. - Sat.
1-4pm
Visitor Center and other venues

The 22nd Annual Festival of the Cranes
For information or updates please call:  575-835-2077

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© 1996-2008 by The Friends of the Bosque National Wildlife Refuge, All Rights Reserved
All photos and graphics are under copyright by the artists and photographers. Photos & Graphics ©Sandy Seth, ©Wally Newman
Please do not use without permission!