Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Festival offers fun for everyone

John Bertrand Friends of the Bosque Del Apache NWR

The first Sandhill Cranes have arrived in New Mexico's Middle Rio Grande Valley. Each November, thousands of people flock to Socorro from around the world to celebrate this annual miracle of nature, and to renew their spirits at the Bosque del Apache Festival of the Cranes.

This year's festival begins Tuesday, Nov. 18, and runs through Sunday afternoon, Nov. 22.

The Festival of the Cranes, now in its 21st year, has grown into one of birdwatching's signature happenings. Birding guru Pete Dunne, has rated it one of the top three birding festivals in North America. This year's festival-goers will have 119 events to choose from, plus a juried Wildlife Art Expo featuring 21 major southwest artists, and exhibits in the Wildlife Expo tent staffed by more than 30 of the region's top wildlife and conservation agencies.

Advance registration for festival events opened Sept. 7, and some activities already are fully booked, according to Festival Coordinator Robyn Harrison. A festival schedule and registration information are available on-line at www.friendsofthebosque.org/crane or by phone at 575-838-2120.

The 2008 festival is centered at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, but events take place at a variety of venues, among them Elephant Butte Reservoir; the Very Large Array, Trinity Site, Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, and in Socorro itself.

An eclectic roster offers activities for birders and non-birders alike. There will be guided hikes, family activities, and weekend experiences with kids in mind. For birders, workshops, tours and activities will focus on seeing birds, identifying them by sight and sound, attracting them, studying their habits and their habitats, and learning their evolutionary history.

Non-birding activities include photography, painting, writing, gardening, as well as tours and lectures on geology, Native American and early New Mexico history, geocaching, and Tai Chi.

Thursday night, Dr. Penelope Boston, Associate Director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute and New Mexico Tech professor will describe her (sometimes dangerous!) experiences exploring the Fort Stanton Cave and its mysterious, crystalline Snowy River. The amazing animals and geomicroorganisms that inhabit or visit the cave system play vital roles in surface and subsurface ecosystems and may some day be key to the creation of life-saving pharmaceuticals.

Saturday night's guest is Dr. Peter Raven, President of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. Dr. Raven is a renowned expert in the preservation of endangered plants, while being a staunch advocate for conservation and a sustainable environment. He will focus on habitat destruction and climate change and its impact on species survival in the 21st century.

Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge is featured in three tours, and the Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex near Bernardo will have volunteers on hand Saturday to show visitors the new decks and viewing areas available at the Complex.

In Socorro, schedule brochures can be picked up at the Chamber of Commerce, the Heritage and Visitors Center, Socorro Public Library and the Skeen Library on the New Mexico Tech Campus.

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