A Team Effort for the Refuge

One of the interesting aspects of being volunteers for Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge is that we have an inside look at refuge activities. Last week we had the opportunity to be behind-the-scenes for the annual Festival of the Cranes. The backdrop for this major community event is set by the waterfowl who arrive by the thousands to spend the winter months. But, this year there was a birder's dream surprise. Can anyone say Sungrebe?! I know, most of the people reading this will say: "What's that?" Well, it's a bird that belongs in the tropics of South America. This was reportedly the first siting ever in the United States. Conveniently, it happened during this Festival time period. Birdwatchers came from across the country to try to get a glimpse. Talking with these very excited visitors was a hoot! Anyway, I guess this poor bird's navigational equipment malfunctioned. Who knows?

But back to my story: During the third week of November each year, the humans flock to the area for this six-day event. They come to watch the birds, learn about related subjects, hike the trails, shop for wildlife items and take photos with the most impressive scopes and lenses you'll ever see.
Each year a group of approximately 50 staff and volunteers put their joint efforts together with the Festival Director to pull off this extravaganza. If we had one of those videos in fast motion to view the whole event, it would include big-top tents being erected, setup of exhibits of every sort, including a blacksmith, wolves, artists and solar ovens; a steady stream of bus loads of people on tours; extra parking lots, people soaking up lectures and making purchases --- and then there would be the disappearance of the extra structures as it all returns to normal. Not to mention, the full agenda of events that take place in Socorro, twenty miles north. It is a large undertaking. (Here's one of the visitors at a booth giving me a "wise" look.)
I thought I'd give a glance of the Festival from the perspective of this one volunteer, interspersed with a few photos for atmosphere.
What types of things do we volunteers do? How does it all happen? As volunteers we work side-by-side with the "brown shirts," the full-time employees. About ten days before the Festival a list of approximately 150-200 jobs is posted and everyone signs up to take on various tasks. One might be setting up tents, dispatching busses, operating the fee booth, coordinating lunch delivery, driving a vehicle for a tour, answering phones -- you get the picture. There are more than enough jobs to go around. As the week goes on, it all progresses and everyone participates.

From the view of a volunteer who now has participated for the second time in this same effort, there is an overall feeling of pride and teamwork that keeps the event flowing smoothly and makes it fun. When the old Bosque bus broke down with a workshop group onboard, there were drivers with vans to pick up the pieces. When I needed help getting a room setup for daily workshops, without fail I had able young firemen or other volunteers lifting tables in no time. Jerry found ways to bring his own flavor to his jobs too, whether it was greeting people at the fee booth or loading busses.





















One of the highlights of the annual event for those of us workers is that Leroy, the Bosque chef extraordinaire, prepares his fine array of breakfasts and lunches for us. We all enjoyed scrumptious breakfast burritos, pozoli, with chili sauce, out-of-this-world carrot cake and several super soups. And how could I not mention the fantastic sopapillas we all devoured. And the fried turkeys made by George. Oh, wow! It was not a time to worry about the carbs, but to just enjoy. These people's personal efforts add a welcome special touch during a busy day.
That's just the perspective of one volunteer about one event here at the Bosque. Of course there are many more stories of people we've met and funny and interesting episodes. Stay tuned!

Preparing for the Festival of the Cranes

You've all been involved in some kind of activity leading up to a festival or large event. There's usually all kinds of feverish preparation. Everyone does their part to make the big occurrence go well. There are meetings and publications and a great deal of planning and organizing. That's the picture at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding community currently. The Festival of the Cranes begins in a few days and will bring thousands more bird watchers to town. The Sandhill Cranes, snow geese and numerous brands of ducks and other birds are fully cooperating as well. They have gathered in this welcoming spot and will provide the main attraction. It's a wonder to watch.

(Photo by Carl Piesch as seen on www.birdersworld.com)

We volunteers are ready and willing to do our part as we sign up for various duties during the Festival, working alongside the Bosque fulltime employees. We take our turns at assignments ranging from tent setup and parking duty, to fee booth and tour guides. There are six days packed with tours, workshops, speakers, exhibits, etc. Topics cover a vast area, not just the migrating feathered friends. Some of the most popular are Sandhill Crane Behavior, The Fly In and Fly Out and Digital Photography. But there are also topics related to geology of the area, Rio Grande cacti, a Trinity Site tour and Field Guide to Duck Butts. It will be an interesting week.
I'll check back in a few days, after the dust has settled.


More infor on: http://www.friendsofthebosque.org/crane/

Testing, 1....2

I've been getting some messages from some of you out there that the blog will not load for you. So here's a quick test. Please, let me know if you have trouble or not. Perhaps there was a gremlin in my last post.
Speaking of craziness, here's an example of some fun being had on our field trip to the beautiful BioPark in Albuquerque. Jerry and a couple of our favorite Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge staff posed during a short break. About 30 of us volunteers and staff enjoyed visiting the botanical gardens and the Rio Grande Nature Center courtesy of our employers.
It's been a busy but couple of weeks while we've been getting acquainted with our assignments and making new friends. I'll share more soon.

Chili Country

The chilis in the central Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico are the best! Many people who have lived in this area for a long time like their chilis red and hot. But we tend to go for the green ones of the medium hot variety. That's usually plenty of flavor for either one of us. Although Jerry has been known to go for the hot ones at times. They're good in breakfast burritos, on hamburgers and just a bunch of them on a bowl of pinto beans. If you're traveling on highway 380 through central New Mexico where it crosses highway 1, you could get a fabulous chili cheeseburger at the Buckhorn Tavern.

There's a seasonal produce market called Sichlers right at that crossroads in San Antonio also. Everyone around here makes stops to buy their own favorite temperature of chilis and have them roasted on the spot. We've purchased a couple baskets ourselves and enjoyed them in lots of dishes. Here's a photo of a few of those beauties being roasted on the spot.

Jerry made a wonderful stew that we enjoyed for several meals. The market is closed now, after the first good freeze. But we have a supply in the freezer to use for a few more delicious meals.