WHAT: Return of the Cranes Celebration
WHEN: November 15th and 16th | 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Open Space Visitor Center | 6500 Coors Blvd NW between Montaño and Paseo del Norte at the end of Bosque Meadows Rd.
FEE: Free
CONTACT: Jodi Hedderig | Parks & Recreation Dept., Open Space Division | 505-897-8831 | jhedderig@cabq.gov | www.cabq.gov/openspace. The Open Space Visitor Center prepares 24 acres of agricultural fields as wintering grounds for a variety of migratory birds including Sandhill cranes. The Rio Grande Valley area has been and continues to be the ancestral winter home of both the Sandhill crane (Grus Canadensis) and the Whooping crane (Grus Americana). On any given day, up to 400 cranes can be observed foraging for food in the fields while hawks, kestrels and eagles hunt for food from the sky. These animals are charming to watch as they posture and assert their dominance or as they play in courtship. They keep close tabs at an onlooker rarely at a distance closer than 40-50 feet so it is wise to bring binoculars. Join us on November 15th and 16th to celebrate their show-stopping and graceful presence with a variety of events designed to complement and celebrate the cranes’ arrival.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Saturday, 15th
10am: Local Naturalist will discuss the life history of cranes. Learn about their journey over miles and time.
1:30 pm & 3:00 pm: “Love in the Bosque”, the original musical play by Phil Bock. A story of love, jealousy and deception told by a family of Sandhill cranes with a supporting cast of coyote, duck and goose.
4:00 pm: Enjoy the beautiful sounds of flutist Bonnie Schmader on the back patio as the sun drops away from the day and the cranes prepare to return to the river for the evening. Bring a blanket and/or chairs and a cooler for a late day picnic on the lawn. Bring a blanket and enjoy our musical venue. Special extended hours for this event until 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, 16th
9:00am: Guided bird walk into the Bosque.
11:00am: “Raptors of the Rio Grande Valley”, presentation and live birds from Hawks Aloft. 2:00pm: Renowned wildlife photographer, Jerry Goffe will show slides and discuss his experiences photographing Sandhill cranes and other wildlife. Bringing this appreciation for nature and love of animals closer to home, he is not only associated with Albuquerque Open Spaces, as well the Rio Grande Nature Center, but is a volunteer, guide and photo instructor at Bosque Del Apache, NWR. Jerry hones his skills photographing a wide variety of images under the clear blue New Mexico skies, plus leads photographic tours to Alaska and Costa Rica every year.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Return of the Sandhill Cranes Celebration Weekend
Friday, September 12, 2008
The 1st Annual Urban Farm and Harvest Festival
September 27th, 2008, 2pm – 7pm at the Open Space Visitor Center
Did you know that in addition to other important public lands such as the Sandia Foothills Open Space, the Petroglyph National Monument and the Rio Grande Valley State Park, the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division preserves over 366 acres of farmland within the Albuquerque area?
“Since the purchase of the Candelaria Farm Preserve in 1977, the City’s Open Space Division has proven to be one of the key local agencies involved in the protection of agricultural lands in Albuquerque,” says Mayor Martin Chavez. “Our achievements in farm preservation provide another example of why we have one of the most celebrated Open Space programs in the nation.”
WHAT: A Celebration of Open Space, urban agriculture, local food, and community with music, fun, workshops, and more!
WHEN: National Public Lands Day, September 27th, 2008, 2pm – 7pm
WHERE: Open Space Visitor Center, 6500 Coors Blvd NW. The Visitor Center is located east of Coors at the end of Bosque Meadows Rd, which is between Montano and Paseo del Norte.
COST: FREE
See below for more details!
Open Space is proud to be a part of Albuquerque’s agricultural heritage, and this year we’re celebrating with a unique event for the whole family. For the inaugural year of this event, we’ve joined forces with local farmers, local businesses, and conservation organizations to bring attention to the importance of preserving our agricultural heritage. During this event you can:
- Visit with local farmers
- Participate in free workshops
- Talk to local organizations working to preserve agriculture
- Learn more about Albuquerque’s Open Space program at our beautiful Visitor Center
- View birds and wildlife at the Visitor Center’s 24 acre farm and wildlife preserve
ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES including live music, arts and crafts for the kids, face painting and henna art by Have on Art, food demonstrations, apple harvesting, an apple cider press, and more!
MUSIC!
Enjoy the following performers on the grassy lawn overlooking our 24 acre working farm/wildlife preserve:
- 2:30 – 3:30 pm: Big Daddy Long Loin/Recycle Man ("One Man Big Band")
- 3:45 – 4:45 pm: Aztec Dancers (drumming and dance)
- 5:00 – 6:00 pm: The Rivet Gang (Bluegrass)
- 6:00 – 7:00 pm: Antares (Jazz and Blues)
Workshops and Demonstrations:
Throughout the day you can participate in free workshops including a composting demo, wild plant harvesting, water harvesting, and more!
For more information about the event, call 452-5216, or see www.cabq.gov/openspace.
Email: kswanson@cabq.gov
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
New Mexico EGB annual Scholarships
The New Mexico Emerging Green Builders (EGB) annual scholarships to attend the US Green Building Council’s Greenbuild Conference are available now!
Apply today for your chance to go to Boston November 19-21 http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/.
These scholarships provide a unique learning opportunity for individuals that are interested in sustainable design and development and would like to take an active role in the EGB.
The application deadline is September 7, 2008.
To apply:
Become a student member of the NM USGBC Chapter http://www.usgbcnm.org/,
Provide a copy of your current schedule or proof of graduation within the past 5 years,
Fill out the attached electronic application,
Tell us why you would like to attend Greenbuild and how you intend to contribute to sustainable design and development
Commit to future involvement in the EGB and to presenting a luncheon program on Greenbuild as well as a short article on the conference (see application for details).
Return the application and required information to emurph_1999@yahoo.com with EGB Scholarship in the subject line.
Monday, April 7, 2008
24 Hour Vigil for Health and Wholeness
24 Hour Vigil for Health and Wholeness
noon to noon
begins on Monday, April 14th ends on Tuesday April 15th 2008
@ Los Alamos National Laboratory
In terms of your health and wholeness—including water, earth, air, people, plants and creatures—how does the profession of nuclear work impact your community’s spiritual, physical and cultural life? Why Pray on These Days? New Mexico and her people face new assaults from uranium mining, the nuclear fuel chain, and the plans for more robust weapons of mass destruction. This is the place to participate in spiritual healing, prayers and wisdom-seeking around this concern. These days are the time when tax payments are due to the IRS, who lets the US congress use the funds for more war and more nuclear weapons. Sponsored by Trinity Nuclear Abolitionists For information, transportation ideas, etc. please call: 505-242 0497 |
Friday, March 14, 2008
Day Tripping for Spring Break
QUARI. Tigua Indian, kwa-ri. Quari is a site of a 300+ years old spanish mission 10 mi NW of Mountainair, and about a 45 minutes drive from Albuquerque. The stone walls were over 60 ft high and 5 or 6 ft thick, but have crumbled to 20 ft in height. This was a Tiwa pueblo which was abandoned between 1671 and 1680 when the road to Salina was blocked by Apache Indians. Designated as a state monument in 1935, this site is one of three in the Mountainair area. The other two are Abo and Gran Quivira, both of which are about a 30 minute drive further south and west from Quari.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Brown Bag Lunch with MRCOG
Please see announcement below from Mid-Regional Council of Governments in
Please bring your lunch and join the MPO staff for another “Brown Bag Lunch” presentation on Wednesday,
Information on the training content is available on the APA website-- http://www.planning.org/APAStore/Search/Default.aspx?p=3472.
