Festival Coordinatior Robyn Harrison (left) and Friends of the Bosque Executive Director Leigh Ann Vradenburg dressed in the fun t-shirts for this years' Festival, featuring the Festival Art and sandhill crane tracks down one arm.

(If you buy anything in the Bosque Nature Store - or the online Bosque Nature Store, the money supports the Friends' great projects in support of our spectacular Refuge.)

OK- first off- the bird count-

There are more birds than reported officially since the count was a while back (the Friends' web site has the official report which is a combination of Nov 5 and Nov 10; and F&W "didn't get a good count.")

Light Geese 19,850

Sandhill Cranes 2,491 (more as of today, Nov 15)

Canada Geese 325

Ducks over 23,000

With good internet access at the Refuge, we'll have a blog you will love (we hope!!)

It won't start the first day because the main blogger is traveling down to the Bosque on Wednesday and getting set up, so the first report will be that afternoon and might be an interview with John Vradenburg about snow geese and his workshop.

This will be the beginning of interviews from the presenters and speakers and updates on the whole Festival from a variety of people..

We'll include photos from the Festival- of people, birds, art and more.

(and some surprises!)

Complete Schedule of Events Online

Six Great Days !

Workshops, tours, lectures, hikes and special activities

Art Show!

Paintings, photography, jewelry, crafts, clothing and gifts!

Wildlife Exhibitions!

Snakes, wolves, raptors and binoculars!

Registration is closed (as of Nov 11, 2010)

but you may buy a ticket for any open events at the door.

Check the schedule- there is so much to see and do!

Art Show and Wildlife Exhibitions

FestivaloftheCranes.com

2010 Keynote Speaker Joel Sartore

Joel Sartore

Festival of the Cranes 2010 Keynote Speaker
Thursday night 8pm, November 18, 2010

For more than 20 years, Joel has contributed to such magazines as Time, Life, Newsweek, Audubon, Sports Illustrated and hundreds of books. National Geographic has sent him to exotic destinations to photograph wildlife. Grizzly bears have chased him up trees, parasites have devoured his flesh, musk ox have charged him. And yet, not only has he lived to talk about it, he does so with humor and a desire to educate others about the dire state of our environment. He'll speak Thursday night, November 18, 2010, at 8:00 pm at the Macey Center. He also will talk about the business of photography and its future earlier on Thursday.

Workshops, special tours, lectures, events... Festival of the Cranes 2010!

We are excited, and are working on the schedule of workshops, special tours, lectures and more for our Festival, and will have these posted on the Festival of the Cranes web site at FestivaloftheCranes.com as soon as possible. As usual, registration will not begin until closer to the Festival dates, and the beginning of registration will be announced on the Festival site (and here) Due to the great popularity and uniqueness of the events, you will need to register as soon as possible. Many events are free, and many others have a low, nominal fee (often just $5 or $10)

Festival of the Cranes! Nov 16-21 Art and More!

The Art for the Festival of the Cranes from Nov 16-21, 2010 is pictured at left. This image of a pair of Sandhill Cranes as they walk toward the last light of sunset will be featured on the Festival T-shirts, mugs, lapel pins, and more... All sales from the Bosque Nature Store (online at Friends of the Bosque and at the Nature Store at the Refuge 575-835-1828) all help to fund the Friends of the Bosque's wonderful educational and other valuable programs - all which support the Refuge. Please visit the Friends web site and to see some of these projects, and please consider membership. We love to have new Friends!

NEWS! Festival of the Cranes

2010 Festival of the Cranes Dates announced!

Nov 16-21, 2010

Put it on your calendar- more great tours, workshops, lectures and fun!

www.FestivaloftheCranes.com