Tuesday, 06 November 2007

Merganser and Scaup Seen on Ponds

A male Hooded Merganser and a female Greater Scaup have been enjoying the parking lot pond. They were first seen on Oct. 30 and were still there on Nov. 4. While the Lesser Scaup is often seen in New Mexico in the winter, the Greater Scaup is a rarity. The Hooded Merganser is uncommon.

Events Create Visibility For Nature Center

The Friends of the Rio Grande Nature Center participates in numerous community events year-round. We attend these events for many reasons, among them fundraising, advertising, and volunteer recruiting. Three such events we recently participated in were the Combined Federal Campaign Kick-Off Events in September, the KUNM Green Pledge Drive and UNM Volunteer Fair in October.

Anyone who has worked at a booth can attest to how much planning is required, and how tiring it can be to stand for hours meeting strangers and giving the same information out over and over again. It’s hard work!

According to Volunteer Coordinator, Anne Russell, "Our volunteers really make it fun, though. Their positive attitudes ensure that our booths are “happening” places. I’d like to thank the volunteers who helped with our booths and other community events this fall – they are the face of our organization, and the heart of all that we do."

November Activities

VOLUNTEER NEEDS & ACTIVITIES: NOVEMBER 2007

Winter is just around the corner – and so are some of our favorite events! Here’s the schedule of activities for November:

We need volunteers for the following EVENTS

Festival of the Cranes, Bosque del Apache – booth
Friday, November 16,
Saturday, November 17,
Sunday, November 18
*To sign up, please contact Anne Russell

We need volunteers for the following JOBS

Webmaster
We need a volunteer to be the webmaster for our site, www.rgnc.org. Anyone with website design, maintenance, and Dreamweaver experience would be more than qualified for this position. This job is an important commitment, as our website is one of our main channels of communication with the public. Our webmaster needs to have the time and ability to make changes to the website on a regular basis (3 to 5 times a month, at most) and a willingness to do the job for the long-term.

Front Desk & Nature Shop
We are always looking for more volunteers to work the front desk and nature shop shifts. These are fun positions! You get to talk to park visitors, enjoy the scenery at the Nature Center Visitor Center, and help maintain a regular, strong Friends presence at the Park.

If you are interested in any of these jobs, please contact Anne Russell at 343-1373 or friends@rgnc.org

Important dates in November

NATURE SHOP RECEPTION for a new book, Bearing Witness: 25 Years of Refuge
Saturday, November 10, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Margy O’Brien & Lou Libery will take orders for their new book, read poetry, display original watercolors, and offer drinks and snacks. Note: no Friends’ member discounts will apply for this event.

BIRD RESEARCH PRESENTATION:
Over 25 years of Rio Grande bird research at the RGNCSP
Presented by Steve and Nancy Cox
Wednesday, November 14, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

20th Annual FESTIVAL OF THE CRANES, Bosque del Apache NWR
Tuesday, November 13 through Sunday, November 18
The Friends will have a booth on Friday, November 16, Saturday, November 17, and Sunday, November 18 – we invite you to come down to the Refuge, visit our booth, and enjoy the festival!

If you’d like more information about the Festival of the Cranes, visit www.friendsofthebosque.org/crane on the web, or call (505) 835-2077.

THE PARK WILL BE CLOSED ON THANKSGIVING DAY:
Thursday, November 22
We wish you all a wonderful holiday!

November Activities

Bosque Education Guide
Teacher training and material on Rio Grande Bosque ecology
Saturday, November 3, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
* Pre-registration required, call 344-7240

All Volunteer Meeting & Training Opportunity
Join us as we demonstrate a different educational trunk each month, followed by the Public Education Committee meeting. Please bring your lunch.
Wednesday, November 7, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Board meeting
Thursday, November 8, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Water Quality Monitoring
Tuesday, November 13, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 14, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Preservation, Protection, & Research Committee Meeting
Saturday, November 17, 2:00 p.m.
Join us as we discuss different topics with special speakers.

Moon/Twilight Walk
Saturday, November 24 (call for time & reservations)

In the Garden
Every Saturday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Bird Walks
Every Saturday and Sunday, 8:30 a.m.

Nature Walks
Every Sunday, 1 p.m.

Notice
The volunteer board at the Nature Center Visitor Center is going to be “under construction” for the next few weeks. Please bear with us - I hope the changes we make to the area will improve its usability.

Thank you to all the volunteers who made our October events successful!