World Migratory Bird Day

Join us for a weekend of celebrating Spring Migration at Bosque del Apache and learn about the amazing species that are spending the season with us! Holly Merker and Alex Harper will be returning to guide in-person, birding identification field trips. We will also have a keynote speaker, Gina Dello Russo, talking about the imporance of water at Bosque del Apache.

Holly Merker Holly has a background in art therapy, but today employs nature and birds to achieve the same result of mental, physical, and emotional wellness in her work as a Mindful Birding leader and certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide (ANFT).

Holly has paired her professional backgrounds in art therapy and over twenty years of bird guiding and environmental education, with coursework in MBSR, and the practice of Forest Bathing, to provide rich sensory experiences through nature-based wellness programs. Holly’s gently guided experiences incorporate accessibility for all mobility and skill levels and are designed to be welcoming and inclusive to all people.

Alex Harper
Alex Harper is a field biologist, birding guide, and outdoor educator based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Originally from Miami and South Florida, his deep interest in nature began early in childhood. He gravitated towards birds and reptiles in particular, and his parents fostered his interests by taking him to biologically rich habitats like the Florida Keys and Everglades.
Today Alex is more permanently settled in Las Vegas where he helps to operate a bird guiding business, serves as an outreach coordinator and educator for Red Rock Audubon, and conducts occasional bird surveys in the Mojave Desert. He serves on the board of directors for the Audubon chapter, sits on a board that advises county officials on wildlife policy in southern Nevada and is a voting member of the Nevada Birds Record Committee.
Gina Dello Russo As a riparian ecologist, Gina has been building regional interest in and capacity for addressing Rio Grande ecosystem restoration and long term health for the last thirty years. She is from a farming family of the Socorro valley, New Mexico. She worked as a physical sciences technician including work in groundwater and surface water hydrology and contaminants for 15 years before getting a BS in Biology from UNM.
She worked with the federal government for 27 years, most of that as Refuge Ecologist at Bosque del Apache NWR, where she focused on landscape scale ecosystem restoration on and off the refuge.

Migration Magic
Friday with Holly Merker
Saturday with Alex Harper
6:30 am – 9:00 am
These field trips will focus on seeking out what birds have dropped in for a refuel and recharge. This trip will guide participants around the refuge to seek out birds in various habitats, will include a focus on songbirds, and will also highlight any lingering waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, gulls, and more!

Learning the Language of Birds
Friday with Alex Harper
Saturday with Holly Merker
6:30 am – 9:00 am
This workshop spends time indoors and outdoors, with the idea that for some of the experience, we’ll put into practice some of what we learn by listening to the birds around Bosque del Apache. Alex and Holly will share personal tips and offer hands-on techniques for learning some basics of the language of birds, all of which you can take with you and apply wherever your birding journeys take you.

Celebrating Songbirds
Friday with Alex Harper
9:30 am – 12 noon
Want to learn some tips to help you identify those active songbirds that keep you guessing? And also get to know these birds on a deeper level? This field trip will not only focus on identification tips for songbirds you may encounter in and around the refuge, but also provide you with tools to take on your birding adventures wherever life takes you. The trip will be at a comfortably slow pace that is suitable for all mobility levels.

Every Bird Counts
Friday with Holly Merker – One time only
9:30 am – 12 noon
Want to learn to do something that’s not only fun, rewarding, and good for you, but also good for the birds and planet? In this workshop, we’ll learn how to use some popular apps for birding and observation – eBird, Merlin, iNaturalist, and more—and how they contribute to the greater good of conservation. In addition, we’ll focus on why every bird is important, and we’ll spotlight some of the refuge’s unique birdlife as we spend the morning birding with an emphasis on paying forward to bird conservation. 

Keynote – A call to action
You can truly make a difference!
Gina Dello Russo, local advocate for the Rio Grande
Saturday – One time only | 11:30 am – 12:30 noon
It is an exciting time for all to be engaged in discussions on our shared water future. There are opportunities coming up for the Friends to meet other stakeholders in the Middle Rio Grande. Through shared learning and advocacy, we can assure that the natural environment along the Rio Grande, including the jewels of the national and state refuges, are protected and have the capacity to thrive in the future.
Let’s start with some of the facts of where we are today, waterwise. I will give a short overview of the available science that will inform how we move into our water future. Then I hope to interest the Friends in the many ways they can become involved in local and regional discussions and actions to assure that our shared voices are heard, and our concerns are addressed.

Desert Arboretum Stroll
Saturday – One time only | 12 noon – 2:00 pm
After the Friends  Annual meeting, we hope you’ll stay to explore the desert blooms at our Annual Desert Arboretum Stroll!  This FREE “drop-in” style event allows visitors to experience the beauty of spring in the Chihuahuan desert while strolling through the arboretum.  Knowledgeable volunteers will be available to answer questions about the cacti, native plants, water-wise landscaping, and even the critters who call the arboretum home.  Throughout the accessible trail, many of the cacti will be in bloom and native pollinators will be hard at work. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to view the garden at its finest!   

Youth Birding Adventure
Saturday
Two concurrent sessions: ages 5 -12* and ages 13 – 17
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Know any kids or teens who love nature and want to learn more about birds?
This special event is designed especially for them.
Together we’ll share the wonders of the birds of Bosque del Apache, as we tune into the feathered friends around us through fun and engaging exercises in observation! No experience with birdwatching is necessary. If you have binoculars, feel free to bring them. *Attendees under 13 must be accompanied by one adult

Birding 101
Friday with Alex Harper – One time only
2:30 pm – 5:00 pm
New to birding, or want to expand on your existing skills? This program is for you. On this field trip, Alex will focus on the basics of birding during a slow-paced tour around the refuge. Learn new tips and tools to add to your birding skillset while you celebrate every bird with others who love them too.

Birding By Behavior
Friday with Holly Merker
2:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Saturday with Alex Harper
5:00 pm – 7:30 p