Celebrating 25 Years of Friendship to Bosque del Apache

1. Celebrating 25 Years of Friendship to Bosque del Apache

2. Your membership and donation dollars have a direct impact on the refuge! To reduce the refuge’s dependence on the grid and lower energy costs, Friends has been installing solar panels and more efficient lighting (LED) in many refuge buildings. Federal dollars not spent on utility bills can be spent on preserving wildlife and habitat management! To make school field trips to the refuge more affordable and support the refuge’s goal of providing educational programs that promote environmental awareness and conservation, Friends sponsors a Bus Scholarship Fund, which allows more than five hundred students and teachers to experience the magic of Bosque del Apache every year!

3. Your membership and donation dollars have a direct impact on the refuge! With longer and more intense periods of drought and increasing demand for the life-giving waters of the Rio Grande, water management is of critical importance on the refuge. Friends has provided funding for the installation of an improved surface-water delivery system for wetlands and croplands. This greatly benefits wildlife habitat for future generations.

4. Your membership and donation dollars have a direct impact on the refuge! Friends even improved the refuge by adding to it! In order to allow the completion of the 9.5 mile Chupadera Wilderness National Recreation Trail and preserve the incredible views afforded from the top, Friends purchased 6,272 ft. high Chupadera Peak and the surrounding 140 acres and then donated them to Bosque del Apache. View of refuge wetlands from the summit of Chupadera Peak

5. Your membership and donation dollars have a direct impact on the refuge! Friends greatly enhanced the refuge Visitor Center by adding the 2,100 sq. ft. Christina Ann Lannan Educational Annex and conference room, built with funds raised by the Friends and major donations by the Lannan Foundation. Committed to supporting all the needs of the refuge, Friends has even providing funding for Biology and Maintenance interns for the last several summers, after cuts in federal funding led to fewer paid employees.

6. Your membership and donation dollars have a direct impact on the refuge! Friends provided front-end financing for construction of the wheelchair-accessible Boardwalk on the south loop, a favorite attraction of many of our 200,000 annual visitors. Additionally, with the help of a very generous donation, Friends recently purchased a new steel bridge to enhance access to the Boardwalk Trail.

7. Your membership and donation dollars have a direct impact on the refuge! Bosque Nature Store promotes exclusive merchandise designed to raise funds for refuge projects. Friends operates the Bosque Nature Store, where visitors can find unique, hand-crafted, locally made and ethically traded merchandise for every occasion, and where net proceeds benefit Bosque del Apache. All proceeds from the sales of Mouse Caps in the store, for example, went towards the purchase of necessary equipment for the Biology staff’s NM Meadow Jumping Mouse Program.

8. Your membership and donation dollars have a direct impact on the refuge! One of the newest trails on the refuge, the Desert Arboretum is a living classroom, boasting over a hundred species of native pollinator plants and cacti, all maintained by the Friends. Friends recently added two types of rainwater catchment systems to the garden, a 1,500-gallon tank and piping system, and this year, the first of four planned 550-gallon slimline tanks. Each of these will ensure that the xeric garden has a year-round supply of water while also educating the public about water conservation.

9. Your membership and donation dollars also inspire current and future generations of BdA supporters to be participants in conservation! To ensure all visitors have access to a map and pertinent information in every season, Friends also publishes the annual Habitat! guide (also available with a supplement for Spanish speakers). Committed to keeping our family of members connected and informed about refuge activities, programs and upcoming events, Friends publishes the quarterly newsletter, Bosque Watch. Additionally, Friends publishes the Junior Refuge Ranger Activity Book, an interactive tool utilized by refuge volunteers to encourage young visitors to play an active role in protecting, learning, and spreading the word about conserving Bosque del Apache.

10. Your membership and donation dollars also inspire current and future generations of BdA supporters to be participants in conservation! Rated among the top three wildlife, birding and photography events in North America, the nationally recognized Festival of the Cranes offers over 140 event sessions in 4 days. Friends organizes and orchestrates this annual event, which educates the public and generates revenue to help fund important refuge projects.

11. Your membership and donation dollars also inspire current and future generations of BdA supporters to be participants in conservation! Children and their families can see raptors and reptiles up close, participate in duck banding, hikes, archery, and the young birder tour, learn about conservation and wilderness, and so much more—all for free! Friends sponsors this family friendly fun twice a year, during Wildlife Zone at Festival of the Cranes in November and Bosque Conservation Day in the spring.

12. Your membership and donation dollars also inspire current and future generations of BdA supporters to be participants in conservation! Friends plans and sponsors various cost-free community events throughout the year, such as Desert Arboretum Stroll, Bosque Conservation Days, Wildlife Zone at Festival of the Cranes, and Holiday Open House. For information about upcoming events and Program details, please visit our website at www.FriendsoftheBosque.org.

13. Your membership dollars help ensure the health of this special habitat, which wildlife have relied upon for millennia.Join our family of members as we help sustain and protect this magnificent oasis in the desert, now and for future generations. You are vital to the success of Bosque del Apache!

14. Support What You Love! Join the Friends, renew or upgrade your membership, or donate today!