so i went. This is the 25th anniversary of the Festival of the Cranes and today was the annual meeting of the Friends of the Bosque, the human beings who volunteer time, sweat, money for the love of this Place. and this is the thing i have been stricken by everytime i have attended a Festival, the sheer almost ecstatic energy that is created by so many who travel so far for this Celebration of Birds. There is a HUGE aura surrounding the entire refuge during that time in November. and i mean that literally. Whether or not you are "into" auras, it simply is there. hovering, vibrating, reflecting.
Most of the time i go to the refuge when nothing at all is going on. it's pretty much empty except for those that work there. i go to just sit. and stare. i take a little lunch and eat it in the weeds somewhere. somehow this connects me to the birds. today, being Volunteer Day it was BIZZY. There was the annual meeting which i'd never attended and which was so full of interesting info about what has been accomplished in the last year and what is hoped to be accomplished in the next year or two...a LOT about management, research projects (like the one for the cougars that just "showed up" to set up housekeeping, not just pass through.), and i was touched by how much Everyone there, the Fish and Wildlife people, the Federal Wildlife Management people, EVERYONE really and actually LOVES this Place and what it represents to the Planet. So after the meeting, a really great lunch prepared by people who just love to feed people. (so New Mexico) and then the various projects. planting, clearing, weaving the river willow stick fence (me) and more. a LOT of people. a lot of boyscout, girlscout troups, 4Hgroups...kids. Too many people, after a while, and also it was getting to be Goat Time, so i wandered away. i said i'd take pics. and as usual, i didn't. but i stopped at the edge of the Refuge, at the beginning of the 9 mile trail to Chupadera Peak and climbed up
facing North. and i picked up some flaked pieces of old iron from Railroad doings to wrap in cloth.
and i DID connect with the very great YOUNG woman who is doing the program with the kids from the local, San Antonio, elementary. i didn't realize this is a very new program. after her presentation i went up and told her i was interested in working in this program. we talked and i have her email to set it up. as i was walking away, i said..."and are you innundated with volunteers?" to which she cheerily replied, "you're it!". so. ok. how great is this. she works with the combined 3rd and 4th grade class, so she gets the kids TWO years. They do a variety of projects. their teacher works with them on one Thursday in class and then on every other Thursday they spend the day at the Refuge following through. This year, the Refuge has given them their OWN piece of land. They will research it thoroughly. they will record all manner of things through out their 2 years in..........DEB G.!!!!....their own personal notebooks that they are given. FIELD NOTES. where they record Data and make maps/diagrams/drawings. i mentioned that this was what i would really look forward to and that i was good at drawings. She was happy. said it was her weakness. one of the things they draw is all the artifacts of prey they find in Owl scat. oh, tra la. This is GOOD. This is very very GOOD.
