The Friends of the Bosque provide support to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge through direct funding, funds administration, and volunteer support. The Friends coordinate the Festival of the Cranes, now in its 22nd year and one of the premiere birding festivals in the nation. Additionally, the Festival is the single greatest income generating event for Socorro County. The Friends also run the Bosque Nature Store, which has a wide selection of nature-themed books, clothing, gifts, jewelry, and artwork. Funds from the Nature Store, along with donations and memberships, are used to provide support to ongoing Refuge research projects, to provide environmental education to Socorro County schools, to produce outreach materials for the Refuge, and to provide stipends for New Mexico schools to visit and tour the Refuge, to name a few of our projects. The Friends website www.friendsofthebosque.org provides detailed information for interested persons and Refuge Visitors. In recent years the Friends group has purchased land for inclusion in the Refuge, and remodeled the Refuge Visitor Center, including construction of a new annex for meetings and educational programs.
To support the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, and to promote appreciation and conservation of wildlife and habitat through environmental education and natural history experiences at the Refuge.
PO Box 340