webmaster
11-13-2005, 03:41 AM
The city of Socorro is in the process of putting on its best bib and tucker in preparation for the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge's annual Festival of the Cranes that begins on Tuesday, November 15, and continues through the 20th. Not only is the Annual Crane festival the largest birding event in New Mexico each year, it is also Socorro's largest annual tourism event as well. Thousands of enthusiastic bird watchers and wildlife lovers from throughout the southwest and across the nation are expected to flap their personal wings and descend on Socorro and the Bosque del Apache NWR during the five days of this 18th annual festival.
The Crane Festival is celebrated each year in part because it is an enormous wildlife and birding success story. During the 1930s, the Rocky Mountain population of greater sandhill cranes had begun to decline rapidly. Habitat loss in wintering and breeding areas, land use changes and various other factors had all taken a heavy toll on the crane population. In 1941, less than 20 sandhills wintered on Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).
Since 1939, refuge staff, volunteers, supporters, and other agencies have worked diligently to restore wintering habitat along the Rio Grande for the ever more popular cranes. The extensive management of the refuge includes moist soil management, the growing of natural wetland foods, cooperative agriculture among the farmers and ranchers along the river, as well as crop manipulation. With all these efforts combined, the crane population recovery has been quite dramatic. Bosque del Apache NWR hosts about three-quarters of the Rocky Mountain sandhill crane population each winter, totaling up to 15,000 birds.
In addition to sandhill cranes, the refuge is also a wintering stopover or home for thousands of snow geese, Ross’ geese, pintails, shovelers, mallards, and a host of other waterfowl. The refuge is also widely known for its small population of American Bald Eagles.
You haven't lived until you've seen thousands of cranes and many thousands more Canadian snow geese take flight all at once in the early dawn hours at the Refuge. It's a truly mind-blowing sight to witness and as such, it has brought tears to the eyes of countless thousands of bird lovers over the eighteen-year history of the festival.
Socorro prepares for and hosts dozens of Festival related events and activities during the week. It seems as if everyone in town has some part to play or something to contribute to this event. For one thing, keep your eyes open for the Giant Crane footprints that are annually painted onto the streets of Socorro in advance of the event.
One of the many popular local art events the Crane Festival has become known and loved for is annual appearance of the collection of giant crayola crayons, which were lovingly created by Socorro artist Becky Titus Taylor as a playful celebration of the larger event. Although she no longer lives in Socorro, Becky has worked on the creation of her giant box of Crayola Crayon replicas for 8 years now. Each year She tries to add one or two new crayons to the growing collection... Becky has said more than once that hopes to have a complete box of 64 crayons sometime in the future. At last count there were nearly 50 giant crayons in the collection.
Protecting and preserving the city's crayons has become a community effort. Many of the crayons are stored safely in friends of the Crayon Festival's homes around Socorro and each year there is a day just before the Crane Festival when the Crayons are collected together for public display.
Sadly, several crayons have been stolen or disappeared over the years. Three crayons were stolen last year. One disappeared previously. After the mysterious disappearance in 2004, the community pulled together and started looking for the missing art. One crayon was eventually returned. The other two are still missing.
Attached to this post is a photo taken of the collection of the crayons for this year's event. Steppin Out has also created a gallery that contains several more images of this year's collection. You can visit that gallery here (http://www.steppinoutnewmexico.com/pp-514/showgallery.php?cat=515)
Watch for the Crayons. They are displayed in a yard on School of Mines Road each year. It's hard to miss them. The whooping crayon is over 14 feet tall!
The Crane Festival is celebrated each year in part because it is an enormous wildlife and birding success story. During the 1930s, the Rocky Mountain population of greater sandhill cranes had begun to decline rapidly. Habitat loss in wintering and breeding areas, land use changes and various other factors had all taken a heavy toll on the crane population. In 1941, less than 20 sandhills wintered on Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).
Since 1939, refuge staff, volunteers, supporters, and other agencies have worked diligently to restore wintering habitat along the Rio Grande for the ever more popular cranes. The extensive management of the refuge includes moist soil management, the growing of natural wetland foods, cooperative agriculture among the farmers and ranchers along the river, as well as crop manipulation. With all these efforts combined, the crane population recovery has been quite dramatic. Bosque del Apache NWR hosts about three-quarters of the Rocky Mountain sandhill crane population each winter, totaling up to 15,000 birds.
In addition to sandhill cranes, the refuge is also a wintering stopover or home for thousands of snow geese, Ross’ geese, pintails, shovelers, mallards, and a host of other waterfowl. The refuge is also widely known for its small population of American Bald Eagles.
You haven't lived until you've seen thousands of cranes and many thousands more Canadian snow geese take flight all at once in the early dawn hours at the Refuge. It's a truly mind-blowing sight to witness and as such, it has brought tears to the eyes of countless thousands of bird lovers over the eighteen-year history of the festival.
Socorro prepares for and hosts dozens of Festival related events and activities during the week. It seems as if everyone in town has some part to play or something to contribute to this event. For one thing, keep your eyes open for the Giant Crane footprints that are annually painted onto the streets of Socorro in advance of the event.
One of the many popular local art events the Crane Festival has become known and loved for is annual appearance of the collection of giant crayola crayons, which were lovingly created by Socorro artist Becky Titus Taylor as a playful celebration of the larger event. Although she no longer lives in Socorro, Becky has worked on the creation of her giant box of Crayola Crayon replicas for 8 years now. Each year She tries to add one or two new crayons to the growing collection... Becky has said more than once that hopes to have a complete box of 64 crayons sometime in the future. At last count there were nearly 50 giant crayons in the collection.
Protecting and preserving the city's crayons has become a community effort. Many of the crayons are stored safely in friends of the Crayon Festival's homes around Socorro and each year there is a day just before the Crane Festival when the Crayons are collected together for public display.
Sadly, several crayons have been stolen or disappeared over the years. Three crayons were stolen last year. One disappeared previously. After the mysterious disappearance in 2004, the community pulled together and started looking for the missing art. One crayon was eventually returned. The other two are still missing.
Attached to this post is a photo taken of the collection of the crayons for this year's event. Steppin Out has also created a gallery that contains several more images of this year's collection. You can visit that gallery here (http://www.steppinoutnewmexico.com/pp-514/showgallery.php?cat=515)
Watch for the Crayons. They are displayed in a yard on School of Mines Road each year. It's hard to miss them. The whooping crayon is over 14 feet tall!