Spend the morning observing the spectacular turtles of Bosque del Apache. Six turtle species are known to occur at the refuge, and this region has some of the greatest turtle diversity in the Southwest. On this field trip, participants will learn to identify native turtle species and gain an understanding of their behavior and natural history, while exploring the reasons why these wonderful creatures are important to the riparian ecosystem of central New Mexico.

Accompanied by a turtle biologist guide, we will train our binoculars and camera lenses toward basking sites along the many waterways of the refuge, attempting to capture these elusive species before they disappear into the water. In New Mexico, water is life (agua es vida), and these aquatic reptiles exemplify this mantra. Join us for a new experience at the refuge, in search of these ancient and fascinating creatures.

The Magdalena Mountains just outside of Socorro boast an incredible diversity of birds, with scenery providing an array of vibrant sensory experiences. The bubbling streams and lush pine mountain landscapes of Water Canyon National Forest are home to some of New Mexico's rarer montane nesting birds, including the highly sought after Red-faced Warbler. Along the trails, we'll have an opportunity to see a variety of birdlife, coupled with majestic views and better understanding hydro-scape and the important role these mountains play in the ecological health of the Rio Grande, which feeds directly into Bosque del Apache.

Poet Archibald MacLeish said "that a poem should not mean/but be." Join our group as we spend time together on a refuge trail sharing one or more nature-inspired poems with each other, reading aloud and sharing the being of poetry. Come prepared with a poem to share, which can be one of yours or a favorite from another writer. Come ready to take in refuge air, listen to birds, let everything else go, relax and enjoy the company of others who, like you, just want to explore and celebrate the joyful, soulful and playful nature of words and poetry.

The Friends of Bosque del Apache has teamed up with refuge staff and the River for Monarchs project headed by the Institute for Applied Ecology to restore twelve acres of habitat to support monarch butterflies and other native pollinators. Join Pollinator Habitat Enhancement Project Manager, Cari Powell, for an overview of this exciting restoration project, now in its third year, on the refuge!

Plants are the basis of any pollinator-friendly habit, and in this seminar, we'll review the history of the project, plans for the site, as well as how and why we decided on which plants to use. The presentation will conclude with steps you can take to benefit butterflies and other pollinators in your backyard!

Central New Mexico is lizard country — home to some of the greatest lizard diversity in the United States. In New Mexico, lizards are our friends and neighbors, but what are they up to and why are they in such a hurry? Join us and explore the fascinating world of lizards along the desert trails of Bosque del Apache. Shift your binoculars perspective to the desert sands and rocks as we learn to identify the many lizard species of the region.

With a herpetologist guide, we will explore the fascinating gender-bending reproductive biology of these icons of the Southwest. From the apex predators of the lizard world to the spectacularly colorful species that roam the boulder and rock-strewn desert landscapes, displaying their colors for the keen-eyed to see. Get to know these wonderfully beautiful creatures up close as we use bird watching skills and methods to observe and identify the lizards of Bosque del Apache.

These field trips will focus on seeking out which birds have dropped in for a refuel and recharge. This trip will guide participants around the refuge to seek out birds in various habitats, and will include a focus on songbirds, but will also highlight any lingering waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, gulls, and more!

Experience yellow warblers zipping over in "morning flight", notice vermillion flycatchers as they claim nesting territories, listen to the sounds of joyous songbirds as they herald spring and new beginnings.

Immerse yourself in the breathtaking landscapes of Bosque del Apache NWR while sharpening your birding skills by sight and sound. This spring-focused session blends skill-building with joy, as we explore the refuge in search of migratory warblers, shorebirds, wading birds, sparrows, flycatchers, and more.

We'll cover birding-by-ear techniques, field identification strategies, optimizing your optics, and smart app use — helping you grow both your confidence and your species list. Leave with practical tools you can apply wherever your birding journey takes you and experience the transformative magic of learning birds together in one of the nation's most scenic wildlife refuges.

This FREE “drop-in” style event allows visitors to experience the beauty of spring in the Chihuahuan desert while strolling through the Desert Arboretum, just west of the Bosque del Apache NWR plaza.  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! 

Enjoy one more FREE "drop-in" style event and watch Sharon Fullingim sculpt while surrounded by nature. In the Bosque del Apache NWR Plaza, Sharon will demonstrate her sculpting technique while carving wildlife sculptures, and she will display some of her past completed work.

This is part of Society of Animal Artists' (SAA's) national event taking place in many locations around the US on May 2, 2026. SAA's goal is to have SAA artists at zoos and wildlife refuges throughout the United States on May 2, to demonstrate their craft and engage with visitors to express why portraying animals in fine art is important and relevant. SAA is especially looking to get kids interested in the genre of animal art. Sharon will answer questions and converse with folks as they come by.

This style of birding embraces an easy and relaxed pace, allowing more time to linger and get to know birds. For this trip, we'll be less focused on quick identifications and species tally and more focused on incorporating techniques to invite relaxation and enhanced awareness, fostering a more receptive learning environment. We'll still see a lot of birds, but the focus for this program shifts to deepening our understanding of birds and habitats through a hands-on learning experience, enjoying the wellness benefits of nature, and sharing the joy with others.

In this workshop, we will spend time indoors and outdoors. We'll put into practice some of what we learn in class by then listening to the birds around Bosque del Apache. Your instructor will share personal tips and offer hands-on techniques for learning some basics of the language of birds, all of which you can apply wherever your birding journeys take you. Some of the goals of this program are to heighten your listening skills and teach you techniques to learn new species, while becoming less reliant on the Merlin App for ID.

Like a good movie or tv show, watching birds can distract us from what's going on in our own lives, providing entertainment but also a mental recharge from our own hectic worlds. Observing bird behaviors and patterns can give us some of the best keys to unlocking the secrets to identification and help us acquire and quicken skills used by all birding experts. During this field trip, Bosque del Apache sets the stage for front-row viewing of dynamic behaviors of birds as we explore and learn together, adding new tools to our bird ID toolkits.

How much time have you spent watching a small bird move through thick foliage? Do this long enough, and you'll notice that these small birds all do the most mundane things in their own ways. We see that kinglets hover-glean; wrens explore the nooks and crannies; vireos exercise patience; and orange-crowned warblers forage at a far slower pace than Wilson's warblers. This class is about observation at that level of detail. We will spend time watching the various ways that these birds survive in this world. This is about learning to observe the ways each species has learned to set itself apart from seemingly similar birds. It may change the way you look at the "little brown birds" in your backyard for good!

We look forward to welcoming you to our upcoming Friends Annual Meeting. Join us to hear from Friends and refuge staff, who will share State of the Refuge, State of the Friends and Financial Reports.

Keynote: When Birds Migrated to the Moon

Frances Godwin, Bishop of Hereford, was a pillar of the Church of England but also a man with a sense of humor. In 1628 he wrote what is regarded as the first or second work of Science Fiction, “The Man in the Moone, in which protagonist Domingo Gonsales flies to the moon in a chariot drawn by swans. 50 years later, birds on the moon was taken literally by the physicist Thomas Morton. Everyone knew many bird species disappeared in winter. No one knew where. Morton deduced the only rational explanation was that they went to moon, a theory he backed with a fair degree of science, and one that did not entirely meet its demise until the late 19th century.

These field trips will focus on seeking out which birds have dropped in for a refuel and recharge. This trip will guide participants around the refuge to seek out birds in various habitats, and will include a focus on songbirds, but will also highlight any lingering waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, gulls, and more!

Experience yellow warblers zipping over in "morning flight", notice vermillion flycatchers as they claim nesting territories, listen to the sounds of joyous songbirds as they herald spring and new beginnings.

Like a good movie or tv show, watching birds can distract us from what's going on in our own lives, providing entertainment but also a mental recharge from our own hectic worlds. Observing bird behaviors and patterns can give us some of the best keys to unlocking the secrets to identification and help us acquire and quicken skills used by all birding experts. During this field trip, Bosque del Apache sets the stage for front-row viewing of dynamic behaviors of birds as we explore and learn together, adding new tools to our bird ID toolkits.

New to birding? Or want to expand on your existing skills? This program is for you. This field trip will emphasize the basics of birding during a slow-paced tour around the refuge. Learn new tips and tools that will add to your birding skillset while you celebrate every bird with others who love them too.

Mindful Birding blends bird observation with simple mindfulness practices, inviting you to slow down and experience birds as guides rather than focusing solely on identification.

Through a gentle experience, we'll engage our senses — tuning into sight, sound, and presence — to deepen awareness and connection with the birds around us. Prompts and supportive techniques enhance observation skills while amplifying the wellbeing benefits that come from intentional time in nature. Benefits of mindful birding include stress relief, feeling more connected to birds and nature, enhanced sensory awareness, and strengthened observation skills. Participants receive a mindful birding journal with prompts to help continue the practice beyond the program.

With its dynamic landscapes and birds, Bosque del Apache NWR in spring provides the perfect backdrop for forest bathing. With origins inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku, the practice of forest bathing helps unlock the health and restorative benefits the natural world holds for all of us. Birds are tightly linked to the habitats at Bosque del Apache, and with a framework of guided "invitations," we can deepen our connections to birds and nature by engaging the senses, noticing, and awakening our experience of reciprocity with the natural world.

This experience will be a bit different than a traditional outdoor guided walk, not focusing on sharing naturalist knowledge or identification, but instead allowing the landscapes and birds to intentionally guide us into slowing our pace. A tea ceremony among the group will be included in the experience as we celebrate birds and the Bosque. "Forest Bathing with Birds" can be calming, contemplative, mindful, revealing, soothing, awe-inspiring, and more. Come experience your own "personal refuge" while visiting this beautiful Refuge.

New Mexico Tech in Socorro is an oasis in the desert. With lawns, trees, sprinklers, and ponds, this campus is full of birds! Even in the afternoon, the wooded lawns and shrubby edges lure local birds for breeding, as well as provide stopover habitat for migratory birds. Expect to see and hear many of your familiar neighborhood birds chasing intruders from territories, gathering nest material, singing, and getting caught up in parenting. We may see migratory swallows, vireos, warblers, blackbirds, tanagers, and sparrows in the mix. Plus, folks heading to Albuquerque or Santa Fe are just a bit closer to home by wrapping up in Socorro!