The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge straddles the Rio Grande south of Socorro, N.M., and serves as the wintering grounds for thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese. Witness this rare spectacle at the 15th annual Festival of the Cranes, a six-day event organized by the Friends of the Bosque del Apache that coincides with the return of cranes and geese to the refuge.


This year, the festival will also feature the even rarer appearance of deceased conservationist Aldo Leopold; writer and recording artist Richard Bodmer, one of two keynote speakers, will portray the legendary naturalist and ecologist. Other activities include talks by Mike Phillips, executive director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund, as well as biologist-led tours of the refuge, photo-graphy and birdwatching workshops, and displays of work from artists inspired by the refuge's wildlife.


The festival takes place at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Nov. 19-24. For more information, call 505/835-2077 or visit www.friendsofthebosque.org/crane.