Bosque del Apache NWR partnered with the Friends of the Bosque del Apache, the Southwest Regional Office, and Washington Office to organize and host the Southwest Region Friends Conference. The three-day event was attended by staff and Friends from 17 different refuges across the region (75 people) and was a prototype for conferences of this type that will take place across the country.  The agenda focused on strategic planning and encouraging Friends to work with and support their refuges to achieve their management goals.  More than 30 Bosque del Apache volunteers, Friends and staff members worked hard to feed, transport, and entertain conference attendees, including early morning fly-out and afternoon fly-in field trips.