Fall is a
wonderful season to visit a national wildlife refuge – to hike, to paddle, to
fish or to view wildlife. There’s a lot to enjoy on a national wildlife refuge.
The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, is the world’s premier system of public lands and waters set aside to
conserve America’s
fish, wildlife and plants. There is a national wildlife Refuge within an hour’s
drive of most major cities.
Need another
reason to visit? Here is a sampling of upcoming refuge events:
Participate in a Refuge 5K Run/Walk
Saturday,
October 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin
Celebrate
National Wildlife Refuge Week with a morning 5K run/walk on the auto tour,
sponsored by the Friends of Horicon Refuge. Enjoy activities, programs, nature
crafts and more throughout the day.
For more
information, visit the Horicon Refuge‘s webpage or call 920-387-2658, extension 24.
Take Part in another Refuge 5K Run/Walk
Saturday,
October 9, 10 a.m. – Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri
Celebrate
National Wildlife Refuge Week and Squaw Creek’s upcoming 75th anniversary with
a 5K run/walk. Participants can register at the refuge visitor contact station
starting at 9 a.m. The event starts at 10 a.m. from the auto tour route. Entry
fee: $10 per individual/ $15 per family. Register by mailing the entry fee to
Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, P.O.
Box 158, Mound City, MO 64470.
Please make checks payable to Friends of Squaw Creek.
For more
information, visit Squaw Creek Refuge‘s website or call 660-442-5754 ext 14.
Celebrate the Tens
Sunday, October
10, 7 a.m. – Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, Texas
Trinity River
National Wildlife Refuge welcomes participants in “The Big Sit.” Bird watchers,
refuge volunteers or anyone with an interest is invited to sit in a 17-foot
diameter circle and identify all the birds they see or hear during all or part
of a 24-hour period. Visitors can also celebrate wetlands in a day-long
10-10-10 event. Participants may pick up 10 pounds of trash; pull 10 pounds of
invasive plants; identify 10 birds; identify 10 plants; list 10 reasons why you
love this place; name 10 different types of wetlands; spend 10 minutes admiring
the landscape; learn 10 new facts about wetlands; catch 10 fish; meet 10 new
people.
For more
information visit the Trinity River Refuge webpage or contact Stuart Marcus, stuart_marcus@fws.gov, at 936-336-9786.
Take a Trail Walk
Sunday, October
10, 7:30 a.m. – Assabet National Wildlife Refuge, Massachusetts
Walk the trails
at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in this event co-sponsored with
the Friends of Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.
For more
information, visit Assabet River Refuge‘s webpage or call 978-443-4661.
Celebrate the Wetlands
Sunday, October
10, 10 a.m. – McNally Landing National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota
Celebrate
wetlands and the designation of the Upper Mississippi River Floodplain Wetlands
of International Importance. At this 10-10-10 event, participants may: pick up
10 pounds of trash; pull 10 pounds of invasive plants; identify 10 birds;
identify 10 plants; list 10 reasons why you love this place ; name 10 different
types of wetlands; spend 10 minutes admiring the landscape; learn 10 new facts
about wetlands; catch 10 fish; meet 10 new people.
For more
information, visit the McNally Landing Refuge website or
contact Cindy Samples, cindy_samples@fws.gov, at 507-494-6216.
Take Part in the Big Sit
Sunday October
10 – Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, Indiana
Participants in
“The Big Sit” bird event will count all birds that can be seen or heard from a
small circle on the refuge. Everyone is welcome. Staying the whole day is not
required.
For more
information, visit the Muscatatuck Refuge wepage or call 618-988-5933.
Tour a New Area
Monday, October
11, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois
Take a
self-guided tour of a usually restricted portion of the refuge.
For more information,
visit Crab Orchard Refuge‘s webpage or call 812-522-4352.
Attend the Log Cabin Day Festival
Saturday,
October 16, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, Indiana
The Log Cabin
Day Festival at Myers Cabin features old-time crafts, music, a free
ham-and-bean dinner, wildlife displays and horse-drawn wagon rides for
youngsters.
For more
information, visit the Muscatatuck Refuge webpage or
call 812-522-4352.
Celebrate Wild Things
Saturday,
October 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana
Enjoy the annual
Wild Things art exhibit, co-sponsored by the nonprofit Friends of Louisiana
Wildlife Refuges Inc. and held in celebration of National Wildlife Refuge Week.
Admission, parking and all tours and programs are free. Event highlights
include exciting speakers, live animals, demonstrations of pirogue building and
wildlife crafts, live entertainment, gardens and grounds tours, youth wildlife
art competition (more than 400 entries last year), children’s activities such
as the Wildland Fire Academy and Bear Maze, and canoe and pontoon boat tours of
Bayou Lacombe.
For more
information, visit the Southeast Louisiana Refuge‘s webpage or contact Bryon Fortier, byron_fortier@fws.gov, at 985-882-2025.
Take a Behind-the-Scenes Tour
Saturday,
October 16 – Patuxent Research Refuge, Maryland
Celebrate
National Wildlife Refuge Week and Earth Science Week. Enjoy live animals, children’s
crafts and behind-the-scenes research tours of the Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center.
For more
information, visit Patuxent Research Refuge‘s webpage or
call 301-497-5630.
Participate in a Butterfly Count
Saturday,
October 16, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, Texas
Take part in the
12th Annual Trinity River Butterfly Count in northern Liberty County.
Areas to be counted include the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge,
Tarkington Prairie and Gaylor
Lake area. Some folks
will butterfly the “bottoms” so be sure to bring a sack lunch, rubber knee
boots and other appropriate outdoor clothing. Butterfly enthusiasts of all
levels are welcome.
For more information,
visit Trinity River Refuge‘s webpage or call Stuart Marcus at 936-336-9786.
Take a Guided Birdwatching Hike
Saturday,
October 16, 8 a.m. — Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Washington
Hike the Gibbons Creek Wildlife
Art Trail.
Reservations are required. To reserve a spot, contact Eric Anderson,
eric_anderson@fws.gov, at the Ridgefield Refuge at 360-887-4106.
For more
information, visit Steigerwald Lake Refuge‘s webpage.
Cycle a Refuge
Sunday, October
17 — Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland
The “Wild Goose
Chase,” a women-only bike ride organized by Terry Precision Cycling takes place
in and around Blackwater Refuge on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and benefits the refuge. Registration is
$55. Last year’s ride raised more than $24,000 for the refuge. Register for the
event at the Terry Precision Cycling website. For more information about the refuge, visit Blackwater Refuge‘s webpage.
Celebrate a New Visitor Center
Sunday, October
17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, Massachusetts
For the opening
of the refuge’s new visitor center, festivities include an 11-mile “Bike and
Hike” along designated refuge trails (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.); an exploration of
pond life at Puffer Pond (10 a.m. to noon); World War II bunker tours (10 a.m.,
11 a.m., and noon); a family bike ride to Puffer Pond (11 a.m.); a bird program
(noon); a ceremony (1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.); and a presentation on the ecological
impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (4 p.m.).
Guest speakers at the ceremony will include U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, Regional
Refuge System Chief Tony Léger and Native American Chief Roland Jerome.
To register for
the morning “Bike and Hike,” contact trip leader Jill Kern (author of Hiking the SuAsCo Watershed), jill.kern@comcast.net or call
978-568-0814. For more information, visit the Assabet River Refuge‘s webpage
or call 978-443-4661 ext. 34.
Attend the 2nd Annual Grassland Fair
Saturday,
October 23, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Buenos Aires
National Wildlife Refuge Arizona
Visit the
sweeping landscape of this 118,000-acre refuge and enjoy guest speaker
presentations about bats, plants and other refuge wildlife. See and hold friendly
reptiles at the Snakes Alive! presentation. See new exhibits at the visitor
center and a new outdoor interpretive trail. Enjoy live music, food and craft
booth.
For more
information, visit the Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge website or call Bonnie Swarbrick, bonnie_swarbrick@fws.gov, at 520-823-4251 ext 106 or
Richard Conway, r_conway@mac.com, at 520-405-5665.
Take a Guided Birdwatching Hike
Saturday,
October 30, 8 a.m. — Ridgefield National
Wildlife Refuge, Washington
Hike the Oaks to
Wetlands trail of the Carty unit. Reservations are required.
To reserve a
spot, contact Eric Anderson, Eric_Anderson@fws.gov, Ridgefield Refuge, at
360-887-4106.
Attend a Preschool Nature Exploration Program
Friday, November
5, 10 a.m., Preschool Colt Capers program — Mississippi Sandhill Crane National
Wildlife Refuge
Attend a free
nature exploration program for 3- to 5-year-olds and their parents at 7200 Crane Lane.
Learn a wildlife story and complete an art project. Program takes place on the
first Fridays of November and December. Opossums are the topic for Colt Capers
on November 5 and bears on December 3.
To register for
Colt Capers, send an e-mail to MississippiSandhillCrane@FWS.GOV or call
228-497-6322.
Take a Night Hike
Saurday,
November 6, 5:30 p.m. — Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin
Join the Friends
of Necedah National Wildlife Refuge for an evening of activities that include a
popular night hike into the refuge. Dinner with the Friends group begins at
5:30 p.m. (adults: $7.50; 6 to 12-year-olds: $5; children 5 and under are free)
at the Ellen Allan Learning
Center. The guided walk
begins at the same place at 6:30 p.m.
For more
information, visit the Necedah Refuge‘s webpage or call 608-565-2551.
Go on a Bird Walk
Saturday,
November 6, daylight hours – Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona
Led by an expert
birder, this walk starts in refuge grasslands and continues through the
delightful sycamore-lined stream drainage in the foothills of the majestic Baboquivari Mountains.
For more
information, visit the Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge website,
or contact Richard Conway, r_conway@mac.com, at 520-405-5665.
Take a Canoe Tour
Saturday,
November 6, 9 a.m. – Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois
In celebration
of National Wildlife Refuge Week, Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge is
offering canoe tours along the old Cache channel. This abandoned section of
river is maintained by the Ohio River flood
gates. The area provides habitat for diverse creatures and an opportunity to
fish, hunt, canoe, and watch wildlife. Reservations are required for the canoe
tour.
For more
information, visit the Cypress Creek Refuge webpage or call 618-634-2231.
Learn about Turkeys
Saturday,
November 13, 10:30 a.m. – Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois
Turkeys can see colors and their field of vision
spans across about 270 degrees. Discover more about our feathered friends in
the Visitor Center.
For more
information, visit the Crab Orchard Refuge webpage or call 618-997-3344.
Attend a Geology Presentation
Saturday,
November 20, (daylight hours) – Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona
Learn about
shattered land masses, mega-volcanoes and vanished landscapes on a nature walk
led by geology expert Richard Conway on the trails of Brown Canyon.
Trails are located in the foothills of the Baboquivari Mountains
along a sycamore-lined stream flanked by oak woodland beneath volcanic dikes
and pinnacles.
For more
information, visit the Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge website,
or contact Richard Conway, r_conway@mac.com, at 520-405-5665.
Enjoy an Art Show
Saturday,
November 20, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa
Annual event featuring
artwork, photography, carvings, and more from on-site local artists. Event is
sponsored by the Friends of Boyer Chute and DeSoto National Wildlife Refuges.
For more
information, visit the DeSoto Refuge webpage or call 712-642-4121.
Celebrate the Holiday
Season
Thursday,
December 9, 11 a.m. – Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois
Celebrate the
holiday season at our open house. There will be lots of food and even more
cheer.
For more
information, visit Cypress Creek Refuge‘s webpage or call 618-634-2231.
Help Count Birds
Monday, December
13, 6 a.m. – Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois
The Christmas
Bird Count is an all-day census of early winter bird populations. This
conservation effort has been conducted throughout the entire country during
mid-December for more than 100 years. The information gathered has resulted in
the longest running database in ornithology. The data show trends of bird
populations across America.
For more
information, visit Cypress Creek Refuge‘s webpage or call 618-634-2231.
Take a Photograph
Tuesday,
December 28, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico
Learn how to
catch a perfect shot of winter wildlife and majestic landscapes. Space is limited.
Reservations are required.
To reserve your
spot, call 505-864-4021 or visit Sevilletta Refuge‘s webpage for more information.
Take Part in the 14th Annual Trinity River Christmas Bird Count
Tuesday,
December 28, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, Texas
Areas to be
counted include the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, Tarkington Prairie
and Gaylor Lake. Meet at 7 a.m. at the Valero Gas
station at the intersection of Hwy 105 and Hwy 321, about 6 miles southeast of
Cleveland. Some folks will bird the “bottoms” so bring a sack lunch, rubber
knee boots and other appropriate outdoor clothing. Birdwatchers of all levels
are welcome.
For more
information, visit the Trinity River Refuge‘s webpage
or contact Stuart Marcus, stuart_marcus@fws.gov, at 936-336-9786.
A complete list
of refuge activities and special events is available online at the Fish and Wildlife Service website.
The mission of
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect
and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing
benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in
fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence,
stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and
commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people
who make it happen, visit the Fish and Wildlife Service website.
