September

Bird Watching Trek
Date: Saturday, September 6
Time: 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Place: Wilkie Unit
Join us for a bird walk on one of the many refuge units and learn about the fall migration of birds. We will search for migrating warblers on this trek. Birders of all skill levels are welcome. Bring along binoculars, favorite field guide and dress for the weather.
Craig Mandel, Volunteer Refuge Naturalist

9th Annual Great Minnesota River Birding Day
Date: Saturday, September 13
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Place: Visitor Center
Ages 7 to adult (under 16 must be accompanied by an adult)
Walk refuge trails to search for birds and other wildlife as part of the 9th Annual Great Minnesota River Birding Day. Dress for the weather, bring a water bottle and bug spray if needed. Bring your favorite field guide, binoculars and a spotting scope if you have one. We will have a few extra binoculars to loan. We will also bring a spotting scope and CD player for learning bird and frog calls.
Volunteer Refuge Naturalists George Skinner and Anne Hanley.

Bird Watching Trek
Date: Saturday, September 13
Time: 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Place: Old Cedar Avenue Trailhead
Join us for a bird walk on one of the many refuge units and learn about the fall migration of birds. We will search for migrating warblers on this trek. Birders of all skill levels are welcome. Bring along binoculars, favorite field guide and dress for the weather.
Craig Mandel, Volunteer Refuge Naturalist

A Full Moon Walk to Ti Tanka Tanina (The Ancient Village)
Date: Monday, September 15
Time: 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Place: Lyndale Avenue Trailhead
Walk back in time to the various sites of the Ancient American Indian Villages at the mouth of Nine Mile Creek. Learn the human and natural history of this ancient place which has been inhabited for at least 8,000 years. Find out how the Indians lived and listen to some of their stories. As the Full Moon rises, courting songs like those heard here many years ago will be played on an eagle-effigy cedar flute by Volunteer Refuge Naturalist and Historian Duke Addicks.

Harvest Moon Bike Ride by the River
Date: Tuesday, September 16
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Place: Bloomington Ferry Unit
Bring your bike, helmet, and binoculars. Watch and listen for wildlife as we ride the paved trail along the river and then take a short walk to Rice Lake where Chief Eagle Head had his summer village. Learn about area wildlife and listen to stories about the Indians, fur traders and early settlers in the area. Return under the almost-full moon. The ride will be about 4 miles round trip. A serenade to the full moon will be played on an American Indian cedar flute.
Led by Refuge Historian and Naturalist Duke Addicks

Bird Watching Trek
Date: Saturday, September 20
Time: 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Place: Chaska Unit, South Trailhead, Carver
Join us for a bird walk on one of the many refuge units and learn about the fall migration of birds. We will search for migrating warblers and waterfowl on this trek. Birders of all skill levels are welcome. Bring along binoculars, favorite field guide and dress for the weather.
Craig Mandel, Volunteer Refuge Naturalist

Fall Colors Photography & Nature Hike
Date: Sunday, September 21
Time: 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Place: Rapids Lake Unit, South parking lot
Capture the variegated colors of autumn and gain instruction and experience using your digital camera in one of the area's most beautiful settings, or just come along to check out a new area on a relaxing nature hike. Join Refuge volunteer master naturalist and photographer Tim Boyle as we hike the Rapids Lake Refuge Unit with it's striking views of prairie, woodland and river. While interpreting the flora and fauna, we'll be discussing tips and tricks "focused" on nature photography. We'll go over a few camera basics, then take a vivid hike around the wilds of the Rapids Lake Unit. If you've had lingering questions about using your digital camera or why the leaves change colors in the fall, this is definitely the outing for you.
Kids 10 and older are welcome, even younger if they have a camera.
Call 952-858-0715 to reserve your spot.

Wildlife Walk
Date: Saturday, September 27
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Place: Rapids Lake Unit, North Parking lot
Ages 7 to adult (under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult)
Walk refuge trails to search for birds and other wildlife as a new day comes to the refuge. This outing involves several miles of walking trails at a slow pace. Dress for the weather, bring water and bug spray if needed. Bring your favorite field guide, binoculars and a spotting scope if you have one. We will have a few extra binoculars to loan. We will also bring a spotting scope and CD player for learning bird and frog calls.
Volunteer Refuge Naturalists George Skinner and Anne Hanley

For more information, call Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge at 952-854-5900. Please note that different programs take place at different locations on the refuge. Please visit the Refuge Lands page on the web site for directions to each area. Click on the Refuge Land on the map to see the specific directions.

October

Winter Smarts - How Animals Prepare for Winter
Date: Saturday, October 11
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Place: Visitors Center
Come and investigate how Refuge animals prepare for winter. Hike the Hillside Trail looking for signs of preparation for migration, hibernation, and accommodation. From the hibernating mourning cloak butterfly to the tiny hummingbird that flies nonstop 600 miles over the Gulf of Mexico, animals possess an amazing array of survival skills!
Volunteer Master Naturalist Marcia Lewis

Things that GLOW in the Night
Date: Sunday, October 26
Time: 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Place: Cliff Fen Park trailhead, Black Dog
Join us for a spooky autumn evening nature hike around the trails of Black Dog Park where we'll ponder such things as fireflies, foxfire (fungus that glows, on it's own schedule), owl eyes, moonlight, phosphorescence and ultraviolet geology (yes, rocks can glow in the dark too) ... along with any of the nocturnal animals that may be about. And if the light's just right... we'll experience some of them with our own eyes. I encourage you to bring along any glow-in-the-dark objects you think you have, as I will be providing hand-held UV flashlights to check for ultraviolet glowing materials. You might also bring a regular flashlight and a camera too, as this could be a photographic challenge not to be duplicated anywhere soon. Hope to "SEE" you there.
Refuge volunteer master naturalist and photographer, Tim Boyle

For more information, call Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge at 952-854-5900. Please note that different programs take place at different locations on the refuge. Please visit the Refuge Lands page on the web site for directions to each area. Click on the Refuge Land on the map to see the specific directions.

November

Beginning Bird Watching Workshop
Date: Saturday, November 1
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Place: Visitor Center
Ages 7 to adult (under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult)
Learn how you and your family can experience this popular pastime. Increase your observation skills and learn answers to your questions. You will expand your knowledge of birds in this multi-media class. Information about your local Audubon Chapter and schedules of free local outings will also be provided.
Volunteer Refuge Naturalists George Skinner and Anne Hanley

Winter Smarts - How Animals Prepare for Winter
Date: Sunday, November 2
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Place: Visitor Center
Come and investigate how Refuge animals prepare for winter. Hike the Hillside Trail looking for signs of preparation for migration, hibernation, and accommodation. From the hibernating mourning cloak butterfly to the tiny hummingbird that flies nonstop 600 miles over the Gulf of Mexico, animals possess an amazing array of survival skills!
Volunteer Master Naturalist Marcia Lewis

Eagle Watching in the Twin Cities
Date: Sunday, November 2
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Place: Meet at the Visitor Center
The American Bald Eagle has made a comeback. Many pairs now nest in and near the Twin Cities Area and many hundreds more come here to spend the winter. Refuge Naturalist and eagle expert Duke Addicks will tell us all about eagles, including why they are here, how they survive and where the many locations are where they can be observed (including the refuge itself.) Duke, will also tell an American Indian eagle tale or two. Then Duke will lead those interested who will take their own cars and drive to the Black Dog Unit of the Refuge to observe wild Bald Eagles along the Minnesota River.

Bird Watching Trek
Date: Saturday, November 8
Time: 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Place: Wilkie Unit
Join us for a journey on one of the many refuge units and learn about the fall migration of birds. During this outing we will search for migrating waterfowl. Birders of all skill levels are welcome. Bring along your binoculars, favorite field guide and dress for the weather.
Craig Mandel, Volunteer Refuge Naturalist

Buckthorn and... BUNDT CAKE
Date: Saturday, November 15
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Place: Bass Ponds Trailhead
Join us on National Bundt Cake Day as we combine forces with the Sierra Club's NorthStar Chapter to eradicate buckthorn and munch Bundt cake! Learn about the invasive species Buckthorn, how to ID it, and why it presents a problem in Minnesota. We'll hike the Bass Ponds trails to our designated area and pull, prod, and parse the noxious weed as part of the Sierra Club's ongoing efforts in the Refuge. After a satisfying session of pulling, digging and sawing, we'll celebrate our efforts with a slice of Bundt cake as it just happens to be National Bundt Cake Day! Dress for a November day, wear sturdy boots or shoes. Bring work gloves, water, and a fork. If you want to bring your own flavor of favorite Bundt cake, we won't stop you as long as we get a taste.
Refuge volunteer master naturalist and photographer, Tim Boyle

For more information, call Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge at 952-854-5900. Please note that different programs take place at different locations on the refuge. Please visit the Refuge Lands page on the web site for directions to each area. Click on the Refuge Land on the map to see the specific directions.

Art Gallery Exhibit Schedule

"Trees" by Mary Lingen opens August 12 and runs through September 21. Mary's paintings celebrate the local landscapes around which she lives. In painting, Mary directs her attention towards the organization of the space, the relationships of the colors and shapes to each other, and the emotional quality of the color palette. She uses flat, unmodulated color areas, usually with crisp edges, but without machinelike precision. The landscapes are often broken down into geometric or simplified shapes, but these are painted by hand, with a natural imperfection. She aims at creating works that set the viewer's eyes and mind drifting along composition, taking a different path each time they sit with it.

4• 4X4• of four>>>>Prairie Directions and Other New Paintings by Gregory McDaniels opens September 23rd and runs through November 2nd. For this show, "normal perspective" has been abandoned for a multi-layered perspective as a response to fractal geometry and complexity science. Gregory's works have been inspired by various Nature Conservancy, DNR State Parks and Scientific and Natural Areas in Minnesota, some of which are done on site (plein air). His watercolor paintings are all plein air and done in the Sumi spirit. The four paintings titled Summer/south etc. are homage to the four seasons with respect to the four directions of American Indian belief. "It is impossible for me to look at the prairie for a good long time and not be cognizant of the culture that is intimately weaved into the fabric of the prairie."