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Celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week, October 8-14; Congressional Notification

National Wildlife Refuge Week features scores of festivals and special events that help connect people with nature at the country’s 545 National Wildlife Refuges.  The 11th consecutive National Wildlife Refuge Week will be celebrated this year October 8-14.      

Established in 1903 when President Theodore Roosevelt designated the three-acre Pelican Island in Florida as the nation’s first wildlife refuge, the National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, today encompasses 545 National Wildlife Refuges and more than 3,000 waterfowl production areas across more than 97 million acres.

More than 40 million people each year visit National Wildlife Refuges for close-to-home wildlife-dependent recreation that is second to none. 

“National Wildlife Refuges are America’s promise to its citizens that there will always be places where wildlife and wildlife habitats can thrive,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall.  “Just as important, the Refuge System offers some of the finest outdoor recreation in the country, from fishing and hunting, to nature photography and nature interpretation.

“One of our most pressing challenges in society today is to teach our children—kids growing up in a digital age—that there is a world of nature beyond the computer and television screen,” Hall continued.  “National Wildlife Refuges are some of the greatest places to learn the lessons of nature, and National Wildlife Refuge Week is the perfect time to start.”

With national wildlife refuges in every state, people in most major metropolitan areas can find unsurpassed opportunities to hunt, fish, photograph and see wildlife within an easy drive of their homes during Refuge Week and throughout the year. 

To find the national wildlife refuge nearest you, visit our website at http://refuges.fws.gov or call 1-800-344-WILD (9453).

There are dozens of family events being held across the Midwest during this year’s National Wildlife Week celebration.  A few examples include:

·          MICHIGAN:  Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, located near Saginaw, will kick-off National Wildlife Refuge Week with a guided nighttime owl hike at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 6.  Bring dark clothing and a flashlight and meet at the Green Point Environmental Learning Center located at 3010 Maple St. in Saginaw.  Hikers will have a chance to hear the tiny screech owl and learn about other nocturnal wildlife.  In the event of severe weather, the hike will be cancelled.  Contact the refuge at 989-777-5930 for more information.

·          MINNESOTA: Grab a guided Crane Watch tour at 6:45 a.m. or take the Wonders of the Wild Walk at 10:30 a.m. during a full day of family festivities October 7 at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota.  The free Wildlife Festival includes horse drawn hayrides, scavenger hunts, hands-on archery and air rifle workshops, face painting, nature crafts and exhibits. For more information:  http://www.fws.gov/midwest/sherburne/FESTIVAL.HTM

·          ILLINOIS:  Driving tours, photo contests and guided wildlife walks are a few of the events being held at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge near Marion, Ill.  On Sunday, October 8 from 1 – 4 p.m., visitors can take a driving tour through an area of the refuge normally closed and then stop to see an exhibit of refuge photos at the Visitor Center.  Call the refuge at 618-997-3344 for more information.

·          OHIO:  Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, located 15 miles east of Toledo, is hosting a day full of events on Sunday, October 8, from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m.  Activities include displays of birding locations, a photo exhibit and an auto tour route – normally closed to visitors – that will take visitors along marshes, prairies and wooded areas that offer exceptional opportunities to see waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds and raptors.  For more information contact the refuge at 419-898-0014.

·          WISCONSIN:  Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, located just north of Necedah, invites people to come visit the refuge and explore all the wildlife wonders this 43,000 acre refuge has to offer.  On Friday, October 13, at 7 p.m., the refuge will offer a “wolf prowl” program.  Wolf experts will be available to help you better understand this often misunderstood animal.  After the program, you can take a guided walk with refuge staff and possibly hear the howl of Wisconsin wolves.  For more information call the refuge at 608-565-4412.

·          IOWA:  Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, located near Prairie City, Iowa, is celebrating National Wildlife Refuge Week with a prairie rescue day on Saturday, October 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  The refuge is looking for volunteers to come out and enjoy a day on the prairie while helping to make it better through brush cutting and clearing, seed collection, litter pick-up and more. For information call the refuge at 515-994-3400.

·          INDIANA:  Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge is celebrating National Wildlife Refuge Week and its 40th Anniversary with an all-day party on Saturday, October 14.  The day starts with a “Birthday Breakfast” at the Visitor Center from 8:30 – 9a.m. followed by presentations that highlight the past and future of the refuge.  Activities then move to the Meyers Cabin, located on the south end of the refuge, for the Log Cabin Day Festival.  Activities include crafts, music, horse-drawn refuge tours, a blacksmith, exhibits, kids activities and a ham and bacon dinner.  For more information call the refuge at 812-522-4352.