On November 6, staff of Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge celebrated its tenth birthday. Helping us celebrate the occasion were approximately 30 people from the Friends of the 500th, refuge neighbors, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, Canaan Valley Institute, and other organizations. The Friends of the 500th provided a birthday cake and other food and refreshments for people to enjoy. The celebration started at 10:00 a.m. with an introduction by Refuge Manager Stan Skutek, followed by several members of the audience speaking of their experiences and enjoyment of the refuge. Afterwards, celebration attendees wandered the visitor center, viewing displays while enjoying birthday cake. Later in the afternoon, refuge staff and friends met at Freeland Road to plant balsm fir trees.

The celebration and tree planting was a great success and enjoyed by all who attended.