Birthday cake to celebrate 70 years at Trempealeau NWR - Photo by Tom Prochowicz, June 3rd, 2006

Children take part in the duck call demonstration - Photo by: Tom Prochowicz, June 3rd, 2006

On Saturday, June 3^rd, Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge hosted their Annual Birding Festival  to celebrate International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD).

Each year the refuge celebrates IMBD to encourage support for migratory bird conservation.  This year's theme was "The Boreal Forest: Bird Nursery of the North".

Billions of birds rely on the North American Boreal, the largest unspoiled forest remaining in the world.

In addition to celebrating the birds, Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge commemorated its establishment as a national wildlife refuge in 1936.  A special history booth was set up highlighting photos of the Refuge, both past and present.  An interpreter in period costume from the 1930's era was there to answer questions and staff the booth. Birthday cake was served while we all joined in to sing Happy Birthday to the refuge.

Some of the activities included; Bird Banding - capturing and banding live songbirds; Duck Calling - learning duck calling techniques and making duck calls to take home; and learning from an experienced hunter how to care and train your best hunting partner - your dog.  Live music was also provided throughout the afternoon.

Other informational booths included material and demonstrations on how invasive species are managed on the refuge, and a live bird cam was set up for visitors to catch a glimpse of the eaglets born at the National Conservation Training Center.

Workshops were also offered throughout the day including: Birding by Canoe - a gentle morning paddle on the refuge; Birding Hikes - hiking with experienced birders that helped spot and identify birds along the way; and Wildflower Walks in the prairie with Refuge volunteers who are "in the know" about what's blooming in the prairie.  

The weather was beautiful and the event was a huge success by providing a fun learning environment about birds and the history of Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge.