Join the Celebration for National Wildlife Refuge Week

Scores of national wildlife refuges are planning special activities and events geared for
families and children, hikers and birders, anglers and photographers – and anyone interested in getting outside --  during National Wildlife Refuge Week, Oct. 12-18.

America’s National Wildlife Refuge System--spanning more than 97 million acres —is home to about 700 species of birds, 220 mammals and more than 1,000 fish species.  Established in 1903, the Refuge System encompasses 548 national wildlife refuges. There’s at least one national wildlife refuge in every state and within an hour’s drive of most major cities. 

Here’s a sampling of National Wildlife Refuge Week activities: 

October 4:  Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge (Minnesota) celebrates its 43rd anniversary and National Wildlife Refuge Week with a Wildlife Festival, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Old School House on County Road 9.  Free activities include a horse-drawn hayride, scavenger hunt, hands-on archery and air-rifle workshops, nature crafts, and exhibits on everything from reptiles to wildflower seeds.
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/sherburne/

October 11:  Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (Georgia) celebrates the cultural resources of the National Wildlife Refuge System with an open house at the Chesser Island Homestead, where visitors discover how people lived in Southeast Georgia at the time the Refuge System was established. The open house is part of the annual Okefenokee Festival, which also has a parade, crafts, food, exhibits, and music in the nearby town of Folkston.
http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee  

October 12:  Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge (Nevada) is one of several dozen national wildlife refuges that will hold The Big Sit!, a worldwide event that allows people to find a good spot for bird watching -- preferably one with good views of a variety of habitats and lots of birds.  Each Big Sit circle records all the bird species they see or hear within a limited number of hours.  Some Big Sit circles stay on the watch for 24 hours.  The refuge event will go on during daylight hours.
http://www.fws.gov/stillwater/stillwater.html

October 18 Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge (Illinois)
Located near the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, the refuge will hold its open house from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., giving visitors a chance to take the auto tour route and see huge concentrations of waterfowl.  Bird tours are planned.
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/tworivers/

October 25:  St. Marks National Wildlife in Florida is holding its 20th annual Monarch Butterfly Festival.  Native plant nurseries will show plants that attract and feed monarchs and other butterflies, while the refuge’s photo club will take shots of people in adult-sized monarch costumes. The 3,000 to 4,000 expected visitors will fill up area lodging a month in advance.
http://www.fws.gov/saintmarks/

• For an online list of National Wildlife Refuge Week events, visit http://www.fws.gov/refuges/SpecialEvents/FWS_SpecialEvents_Search.cfm
• To find a refuge in your community, visit http://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/index.html.

Contact: Martha Nudel, 703-358-1858 or David Eisenhauer, 703-358-2284