Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

About Montezuma

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge was established on September 12, 1938 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge provides resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds. Montezuma is situated in the middle of one of the most active flight lanes in the Atlantic Flyway.

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is located at the north end of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. The Refuge contains 2,860 hectares (7,068 acres) and is situated in Seneca, Wayne, and Cayuga Counties. The Refuge is 35 miles (56 km) west of Syracuse, 40 miles (64 km) north of Ithaca, and 45 miles (72 km) east of Rochester.

Announcements

MARSH! Day Work
Sunday, Nov 8, 9 am - 1 pm, MNWR Visitor Center
Work to be done: tree planting (holes will be pre-dug) Lunch provided by the Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex Email Andrea_VanBeusichem@fws.gov or call 315/568-5987 to sign up by NOON November 6th

Gift Shop Manager Wanted at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
The Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex is in search of a volunteer Gift Shop Manager for the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, 3395 US Route 20 East, Seneca Falls, NY 13148. Retail experience and computer/internet capabilities will be most helpful to this position. The Gift Shop Manager is responsible for daily operations, inventory management, store display, coordinating with Montezuma Refuge staff to schedule volunteer store staff, and training new volunteer store staff. While there is no bookkeeping involved, the Gift Shop Manager will coordinate with the Friends’ bookkeeper and Treasurer. The time commitment for this volunteer position is 10 – 15 hours per week during spring, summer and fall, and less time during the winter. As part of that time, the Gift Shop Manager should plan to staff the store at least one day per week. For more information, contact Andrea_VanBeusichem@fws.gov or call Andrea at 315/568-5987, ext. 228.

Come See Shorebirds and Waterfowl!
Now is a great time to visit the Refuge to see waterfowl and shorebirds stopping to rest and refuel on their way South. Be sure to spend some time on the Visitor Center Deck observing the birds in the Visitor Center Wetland. There are often hundreds to thousands of ducks and geese in this wetland as well as a number of shorebirds. Also, the Main Pool is flooded and the vegetation that grew as a result of draining the pool earlier this year is providing excellent habitat for the tens of thousands of ducks that stage at the refuge before heading south. The latest bird count is available here (last updated Oct. 27, 2009)

Main Pool Re-Filling
Work on the Main Pool's cattail marsh has ended for the season. With the wet summer conditions, refuge staff were unable to operate the equipment needed to fully complete the project of adding new pools along the Wildlife Drive. However, work did begin, and a new shorebird management unit is underway just past the Photography Blind parking area along the Drive. Water is now being let back into the Main Pool and should reach "full pool" by mid- to late October.

Water Level Management on the Montezuma Wetlands Complex
Our highest habitat priority on the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is to provide high quality mudflat, freshwater emergent marsh, and open water wetland habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds, waterbirds, marshbirds, and bald eagles, primarily through water level management in freshwater impoundments. More information on water level management during 2009 in impoundments on the Montezuma Wetlands Complex is available here.

Montezuma Habitat Management Plan
More information on the Plan is available here.