Annual
Christmas Bird Count:
Every year the National Audubon Society hosts the Christmas Bird Count from December 14 to January 5. Our 39th annual count was held on December 18. Staff and several volunteers helped to count every bird seen within a 15 mile circle centered at Waubay NWR Headquarters. Thirty-two species and 2454 individual birds were counted. Record numbers of turkeys (79), Townsend’s solitaires (3), northern shrikes (6) and European starlings (530) were observed. Three more species were observed during count week: mallard, Bohemian waxwing and purple finch.
Jr. Duck Stamp:
The Junior Duck Stamp program is moving to DC Booth National Historic Fish Hatchery for 2008. This is an educational program designed to teach wetland habitat and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school. It is based on the Federal "Duck Stamp" and the design from the winner of the national contest is used to produce a stamp. Sales of the Jr. Duck Stamp support conservation education and provide awards and scholarships for the students, teachers, and schools that participate. Deadline for submitting artwork is March 15. For more information contact DC Booth at 605 642-7730; email DCBooth@fws.gov or check out the national website at http://www.fws.gov/duckstamps/junior/junior.htm
International
Migratory Bird Day (May 10, 2008): Set on the second Saturday in May, International Migratory Bird Day is an invitation to celebrate and support migratory bird conservation. Like any day of recognition, IMBD exists to focus attention on a valuable resource - the nearly 350 species of migratory birds that travel between nesting habitats in North America and non-breeding grounds in South and Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Learn more about this day at http://birds.fws.gov/imbd.html. This year's theme is tundra to Tropics: Connecting Birds, Habitat and People.
South Dakota Outdoor Expo: Explore the Outdoors, South Dakota State Fairgrounds, Huron, May 17 & 18, 2008. Contact Susan Hayward (susan.hayward@state.sd.us)
National
Wildlife Refuge Week: National Wildlife Refuge Week occurs during the second week of October every year. Any time, however, is a great time to visit a National Wildlife Refuge. There are over 540 National Wildlife Refuges and thousands of waterfowl production areas in the United States, so chances are that at least one is less than an hour's drive from just about anywhere. Check back to see what events will be offered in 2008.
