Join us for the free, family-friendly 30th Annual Wildlife Festival to celebrate the wildlife at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. Enjoy the engaging, hands-on activities at each booth, explore refuge wildlife and management, observe live animals, and more!
Event Schedule Activities Open Refuge Roads Food Our Partners Driving Directions Accessibility
Event Schedule
Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Several Refuge Service Roads Open to Vehicles |
| 10:00 AM | Wildlife Festival Begins at Oak Savanna Learning Center |
| 10:15 AM | Grazing Goat Tour Embark on a guided tour with the Refuge Biologist to see how grazing goats are helping restore native habitats. Ideal for ages middle school and up, this tour includes a short drive and grazing goat viewing. |
| 11:00 AM | Amphitheater Program: Animals Nobody Loves by the Wildlife Science Center Discover the misunderstood side of Minnesota’s “unlovable” wildlife in this engaging live animal program featuring a snake, salamander and owl, as we explore their unique adaptations, behaviors and importance. This program is perfect for curious kids and nature-loving families! |
| 11:45 AM | Grazing Goat Tour Embark on a guided tour with the Refuge Biologist to see how grazing goats are helping restore native habitats. Ideal for ages middle school and up, this tour includes a short drive and grazing goat viewing. |
| 12:30 PM | Amphitheater Program: Investigation Demonstration by the Refuge K9 Law Enforcement Team Team up with Federal Wildlife Canine Togo and Officer Pete Harvey to solve a wildlife mystery using real-life investigation skills. This program is fun, hands-on and for investigative minds of all ages. |
| 1:30 PM | Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Silent Auction Ends |
| 2:00 PM | Wildlife Festival Ends and All Refuge Service Roads Close to Vehicles |
Activities
- Observe Live Animals in a 'Animals Nobody Loves' Program
- Watch an Investigation Demonstration from the Refuge K9 Enforcement Team
- Embark on a Grazing Goat Tour
- Learn About Refuge Wildlife and Management
- Try Your Hand at a BB Gun
- Watch a Bird Banding Demonstration
- Meet Puddles the Blue Goose
- Investigate Aquatic Invertebrates
- Learn About Native American Cultures
- Experience Native Seed Cleaning
- Taste Tea from Native Plants
- Get Creative with Nature Crafts
- Snap a Selfie at the Photo Station
- Quiz Your Scavenger and Refuge Knowledge
- Test Your Home Water Nitrate Levels*
- Play an Ecology Bag Toss Game
- Learn About the Dragonfly Life Cycle
- Discover Wild Birds with Spotting Scopes
- Join In On Short Birding Walks
- Observe Honeybees in a Hive
- Check Out the Eagles Nest Nature Store
- Shop at the Friends of Sherburne Silent Auction
*Water Nitrate Testing:
To test home water nitrate, make sure to bring at least one-half cup of water in any type of labelled, clean container within 24 hours of the festival. For the best sample, make sure to run the water for 3 minutes before before filling the container. If you have a water treatment system, other than a softener, bring a "before" treatment and "after" treatment sample.
Open Refuge Service Roads
Several refuge service roads will be open to vehicle traffic from 8 am to 2 pm to provide visitors a rare opportunity to see areas of the refuge that are not typically open to vehicles. Gates to access these roads will be closed and locked at 2 pm. Please plan to be out of those areas at that time.
Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge opens up certain service roads to vehicles each year only on the day of the Wildlife Festival event.
Food
Firehouse BBQ, Freshwaters Hot Dog Meals, and Tator Tot Temptations will be on-site to serve a variety of food at a reasonable cost.
600 visitors will receive free popsicles, thanks to Jonny Pops' donation!
Our Partners
- Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
- BearPaw Shields
- Bluebird Recovery Program of Minnesota
- Dave Martin
- John Beach
- Minnesota Dragonfly Society
- Offal Wildlife Watching Project
- Sand Dunes Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation
- Sherburne County Parks and Recreation
- Sherburne County Soil and Water Conservation District
- Urban Bird Collective
- USFWS Ecological Services
- USFWS Law Enforcement
- USFWS Migratory Birds
- Wildlife Science Center
Driving Directions
From Zimmerman and Princeton
- Follow Highway 169 north (Zimmerman) or south (Princeton) to County Road 9 and take the exit
- Follow County Road 9 west for 5.5 miles and turn left at the entrance to the Oak Savanna Learning Center
From Big Lake and Monticello
- From Highway 10 in Big Lake, take Sherburne County Road 5 north approximately 10 miles to the intersection with County Road 9 and take a right
- Follow County Road 9 east for 2 miles and turn right at the entrance to the Oak Savanna Learning Center
From St. Cloud
- Take Highway 23 east through St. Cloud to the turn off for Highway 95
- Follow Highway 95 east 15 miles to the intersection with Mille Lacs County Road 7 and take a right
- Go south 6.5 miles on Mille Lacs County Road 7 (which becomes Sherburne County Road 5) to the intersection with County Road 9 and take a left
- Follow County Road 9 east for two miles and turn right at the entrance to the Oak Savanna Learning Center
From Minneapolis and St. Paul
- Take I-94 west to the Highway 101 (Rogers) exit
- Follow Highway 101 north until it turns into Highway 169
- Follow Highway 169 north through Elk River and Zimmerman to County Road 9 and take the exit
- Follow County Road 9 west for 5.5 miles and turn left at the entrance to the Oak Savanna Learning Center
Accessibility
Restrooms and water fountains will be available inside and outside the Oak Savanna Learning Center building. Trails behind the Learning Center are considered accessible with a crushed granite surface. Amphitheater behind the Learning Center is considered accessible with a concrete surface.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to providing access to these events for all participants. Please direct all requests for accommodation to Refuge Headquarters: 763‐389‐3323, sherburne@fws.gov, or TTY 800‐877‐8339 at least two weeks before the event.