Bird Walk
October 15, 2018
Join us on October 15th at 12:00 p.m. for a bird walk with a well-known local birder. We will meet at McNary NWR Wallula Unit and park in the parking lot marked for blinds 5-8, 12-15. We will start the walk/birding at 12:10 p.m. sharp. The Wallula Unit is located on North Shore Road off of Highway 12.
Bull Trout Research
One of the many uses of national wildlife refuges is scientific research into the lives and needs of wildlife, both by FWS researchers, the academic world and occasionally private researchers. On McNary NWR, the FWS has been conducting research into bull trout. Bull trout are salmonid native to the Northwest and are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. On the Walla Walla River, bull trout are captured, PIT tagged (Passive Integrated Transponder), and released back to the river. As the trout move up and down the river (or not), each time they pass by a PIT tag reader, their movement is noted, and FWS scientists in Vancouver, Washington, can track their movements. By knowing how, where and when the bull trout are moving, the FWS can devise and refine plans for their recovery. Just one of the many beneficial uses of your national wildlife refuges.