Puddles, the mascot of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and "T.R." (Teddy Roosevelt) welcome special friend Buttons, the Clown, who will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to provide balloon art, painting, and magic tricks. KRNT and PRAISE AM will be broadcasting live from the event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be games, crafts, stories and fun for all. All events are free to the public.
"Wild Things" nature and wildlife art show and sale will display works of 17 local and regional artists featuring paintings, photography, carvings, jewelry, and etchings. Wildlife artists will be displaying and selling their products Saturday, May 10th, and Sunday, May 11th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everything from note cards to original works of art will be for sale!
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and Neal Smith NWR will celebrate the Centennial by offering a free lunch and birthday cake Saturday. "Made in the Shade" coffee will be served for coffee connoisseurs.
For more information or to sign up your group, please call Sara Hollerich at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge at (515) 994-3400 or visit the website < http://www.tallgrass.org >. If your group would like to do a service project we are in need of volunteers to assist with programs that day! To reach the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge/Prairie Learning Center, take exit 18 (Prairie City exit) off of Highway 163 east of Des Moines.
Neal Smith NWR also offers several on-site programs relating to environmental education and local history. If your group would like to schedule a visit with another focus please contact the Refuge.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
