A variety of events planned in Hawaii, Oregon and Washington
National Wildlife Refuge Week features scores of festivals and special events that help connect people with nature at the countrys 545 National Wildlife Refuges. The 11th consecutive National Wildlife Refuge Week will be celebrated this year October 8-14. Events in the Pacific Region will engage visitors during Refuge Week and at other times in October.
Established in 1903 when President Theodore Roosevelt designated the three-acre Pelican in Florida as the nation's first wildlife refuge, the National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, today encompasses 545 National Wildlife Refuges and more than 3,000 waterfowl production areas across more than 97 million acres.
More than 40 million people each year visit National Wildlife Refuges for close-to-home wildlife-dependent recreation that is second to none.
"National Wildlife Refuges are America's promise to its citizens that there will always be places where wildlife and wildlife habitats can thrive," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall. "Just as important, the Refuge System offers some of the finest outdoor recreation in the country, from fishing and hunting, to nature photography and nature interpretation.
"One of our most pressing challenges in society today is to teach our children - kids growing up in a digital age - that there is a world of nature beyond the computer and television screen," Hall continued. "National Wildlife Refuges are some of the greatest places to learn the lessons of nature, and National Wildlife Refuge Week is the perfect time to start."
With national wildlife refuges in every state, people in most major metropolitan areas can find unsurpassed opportunities to hunt, fish, photograph and see wildlife within an easy drive of their homes during Refuge Week and throughout the year.
Refuges in the Pacific Region will host a variety of events during this years National Wildlife Week celebration and during the month of October, including:- Saturday, October 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaii (Big Island) This is the 14th Annual Open House of the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge consists of 32,730 acres of native forest and grassland on the windward slope of Mauna Kea between the elevations of 2,500 and 6,500 feet and 5,300 acres on the leeward slope of Mauna Loa between 2,000 and 6,000 feet. The Refuge was established on October 28, 1985, to protect and manage endangered forest birds and their habitat, and contains some of the finest stands of koa - ohi forest in the state. Residents and visitors are invited to hike through the Pua Akala Tract, which harbors a high-elevation rainforest, and view the many native birds such as iiwi and elepaio, and perhaps sight one of the Refuges endangered species including the Hawaii creeper and Hawaii akepa. A historic 115-year old koa cabin also will be open for viewing.
- Sunday, October 8, and Tuesday-Saturday, October 10-15: Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Kauai, Hawaii - Daily hikes to Crater Hill will begin at 8:30 a.m., by reservation only (call 808-635-7886). These hikes will take participants into a remote portion of the refuge to view seabirds and an extinct volcano. Thursdays hike, led by the refuge biologist, will be a birders delight. On Saturdays hike, Gary Smith, who grew up on the Kilauea Sugar Plantation, will talk about Crater Hill. On Saturday, October 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., lighthouse tours will be offered and engraved pathway bricks will be for sale in an effort by the Kilauea Point Natural History Association to raise funds for the restoration of the historic Kilauea Point Light Station. For more information contact Bob Dieli, (808) 828-1413.
- Saturday and Sunday, October 14-15, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Ridgefield, WA: - Birdfest 2006. Join the Refuge staff and Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge as they celebrate the return of the wildlife that make the Refuge their winter home. Birdfest is an opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of the autumn migration and festive celebrations of the Ridgefield community. Events will include guided Refuge hikes, wildlife talks, bluegrass music, childrens outdoor activities, and sandhill crane viewing tours. For more information call Eric Anderson, (360) 887-4106.
- Saturday, October 28, 9:00 a.m. to noon, Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge, on the Oregon Coast: Refuge staff will host an Open House to highlight the Aleutian cackling and Dusky Canada geese that have migrated south from their breeding grounds in Alaska to their wintering grounds in Western Oregon. Visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of the Coast Range, the Pacific Ocean, Cape Kiwanda and Haystack Rock as they embark on one of the two scheduled hikes around the refuge. For more information call Dawn Grafe, (541)867-4550.
"Our National Wildlife Refuges are among our nations most treasured places," said National Wildlife Refuge System Chief Geoffrey L. Haskett. "There is at least one national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge in every state. In many communities, there is a wildlife refuge less than an hours drive from your front door. National Wildlife Refuge Week is a great time for families to find a national wildlife refuge, and the fun they can have together."
