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Families learn during Wildlife Refuge Week
Published 11:13am Monday, October 19, 2009Grandparents hosting children and grandchildren over the weekend knew that a visit to the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center, as part of National Wildlife Refuge Week, was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up.
“This was well worth the half hour drive,” said Nelsene McGinn who lives at East Lost Lake.
Her daughter, Adrienne Hawkinson, and grandsons Gavin and Jack, enjoyed taking part in several activities Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at the wetlands learning center on the south side of Fergus Falls.
The activities included prairie bird walks, feeding birds in the winter, bird identification, what one needs to know about binoculars and spotting scopes, pumpkin painting and kids crafts. It was a free event and fun for people of all ages.
Another grandmother, Karen Iverson, and her husband, Clair, of Fergus Falls, came to the wetlands center with their daughter Sherry Fullerton, from Seattle, and their grandson, Brandon.
“Our grandson is having fun and is learning a lot at the same time,” said Karen as she watched Brandon learn about the meadowlark and other birds.
In a nearby classroom, Dave Ellis gave a presentation about sparrows and other birds, to several kids. Ellis, former District 544 teacher at Adams School and the middle school, is retired from the school district but now works half-time as the regional education consultant for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He also works half-time as a staff member for the wetlands center.
“It’s great for me to continue working with kids,” said Ellis.
Many grandparents and parents were not only impressed by the activities for kids on Saturday, but also were impressed by the permanent exhibits and what the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center has to offer on a day-to-day basis. Many said they look forward to a return trip in the near future.
National Wildlife Refuge Week features scores of festivals and special events that help connect people with nature at the country’s 547 National Wildlife Refuges.
Kids at the wetlands center, Saturday in Fergus Falls, learned that in 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt designated the three-acre Pelican Island 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 547 National Wildlife Refuges and more than 3,000 waterfowl production areas spanning nearly 100 million acres.
With national wildlife refuges in every state, nearly every American can find opportunities to take photographs, watch wildlife, participate in interpretive programs and otherwise enjoy our nation’s wild places during Refuge Week and throughout the year.
“There’s no better place in the area to learn about the hobby of bird watching than the Learning Center,” said Environmental Education Specialist Teresa Jaskiewicz. “We have several acres of natural habitat for the birds, as well as a handy deck and telescope to watch them.
