Shiawassee Refuge Open House Sept 8-9

[Steve_Kahl at fws.gov]

Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge will be holding its annual Open House
on the weekend of September 8 and 9, 2007. This is the only time during the
year that visitors are free to hike, bicycle and deer scout ANYWHERE on the
refuge, during daylight hours. There will be NO AUTO TOUR again this year
because a portion of the route that was damaged during a flood in spring
2006 still needs to be repaired.

Lots of fun activities are planned throughout the weekend to fill in the
gap of no auto tour. Guided bird hikes, guided bicycle tours, a butterfly
walk, free tree give-away, photo contest judging and a
first-ever Virtual Geocaching activity on the refuge. Majority of these
activities will take place on Saturday only. Below is a listing of these
activities.

Guided Bird Hikes—Saturday and Sunday
Refuge volunteers Steve Gasser and Larry Abraham will lead a guided bird
hike on Saturday at 8:00 a.m. at the Ferguson Bayou Trail parking lot,
located at the west end of Curtis Road, south of
Saginaw off of highway M-13. Steve will also lead a bird hike on Sunday at
8:00 a.m. at the Woodland Trail parking lot, located off of Stroebel and
Center Roads. Bring your binoculars, wear
comfortable shoes, and water to both.

Guided Bicycle Tours—Saturday and Sunday
Refuge Manager Steve Kahl will lead bicyclists along a 7-mile, gravel route
to see wildlife two times each day. If you’re an early bird, try the 6:30
a.m. ride on Saturday and Sunday. If you want to sleep
in late, try the 6:00 p.m. ride on Saturday and Sunday. On any ride you
should have several opportunities to see wildlife since they are more
active at these times. All bicyclists should meet at
the Ferguson Bayou Trail parking lot at the west end of Curtis Road.

Butterfly Walk—Saturday
Stan Lilley of the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy will point out
butterflies, give life history information and identification tips. He will
also bring his net to capture and demonstrate how
monarchs are tagged to track their migration. The walk begins 10:00 a.m. on
Saturday at the Ferguson Bayou Trail parking lot located at the west end of
Curtis Road.

Free Tree Give Away—Saturday
The Saginaw Correctional Facility in Freeland has donated many white and
black oak trees that they grew from acorns. From 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (
or until they’re gone) on Saturday, you can stop by
the refuge headquarters, 6975 Mower Road (on the corner of Curtis and Mower
Roads) and pick one up.

Photo Contest Judging—Saturday
You can pick the winners of this year’s Refuge Photo Contest. Amateur
photographers enter their photos into one of the four categories. Stop by
the refuge headquarters at 6975 Mower Road on
Saturday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to pick your favorite one in each
category. Winners will be announced at the Nurturing Nature Series program
on October 3 at the Green Point Environmental
Learning Center.

Virtual Geocaching—Saturday
Virtual Geocaching is a high-tech scavenger hunt. Virtual Geocaching
involves locating a specific landmark or feature on the refuge. It does not
involve finding or leaving an item in a cache. This is a
family-friendly activity, using a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit to
find a specific place on the refuge. You can pick up your clue sheet at the
refuge headquarters, 6975 Mower Road, from 10:00
a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. You will need a clue sheet, your own
transportation, a GPS unit, and a pencil or pen to write your answers. If
you find all the answers and report back to the headquarters
by 3:00 p.m., you will receive a prize. Private Lands Biologist Michelle
Vander Haar will be available to provide general guidance in using a GPS
unit if needed.

Friends of Shiawassee NWR Trailer Store – Saturday
Visit the Friends brand new trailer store between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
on Saturday. They will have refreshments, t-shirts, and sweatshirts for
sale.

For further information about the Refuge Open House and other programs on
the refuge, please visit our website at
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/shiawassee or call the (989) 759-1669.

Steven Kahl
Refuge Manager
Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
6975 Mower Road
Saginaw, MI  48601-9783
P (989) 777-5930 ext 16
F (989) 777-9200
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/shiawassee/