Volunteers Needed for Nest Survey

Winona District Staff needs your help to complete a nest survey of the Mertes Slough Heron Rookery! This time of year is perfect for counting nests from the previous breeding season; ice makes for easy access, no foliage makes for easy viewing, and we will not be disturbing any birds! The rookery is just north of Mertes Slough Landing and we will be walking across the ice to access it. We have over 500 nest trees to check and will split into a few groups.

Volunteers should plan to walk 1.5-3+ miles round trip. We will have snowshoes available to use if the snow is deep, and binoculars to borrow. This survey will occur on Friday January 22 starting at 8am, with a snow date of Friday January 29. Please RSVP to Jennifer Froehly at [email protected] or 507-494-6234 by Tuesday January 22 if you would like to help out. Further details will be emailed to participants. Please note that masks will be required to be worn at all times during this event.