Friends of the Refuge Headwaters May Meeting

The next scheduled Friends meeting is Thursday, May 27 beginning at 4:15 p.m. at the Refuge office (102 Walnut Street, Suite 205). Click here for the agenda for the meeting. If you would like to attend virtually, please send an email to Friends President Wendy Schneider at [email protected] and she will link you in.  …

Read More

Bait Handling and Disposal Awareness Campaign

Here is an informational flyer about new bait disposal canisters that have been deployed by Wabasha County. There are currently three “test” canisters, one is located at the Refuge’s Halfmoon Landing near Kellogg, MN. Click on the image to open the pdf.

Read More

Thirty-Minute Activities on the “Upper Miss” Refuge

Summer weather is upon us at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (Upper Miss Refuge). If you are one of the many who are looking for activities to engage in, join us in participating in one or all five of these thirty-minute activities around the refuge. These locations are all open for…

Read More

Volunteers Needed to Plant Seedlings This Week

Refuge Friends and Volunteers, we just learned that we will likely receive 1,500 tree seedlings next week. We will need to get them in the ground ASAP after delivery and need your help! These should be fairly easy to plant using a dibble bar (so no digging) but bending/squatting to plant the seedlings will be…

Read More

Building Available for Removal

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a 1,575-square foot home and 716 square foot garage located at 34632 Old Homer Road, Winona, MN for sale and removal. The main building is a wood frame, single level, three bedroom, one bathroom, structure built about 1959. A minimum bid of $100 will be required for the structure(s)…

Read More

New Observation Dock Installed at Trempealeau Refuge

Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge has a new dock located at the Kieps Island boat launch, which was donated by the Trempealeau Refuge Friends group. Funds were generously donated to the group by the Bob Clark Family in memory of Judith Ann Clark. The dock was built as a wonderful place for visitors to observe migratory…

Read More

Trempealeau Refuge to Celebrate Annual Birding Festival

The Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge invites everyone to participate in this year’s celebration of World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD). The theme for this year’s installment of the annual celebration is “sing, fly, soar!” On May 8th, there will be six total group hikes guided by experienced birding volunteers. There won’t be any other event offerings…

Read More

Virtual Fun and Educational Opportunities

The first link is to a YouTube video to celebrate the 118th Anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System. President Theodore Roosevelt established the first national wildlife refuge on March 14, 1903, at Pelican Island, Florida, to protect brown pelicans there from slaughter by market hunters. Today’s Refuge System includes more than 560 national wildlife refuges,…

Read More

Winners Announced in Friends of the Refuge Headwaters 2020 Fall Photo Contest

Winners in four categories were chosen by judges in the Friends of the Refuge Headwaters’ (FORH) Fall on our Refuge Photo Contest. There were 46 entries in the contest with the top three places in each category receiving cash prizes.  Submitted photos were taken on Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge or Trempealeau…

Read More

Career Pathway Program Seeking Applicants

Applications are being accepted until May 28 for the Increasing Diversity in Environmental Careers (IDEC) program, a partnership between the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Board of Water and Soil Resources. The successful applicants will form the third cohort for this…

Read More