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Because the Friends are not sponsoring a guided Swan Watch this year, this may be of interest to those who want to learn more about the migration:   Come enjoy the fall migration! As the seasons turn colder, thousands of swans, ducks and other water birds move through the refuge, finding a place to rest,…

This year’s Great Backyard Bird Count is scheduled for February 18-21, 2022. This is a world-wide count that can take as little as 15 minutes and can be completed from the comfort of your own home by randomly counting (and identifying) birds at your bird feeder. Details can be found at https://www.birdcount.org/

February 5-6, 2022 | Houston, Minnesota Residents of Trempealeau, Vernon, and La Crosse Counties, including college students, are specially invited to visit the International Owl Center for FREE on February 5 and 6. The Owl Center is located in Houston, Minnesota, just 30 minutes west of La Crosse, and is the only all-owl education center…

Below is an article written by John Weiss. The good and the bad in backwater Shangri-La WEAVER — As I waited Monday morning to see how Weaver Bottoms fared this year, a time of near-record low flows, I thought of all the changes I’ve seen in it and wondered: which Weaver would I see today…

(A Humorous Account of over 40 Years of Nature Education) Long time volunteer at both Trempealeau NWR and Upper Miss and retired teacher Scott Lee has written a new book. Many of our friends and volunteers may know Scott. Here’s what he says about Spiders & Snakes & Rats – OH, MY. I’ve been writing…

The Wisconsin Wetlands Association’s Wetland Coffee Break presentation series has a several great talks lined up for this spring and summer: June 11: Ears in the Driftless: BioAcoustic monitoring in a restored wetland with Mike & Marcie O’Connor June 25: Establishing a Bay of Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve with Emily Tyner July 9: Managing…

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,…

Wednesdays & Thursdays This Summer The National Eagle Center is angling for volunteers to assist participants in our summer fishing program! Volunteer duties will include: Helping with check-in, check-out Assisting with equipment selection Monitoring dock activity Helping bait hooks & land fish Encouraging and guiding kids (many first-time fishers!) Helping inspect equipment Sharing information about…

Friends and Volunteers, this is the time of year when the Refuge surveys the number of great blue heron nests and nest trees in the rookeries. Participants will walk from the Mertes’ landing, across the ice about 1/3 mile, to the heron colony and then walk around on the island. This activity involves a fair amount…