August 2010 eNEWS
 

Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
 

Web Site:  www.RidgefieldFriends.org.         Email: rfriends@pacifier.com

Mark the date for the Friends’ Feathered Friends Fundraiser September 25^th at the Belltower Cathedral 113 South Main Street, Ridgefield, WA. A wonderful Buffet Dinner will be served and a lively auction and other fun and games to follow. Please email us if you are not a member and would like to be invited to this great event.  Click Fundraiser for information.

Special Raffle is a life-size Dusky Canada Goose the featured species this year for BirdFest carved by Bill Bishop www.bishopfineart.com especially for the Friends.  Tickets now on sale for $10 each and can be purchased from Board Members or Contact Susie and Bill at 360-727-3083 Click Dusky for picture and information on carving. 

MEMBERship Drive with special offerings!  Deadline is October!!

·         Become a member or renew your membership NOW and your name will be entered into a drawing for either a unique Sandhill Crane tour or a tour of the actual Cathlapotle Village site.  The drawing will be held during BirdFest and Bluegrass.

·         Contribute $100 to the Friends and receive either a bird feeder from Shorty’s Nursery, or a coupon for a three-hour kayak through the Refuge from Ridgefield Kayak (while supplies last).

·         Enjoy our Members- and Volunteers- only social events:  BBQ August 14 in a special area of the Refuge, and Member Appreciation Dinner August 5.

·         NEW members will receive special Refuge Tour and orientation by Randy Hill!

·         $50 members receive an annual Refuge Pass. 

BirdFest and Bluegrass Festival October 9 and 10!!  This year we feature dusky Canada geese, and you’ll have a chance to learn about SO MANY wonderful creatures the Refuge calls home.  Reserve a special Sandhill Crane Tour before the spots are gone…check out all the wonderful activities and events on the Friends’ website! 

Roger’s Refuge Ramblings…I have heard it said that birding at the Refuge in August is “for the birds!”  Well, nobody told the birds that, for things are still “poppin” when it comes to bird sightings and it will only get better as Fall Migration begins!     

If it’s been awhile since you visited the Refuge, on your next visit you will notice that, as always, “things just aren’t as they used to be.”  One of the biggest changes you will see is that many of the lakes and ponds that were there during the winter months have “filled in.”  The water level has gone down and where there was once water, there are now only grasses.  As some of the larger lakes fill in, mud flats are beginning to form along the edges and high spots of the lake.  This mud, which is the home for many small invertebrates, is just the meal ticket for many of the shorebirds that are beginning to be seen at the refuge.  Keep an eye out for some of the unusual ones that show up every year. 

Probably another change you might notice (or can’t help but notice) is the unwelcome presence of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are a fact of life in the northwest.  Perhaps you can find some small comfort knowing that only half of the mosquito population is after your blood—it’s only the females that bite you. The problem is that the males only last for a couple of days after mating and the females live for a number of weeks.  It appears as if the females need animal blood to develop fertile eggs, so when you contribute a little blood, you are helping to propagate the species. (And here you said that you didn’t like mosquitoes!) 

The best defense for mosquitoes is a good offense.  In general, mosquito repellent works by masking the chemical cues that beckon mosquitoes to dinner. The chemical cues that we naturally exude which seem to hang a welcome sign about our necks are Carbon Dioxide and Lactic Acid.  Of course besides sensing the cues, they can zero in on body temperature and also movement.  Doesn’t leave us much of a chance, does it? 

Some of the unusual sightings we have had this past month are an out-of-season Bufflehead, Rufous and Anna’s Hummingbirds, Orange-crowned, Wilson’s and Yellow Warblers (while seen readily at the beginning of the month are getting harder to find at the end), Pine Siskin, Bank Swallow, Lesser Yellowlegs, & Dark-eyed Junco.  And guess how many shorebirds we saw last Sunday ON the River S Unit?  Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Snipe, Wilson's Phalarope, Red-necked Phalarope…. Yep, 16!!! 

Come and visit the Refuge this summer and while you are at it, get one of the free, NEW, Discovery Trail Audio Tour CDs at the Visitor Kiosk.  This one is just for the spring and summer months.  Learn something new about the Refuge.

 
Plankhouse News… Katie Harrison would like to invite all of you to attend and participate in the upcoming Plankhouse Committee Meeting, which is open to all who are interested in the Plankhouse and want to help make plans for its future. This meeting will be held on Aug. 31at 5pm at the Public Safety Complex located at 505 NW 179th Street, Ridgefield, WA. This is located off of Exit 9, same as the Clark County Fair Grounds exit. Please note that this is NOT the same fire station complex located off Exit 14 that previous meetings have been held.

Especially we would like to invite those interested in education programs at the Plankhouse to attend, as well as those who would like to volunteer to lead school groups. Some of those that have been involved with Refuge education have been brainstorming on new ideas for activities as well as ideas for volunteer recruitment and sustainability, and we would like all the input we can get!   For anyone who would like to discuss a particular issue, please submit to Katie for the agenda.  Katie is bringing her special cookies so we hope to see you there.


VOLUNTEER TRAINING for NEW AND RETURNING EDUCATION VOLUNTEERS - MARK  YOUR CALENDAR!!!  Come help nurture the next generation of conservationists and spread appreciation for cultural and natural history . . .
Fall Volunteer Training: Environmental and Cultural Education - Thursday September 9th, 10am to 3pm ….   Fall is approaching quickly and students will be visiting the Refuge soon.  We need many enthusiastic volunteers to share their interest in nature and inspire young minds. Refuge volunteers receive many benefits including volunteer only walks and talks, an annual catered dinner and annual summer BBQ, and other prizes and events throughout the year.  No experience necessary.  All training provided.

• Learn how to engage students in the Plankhouse through hands-on activities.
• See how you can easily interest students in nature through interactive walks and hands-on nature activities.
• Receive tips and techniques on how to catch the attention of students of various ages.
• Wrap up with a special presentation about Turtles with a chance to see some of our local species up close!

For more information and to RSVP please contact the Refuge Volunteer Coordinator Josie Finley at 360-887-4106 or josie_finley@fws.gov.  

ATTENTION FRIENDS AND VOLUNTEERS: Special Turtle Presentation on the Refuge just for you!   Come see Kathleen Perillo, Professor at Clark Community College in Vancouver WA, give a presentation about local turtles.  A presentation at the Plankhouse will be followed up by checking traps in Duck lake and potentially seeing these turtles up close! This presentation is not open to the public and is a benefit and thank you to Refuge Volunteers and Friends Members.  

Kathleen Perillo has a Bachelor's Degree in physical geography and a Masters in environmental science.  She has been teaching courses in biology and environmental science at Clark since 1999.  She has also done work with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife in support of Western Pond Turtle recovery activities, spent 14 years doing environmental education for all ages, and is a co-founder and president of the Center for Eco-dynamic Agriculture.  

For more information and to RSVP please contact the Refuge Volunteer Coordinator Josie Finley at 360-887-4106 or josie_finley@fws.gov.  Space may be limited so make your reservation soon.    


PLEASE SAY THANK YOU To Our Wonderful Sponsors!  
We couldn’t do our education and habitat work without them.  Make a special point to thank NW Natural, United Natural Foods, First Independent Bank, The Backyard Bird Shop, Columbia Credit Union, Agave Jeans, Ridgefield Lions, Parametrix, Maul Foster and Alongi, Port of Ridgefield, L & J Feed, and Shorty’s Nursery.

Restoration at the Refuge  Bulrush work started June 23! Bulrush removal work parties will be every Wednesday and Saturday (except for July 3) until September 1.  9:00 am to 12:30 pm. Meet at River S Unit Kiosk.  We will either search for and pull ricefield bulrush (the highest priority wetland invasive plant threat on the Refuge) and bag plants for removal, or dig other invasive plants especially yellow water iris.  Please wear waterproof footwear (rubber boots are best if you have them) and dress for the weather.  If you would like to sign up for a work party contact Alexa Ortiz, Alexa_Ortiz@fws.gov, (360) 887-3883.  Find out more on the Refuge website: http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/ridgefield/getinvolved.htm


The Fourth Annual  Ridgefield Refuge Photo  Contest deadline is September 1!!  For details check the Friends website or visit Pro Photo Supply…http://www.prophotosupply.com/events/refuge.htm


Volunteers - Timesheets Needed!   If you have volunteered since October 1st, 2009 on the Refuge or for the Friends group please send in your volunteer hours to the Refuge Volunteer Coordinator Josie Finley (josie_finley@fws.gov).  A reporting form is attached.  Your donation of time is used to report what good work the Refuge and surrounding communities are doing for our Nation's natural resources and public good and will help to secure the needed funding to continue into the future.  They also help the Friends to secure funding from grants to do all that they do!  So please turn your hours in ASAP.  


Don’t forget to glance at the Refuge calendar, your one-stop shop for fun activities coming up, at http://www.ridgefieldfriends.org

“The Friend’s mission is to support, protect, and enhance the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge and its wildlife habitat, and to broaden public awareness and participation in its environmental, cultural, and educational opportunities.”