The building they previously used was a small school house and they were not able to have classes or large groups come to learn about all that nature has to offer. They are hoping that the Oak Savanna Learning center will be fully completed by this spring, for their spring celebration in May if the funds are raised in time. 

 

A group, The Friends of Sherburne, have been in partnership with the Refuge since 1993 and have been a great source of support to get the learning center built. The Friends of Sherburne have pledged to raise $250,000 to provide furnishings, educational displays and material, outside learning spaces and other essentials for learning. 

 

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge

The Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is 30,700 acres and is home to thousands of species of plants, fish and animals. The refuge is very dynamic ranging from grassland to the oak savanna forest, intertwined with a variety of wetlands and river habitat’s. 

 

The Refuge promotes the health and wellbeing of animals, and is home to many habitats from sedge meadow to deep marsh waters. A wet meadow supports a variety of aquatic vegetation and has mudflats that attract waterfowl, water birds and shore birds. A very important part of the Refuge is the St. Francis River. The river flows through a majority of the refuge and lies within the St. Francis watershed, thus providing a corridor of habitats for water birds, song birds and mammals such as river otters and beavers. 

 

Sand Hill Cranes are a very popular bird to come and watch as the refuge is home to 40 pairs of Sand Hill Cranes. Watching Bald Eagles and Trumpeter Swans will also make for an amazing experience.  Not only does the Wildlife Refuge offer a beautiful view of nature, but it is also open to the public for mushroom and berry picking. 

 

Trails are available for cross country skiing, snow showing scenic hiking, bicycling, fishing and canoeing. No matter if you looking to get outdoors and get into nature or are looking to learn more about birds, butterflies, and turtles, The Sherburne National Wildlife refuge is a great place to come explore.

 

Friends of the Sherburne National Wildlife refuge is made up of a group of volunteers that give their time and talents for refuge projects and programs.  Friends co-sponsor more than a dozen free events including; bird, wildflower and butterfly tours. 

 

They also offer teacher workshops and educational programs. Friends support refuge education facility, environmental education and interpretive programs for kids of all ages. Being in partnership with the Wildlife refuge, Friends support awareness and are an advocate for the refuge and Refuge system. 

 

This group is very important to anyone who has or plans on visiting the refuge because they help fund visitor amenities like observation decks, spotting scopes, interpretive signs and brochures. They also contribute to habitat restoration for game and other native species. 

 

The Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife refuges have been working hard on raising funds for the Refuge. They will be hosting a craft beer- wine- cheese tasting and silent auction Feb. 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Friendly Buffalo in Big Lake, as part of their Be Wild Campaign for youth nature education. All the proceeds will go to support environmental education at the new Oak Savanna learning center. Tickets are on sale in advance for $20 and can be purchased at the Friendly Buffalo and Lake liquors, located in the Lake shopping center, or you can get your tickets online for $22 at online at Eventbrite.com. If readers would like to purchase tickets at the door they will cost $25. This is going to be a fun event and it’s for a very good cause.

 

f you  have any questions, would like to donate an item for the silent auction or make a tax deductible donation to the Be Wild Campaign call Sue Hix at 763-389-1774.