Last Saturday, from 10 am until 3 pm, the SNWR celebrated their 24th annual fall festival at the Oak Savannah learning center. There was an amazing turn out for the event, appoximatly 1,500 visitors came to the annual celebration, which was held on National Public Lands Day.   

 

 The fall festival was a free, family fun event and offered many outside activities. Friends of Sherburne NWR educated event-goers on how the Friends support Refuge educational programs. 

 

Folks were welcomed to enjoy cookies, coffee, and cocoa courtesy of the Friends and free cake was served to celebrate the 52nd birthday of the Refuge.                    

Boys and girls were welcomed to try shooting or archery practice with the MN Bowhunters and Jake’s BB gun shooting range. Event goers could test their skill at wildlife identification with furs including, bear, mink and beaver  and many others.  There were feathers, and bones to identify as Refuge workers explained how they aquired each one, usually found on the road.

 

Staff from Elk River and Princeton Early Childhood Programs helped kids design nature journals to take with them to journal throughout the day. At 11 am the Audubon Center of the North Woods gave an hour presentation, “Raptors by Family.”  They explained all birds of prey have certain characteristics in common, but each group (falcons, owls, hawks and eagles) have adaptations that make them unique.              

 

Gary Moss, renowned wildlife artist, spent some time reflecting his love and experiences with wildlife. During his presentation, Moss told the story of his career, his connection to Sherburne County, and his process for creating the new murals in the lobby of the learning center which were reveiled for the first time Saturday.                 

 

The pollinator booth was fasinating.  Folks were able to learn about the native pollinators that call Sherburne NWR home and why they are important. Kids had a fun time opening, cleaning and speading milk weed seeds.               

 

Event-goers were welcomed to net dipping to see what types of invertebrates live in the water. The Sherburne Photo Club gave demos on macro photography techniques and the gear that club uses and folks could see the effects of poaching and view the poachers wall of shame trailer.